Chiang Mai Flower
FestivalCHIANG MAI ..........................TO THAI PAGES NAVIGATOR
Chiang Mai provides a good base from which to see Chiang Mai Province and most of the Northern part of Thailand, including Chiang Rai and the Golden Triangle. The best ( coolest and driest ) time to visit is perhaps during the four months from November to February.
Chiang Mai is about 450 miles to the north of Bangkok. It is Thailand's second largest city, although it has hardly 10 % of Bangkok's population, and is the capital of one of the largest provinces in Thailand. Climatically it is more pleasant than Bangkok.
Chiang Mai has many festivals, perhaps the most well known are the Songkran Festival, held in April, complete with water fights; the Flower Festival in February, which is similar to the Nice Carnival but with far more intricate floral designs on the floats; and the Loy Krathong Festival in November with fireworks and fire balloons and the floats on the River Ping. ( Mae Nam Ping )
Chiang Mai Flower
Festival
Local Beauty Queens
Many of the forested areas in the hills surrounding Chiang Mai were being destroyed by the crude farming methods of the nomadic hill tribes. A Royal Project was set up recently to solve this problem and at the same time aid the economic development of the hill tribes.
The Asian elephant is of symbolic importance in Thailand, particularly in Buddhist legend. Formerly elephants were valuable workers ... now there are a little over 2000 elephants roaming wild in Thailand. The role of the domesticated elephants is increasingly changing from genuine logging and building work to mere demonstrations of what they are capable of.... all part of a growing tourist industry.
The elephant training camp at Mae Tang is a popular excursion from Chiang Mai, as are the Mae Klang Waterfalls ... and not least, the various Wats.
For more pictures in and around Chiang Mai, and down to Sukothai, see THAILAND REVISITED.
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