Interview with mythailanddiary.com re: Chiang Mai

I recently discovered a great Blog which is written by a swiss mum who lives in Chiang Mai called My Thailand Diary. As my sister is heading to Chiang Mai for the Songkran festival in 2 days, I thought it would be a good idea if I asked her a few questions about the 2nd biggest city in Thailand. Thankfully, she was more than happy to help out.

Q: How long have you lived in Chiang Mai?
A: Lived here since 1999….

Q: Why did you choose Chiang Mai over the other cities/towns in Thailand?
A: Well, the organisation my husband worked with was based in Chiang Mai.. so we moved here.

Q: What is your favorite restaurant in Chiang Mai (and why)?
A: hmmm hard to say… The Dukes has great food if you want something different than thai food…For Thai food, almost all street vendors have good food

Q: Are there any foods/drinks that originate from Chinag Mai, if so, what are they?
A: Norther Curry (Khau Soy) is a speciality and spicy northern saucage.. very yummy. As for drinks.. no idea..

Q: What 5 tourist attractions should every visitor visit?

1) An Elephant Camp

2) Doi Suthep, the big temple on the hill

3) Night Bazaar Opens at around 5pm and closes at 11pm

4) A Kantoke Dinner . Northern Thailand Culture, food and dancing.

5) Trek into surrounding hilltribe village

Q: Can you recommend an off the beaten path attraction visitors should visit?
A: Not many people go to the Warrorot Market.. its big and you get everything from bugs to yellow tshirts… Or the Huay Teung Taew are waay out there, quite far from the city. What makes this place popular amongst locals is that Huay Teung Taew is the only lake amongst the mountains there.

Q: What is the most spectacular temple in Chiang Mai?
A: Doi Suthep

Q: What are your favourite shopping areas in Chiang Mai?
A: Grocery shopping.. Lotus Tesco, Clothes.. Central Airport Plaza. Especially good on a hot day.. its airconned.Fresh vegetables.. any market around Chiang Mai

Q: If you could give one tip to a new traveler visiting Chiang Mai, what would it be?
A: Smile, remember you are a visitor and be patient when things don’t workout quite as you expected

Q: Chiang Mai is widely known as the most popular city to celebrate the Songkran festival. What can a visitor expect when visiting during this period? Any tips?
A: OH Songkran! Buy a bucket, go the moot or join any bar where they are splashing, buy some drinks or food and join the fun. The atmosphere in Chiang Mai is great and try to act like the locals. Often farangs totally overdo the splashing part… avoid splashing peoples face ! Don’t go in your best clothes, nor in your bathing suit. If you have sensitive ears, you might want to used ear plugs.. the water is often very dirty… When someone doesn’t want to get splashed, try and respect that… some people actually have to go to work and don’t want to get wet. Be careful when splashing children… again… be respectful.

Many thanks to the author of My Thailand Diary for answering my questions!