http://www.blogs.1stopchiangmai.com visiting and living in Northern Thailand Tue, 13 May 2008 21:20:06 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en Chiang Rai and Chiang Mai are the two major and most visited cities in the north of Thailand. Both fascinating cities provide an excellent base, from which where to further explore this unique and historic mountainous region of Thailand. The city of Chiang Mai is a fascinating mixture of modern ... http://www.blogs.1stopchiangmai.com/2008/05/13/chiang-mai-and-chiang-rai-northern-thailand%e2%80%99s-most-significant-cities/ Wonderfully situated in the northern part of Thailand, the city of Chiang Mai is also known as “The Rose of the North” is surrounded by green tropical landscapes and cool mountains. Chiang Mai’s mesmerizing beauty will impress each first-time visitor and many of them come back for a second time ... http://www.blogs.1stopchiangmai.com/2008/05/06/chiang-mai-a-highly-entertaining-tourist-retreat/ Once the more advanced mountain biker has reached the 1,600 metres high mountain’s summit he or she will be enthralled by the reward of rocketing down the road at a velocity sometimes reaching more than 30 mile per hour, while passing by some of the national park’s most gorgeous scenery. There aren’t any ... http://www.blogs.1stopchiangmai.com/2008/04/28/speeding-down-doi-pui%e2%80%99s-slopes-in-chiang-mai-by-mountain-bike/ Clearing your mind and escaping the daily pressures of life is possible by trekking in northern Thailand’s gorgeous mountainous region. These trekking adventures shouldn’t be too hard for physically fit persons. However, during the wet season the muddy and slippery paths may become rather tricky. When we made our first en-route ... http://www.blogs.1stopchiangmai.com/2008/04/22/thailand-for-outdoor-adventurers-part-2/ Northern Thailand is very famous for its ethnic minorities such as the colourful Akha, Hmong and Lisu hill tribe peoples and they certainly are one of the country's main tourist highlights. However, not many people are aware of the important role some of these minorities played in Thai history and ... http://www.blogs.1stopchiangmai.com/2008/04/15/siamese-history-and-the-karen-people/ Lately numerous of new restaurants opened in Chiang Mai but the family-run Khun Chern is one of the few still standing out after 15 years and reputed for serving a range of the tastiest vegetarian MSG-free dishes. The restaurant changed its location a couple of times but Kuhn Chern looks motivated ... http://www.blogs.1stopchiangmai.com/2008/04/05/garden-of-superb-culinary-vegetarian-delights/ Besides the Thai cuisine, postcard perfect beaches and golden Buddhist temples, Thailand’s most beloved characterising symbol must certainly be its mighty elephant. It is not really a surprise that the 25-year old elephant polo sport, which was introduced here seven years ago, immediately enjoyed huge success. Never had the chance attending ... http://www.blogs.1stopchiangmai.com/2008/04/01/elephant-polo-tournament-in-chiang-rai/ Last weekend local forest fires in Indonesia and Malaysia resulted in parts of Northern Thailand being hit by severe smog. Residents in Lampang and Chiang Mai suffered from respiratory problems caused by the thick smog. Such forest fires normally occur during the hot season when land encroachers and farmers burn down ... http://www.blogs.1stopchiangmai.com/2008/03/27/smoked-out-in-northern-thailand/ As during this time of year the heat starts to increase in Thailand it is highly important to keep the two from China imported pandas comfortably cool. The Chiang Mai Zoo’s two pandas are blessed to live in a comfortable chilled environment. Refreshing snacks such as frozen carrots and large ice ... http://www.blogs.1stopchiangmai.com/2008/03/22/keeping-the-pandas-cool/ Most tourists still not have discovered what the rich cultural town of Nan has on offer. The Lanna heritage that can be found here is absolutely the finest in Thailand. Nan features unique architectural styles along with traditional music, textiles and friendly welcoming locals. Some Thai experts on culture can ... http://www.blogs.1stopchiangmai.com/2008/03/16/nan-province-blessed-with-a-rich-cultural-lanna-heritage/