Activities in Chiang Mai
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Baan Thai
Has an in-town location where you can select which dishes to prepare; most of their courses include a tour of a local market – very useful for identifying local fruit and veg.
reviewed
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Tony’s Big Bikes
Rents well-maintained 125cc to 400cc motorbikes that all have license plates. Also offers riding lessons, can give touring advice and repairs motorcycles.
reviewed
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Thai Farm Cooking School
Thai Farm Cooking School teaches cooking classes at its organic farm, located 17km outside of Chiang Mai.
reviewed
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Thai Massage School of Chiang Mai
Northeast of town, has a solid, government-licensed massage curriculum. There are three foundation levels and an intensive teacher-training program. There's also a one-day Thai yoga program.
reviewed
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Lanna Muay Thai Boxing Camp
Offers moo·ay tai (Thai boxing, also spelt muay thai) instruction to foreigners and Thais. Several Lanna students have won stadium bouts, including the famous transvestite boxer Parinya Kiatbusaba. The camp is difficult to find; get a ride on a túk-túk or sŏrng·tăa·ou.
reviewed
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Patara Elephant Farm
More expensive and more hands-on, Patara's farm has a slightly different focus than the Elephant Nature Park. The first mission is to combat the declining numbers of elephants in Thailand through a breeding program and to develop a safe tourism model. The six resident elephants are 'adopted' by the guests for the day. Activities with your elephant include feeding, bathing, learning basic mahout commands and riding to a waterfall. Tours are limited to six people and the fee includes hotel transfers. The farm is a 30-minute drive south of Chiang Mai in the Hang Dong area.
reviewed
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Lek Chaiya
Khun Lek learned jàp sên (literally 'nerve touch'), a northern Thai massage technique akin to acupressure, from her mother and became a well-known practitioner before retiring and passing the business and the technique on to her son. Courses last from three to five days and cover about 50% of a traditional Thai massage course with the remainder dedicated to the nerve-touch technique and herbal therapies. To experience jàp sên, stop in for a massage either from an assistant (550B) or from Lek's son Jack (950B).
reviewed
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Faculty of Education
Chiang Mai University offers a one-year certificate program in Thai as a foreign language through the faculty of education. The program is offered as an exchange through CMU’s sister universities as well as for interested foreigners. The program covers all levels in Thai conversation, reading and writing, as well as Thai culture, and is to be completed in two successive semesters with approximately 10 hours of coursework per week.
reviewed
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F
Dheva Spa
The grandest spa in all of Chiang Mai is an architectural treasure, built to look like the ancient Burmese palace located at Mandalay. It is also a cheaper passport into the exclusive and stunning grounds of the luxurious Mandarin Oriental Dhara Dhevi resort than a night’s stay there would be. Try the tok sen massage, an old Lanna technique that uses a wooden gavel to tap on pressure points. Now you’ll know how a piece of carved wood feels.
reviewed
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Chiang Mai Rock Climbing Adventures
Maintains many of the climbing routes at Crazy Horse Buttress, and the expat owner publishes a guide to rock climbing in northern Thailand. If you prefer subterranean cliffs, it also leads caving trips in the same area. The office on Th Ratchaphakhinai has gear sales and rental, a partner-finding service and a bouldering wall for practice sessions. It offers introductory climbing courses for beginners and advanced training for multipitch climbs; trips include guides, gear, hotel transfers and lunch.
reviewed
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Flight of the Gibbon
This adventure outfit in Chiang Mai operates a zipline through the forest canopy some 1300m above sea level. Nearly 2km of wire with 18 staging platforms follow the ridgeline and mimic the branch-to-branch route a gibbon might take down the mountain. You can also tack on mountain biking (5800B), rock climbing (6300B), rafting (6500B) or hiking (7900B) over two days, which includes an overnight at a homestay in Mae Kampong, a pretty high-altitude village an hour's drive east from Chiang Mai.
reviewed
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H
International Training Massage School
A former instructor at the Old Medicine Hospital has developed his own curriculum at International Training Massage School, using northern-style massage techniques. Each of the four training levels includes 30 hours of instruction, culminating in a fifth teacher training level. There are also shorter foot reflexology, massage and spa treatment courses.
reviewed
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Old Medicine Hospital
The curriculum is very traditional, with a northern-Thai slant, and was one of the first to develop massage training for foreigners. There are two 10-day massage courses a month, as well as shorter foot and oil massage courses. Classes tend to be large from December to February, but smaller the rest of the year.
reviewed
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Old Medicine Hospital (OMH)
The curriculum at Old Medicine Hospital is very traditional, with a northern-Thai slant, and was one of the first to develop massage training for foreigners. There are two 10-day massage courses a month, as well as shorter foot and oil massage courses. Classes tend to be large from December to February, but smaller the rest of the year.
reviewed
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Scorpion Tailed River Cruise
This River Cruise focuses on the history of the Mae Ping river using traditional-style craft, known as scorpion-tailed boats. Informative cruises (five daily) last one to 1½ hours. They depart from Wat Srikhong pier near Rim Ping Condo and stop for a snack at the affiliated Scorpion Tailed Boat Village.
reviewed
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Peak
Teaches introductory and advanced rock-climbing courses at Crazy Horse Buttress. The Peak also leads a variety of soft adventure trips, including quad biking, as well as trekking, white-water rafting and a jungle survival cooking course. Note it's best to book directly with the company, and not through a travel agent.
reviewed
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Siam River Adventures
Has the best safety reputation. The guides have swiftwater rescue training and additional staff are located at dangerous parts of the river with throw ropes. Trips can be combined with elephant trekking and village overnights. It also operates kayak trips.
reviewed
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Mae Ping River Cruises
Mae Ping River Cruises offers daytime cruises (450B, two hours) in roofed long-tail boats. The boats stop at a small farm for fruit snacks after touring the countryside. The Thai dinner cruise (550B, two hours, daily at 7pm) offers a set menu.
reviewed
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O
Chiang Mai Thai Cookery School
This Cookery School is one of Chiang Mai’s first cooking schools and holds classes at the Wok restaurant and in a rural setting outside of Chiang Mai. The school also has a ‘masterclass’ with a northern Thai menu.
reviewed
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Northern Insight Meditation Centre
Located 4km south of Chiang Mai and offers an intensive 26-day or longer course. Days start at 4am and meals are taken in silence. The formal name for Wat Ram Poeng is Wat Tapotaram. Requirements include bringing your own white underwear, an alarm clock, passport and passport photos; and an understanding and acceptance of the strict rules governing a stay here. See website for more.
reviewed
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Chiang Mai Horse Riding
At Chiang Mai Horse Riding instructors lead horse and pony trails, with a maximum of five people, in the Mae Rim area. The price includes three hours riding, and transport to and from your hotel.
reviewed
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Ban Nit
The long-time teacher, Khun Nit, has retired at the ripe age of 76, but her daughter Noy now teaches the informal massage classes; stop in for a visit to see if the family suits your style.
reviewed
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Contact Travel
Leads multi-day, long-distance mountain biking tours through northern Thailand, mainly from Chiang Mai to Chiang Dao or Chiang Rai travelling small country lanes with some off-road riding.
reviewed
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Gap's Thai Culinary Art School
Affiliated with the guest house Gap's House (where you can make your booking) and holds its classes out of town at the owner's house.
reviewed
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Chetawan Thai Traditional Massage School
Bangkok's Wat Pho massage school established the Chiang Mai branch outside of town near Rajabhat University.
reviewed
