The beautiful Rose of the North

Posted by paul on September 10th, 2009 filed in tourist tips

Chiang Mai province’s mist-shrouded mountains have long enticed travellers to explore this southern slice of the mighty Himalayan mountain range. Initially attracted north by tales of vine-filled jungles and elephants, visiting tourists are enjoyably distracted by the gateway city of Chiang Mai, a relaxing cultural capital. Farther piquing the imagination are the minority hill tribes, who struggle to maintain their ethnically independent identities and living among the high-altitude valleys.

The province of Chiang Mai straddles one of Asia’s significant crossroads – a Silk Road’s southern spur – fusing culture and commerce between points farther west and north in modern-day China, Burma and Laos. Ancient caravan merchants dealt in timber, silk and opium.

Today, solely silk retains a legal product and the horse-drawn conveyances are merely historic legends. Instead the province has adapted to a modern marketplace’s expectations. Chiang Mai is one of Thailand’s most significant cities, though it retains the pleasurable ambience of a small town, and it functions as the northern part’s major centre for education, transportation, tourism and cross border commerce.

Details on hiking in Malaysia too.