Up next on our tour of SE Asia, is Chiang Mai, Thailand. We did visit Bangkok, but the city life that sticks out for us, is definitely Chiang Mai. We packed in a lot of fun in our 48 hours there. Keep reading for where to stay, where to SPA (oh, la la) and where to adventure!
Be sure check our travel stories out on Instagram for beautiful video and more detail!
Note: we were there in March, and this post is not sponsored in any way.
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Where to stay
Can you say “best fried chicken ever in life?!” Listen, I mean it. Never in a million years would Mitch and I have thought that some of the best fried chicken we would ever have, would reside on a room service menu, at a 4-star hotel, in the middle of Chiang Mai. But here we are, and there it is. I know you’re dying to know the name of this hotel now, right? We had the wonderful opportunity and experience of staying at Pingviman Hotel. 2 nights came to a total of $262. 5/5, would recommend!
Where to SPA!
Getting around is so easy, with most 1 way trips costing $3 or less. After a long day of site-seeing, I decided I wanted a late night massage, and Mitch was more than willing to oblige me — as long as he got to stay behind. If you google top spas in Chiang Mai from the US, I’m not even sure this location pops up, BUT the service, atmosphere, and overall vibe is amazing. AND they have the reviews to match.
My recommendation is that regardless of how long you are in Chiang Mai, you must hop over to Zira Spa for a true Thai massage. Honneeyyy, they even get on the bed with you to stretch you out. I couldn’t believe it. The room in which you receive your massage is a lovely room with shower and soaking tub.
Zira has an unmatched 5 STARS and well over 600 reviews. You know it’s pretty hard to come by a score like that, and not live up to the hype!
Where to adventure
Where to adventure is always important. When you don’t have a lot of time in a particular city, and it’s especially your first time, we always recommend doing a tour. My preference in many cases is to do a private tour. We recommend Travelhub, and doing the Private culture tour for Chiang Mai. The total came to $167 and this included lunch, drinks, and a private air-conditioned bus.
The tour includes early morning alms giving to monks, Wat Chedi Luang and Wat Sri Suphan, the local market, and much more. The tour is a full day, so you really can’t plan much else. Unless it’s a nice evening massage to perfect the day and evening.
