CM Sight and local Transport

Hi,

We would like to do these 3 CM sights- just one day or half day activities . We have 5 days but I have only found these things we are interested in, so far.

1. Doi Suthep Wat Phrat , further to Phuiping Palace, maybe on to Doi Pui hmong Village

2. Doi Inthanon Park and trek to waterfalls.

3. handicraft villages Bo sang, Ban Tawan - Sankamphaeng Rd

What is the best way to travel to these areas?

a. songthaews - I heard exhaust is bad in these trucks, is it easy to get back?

b. tours - don%26#39;t see much info on these

c. private driver - more expensive, but perhaps more convenient

Thanks for any ideas

CM Sight and local Transport

Unless you are Superman then taking in all 3 of the sites you mentioned in one day would be impossible. Doi Suthep and a trip to one of the local villages wll take you about 2 hours assuming that you plan on climbing up to the Wat and generally having a relaxing day. Thefun part of going to Bo Sang is the shopping aspect where your browse through the many different handycraft shops.

Adding Doi Itheron ( excuse the spelling ) would really mess up a relaxing day. I am sure ou will find some eager taxi driver who will do all 3 for you, but at a price.

Why not go to Ban Tawai that day instead, its on the Hang Dong road and its another village area famous for its handycrafts. 100%26#39;s of shops there.

Like Bo Sang, its about 20 ish minutes outside the city.

CM Sight and local Transport

We hired a driver for half a day (700B) and went to Doi Suthep and then to the villages. It depends on how long you want to spend at the villages - we did not spend very long at all.

I%26#39;d suggest that the villages alone need at least half a day.

Doi Suthep is another half day.

You can either hire a private guide/driver or you can negotiate when you get there with a driver. We used an aircon cab and paid about 700B for half a day. We knew exactly what we wanted to do - so just told the driver where to take us.

If you want a guide - see the Frequently Asked Question section on the top right hand side of the forum page. There is a link which includes names and contact details for Chiang Mai guides. Just email a couple and ask for prices.

Caroline.

Sorry Tom, if I left you with the impression we would do this all in one day.

I intended that it would take us 3 days to do these out of the 5 days we have in CM.

I only wanted to know how to travel to do these. But you have given ideas on how to combine if it is more feasible transportation, wise.

Thanks Caroline, I thought private car best, but wondered if we could do it more cheaply with public transport.

We have travelled public transport on holidays many times and quite like that method- puts in in with the locals.

I so appreciate your ideas.

Personally, I would combine public transport/tuk tuk or songthaew rides and a day with a guide.

For the trip up to Doi Suthep, you can easily jump into the back of a songthaew. Just negotiate a price. They will wait while you look around. If you get a public (share) songthaew - it will be cheaper again. The fumes can be pretty thick in the back of a songthaew going up the mountain.

For the villages you could hire a tuk tuk for half a day - or again. There is a place in the Warorat Market area where public songthaews leave for Bor Sang. Very cheap. But more convenient to have your own driver really and set your own pace.

For a trip further out of town combining a number of different sights - maybe a hill tribe visit as well, I%26#39;d get a guide for the day.

Chiang Mai is not a big place and you will find all of this easy to sort out once you are there.

Check the link on the top right of the forum (FAQ) for names and contacts of guides - if that helps.

Caroline.