{"id":2141,"date":"2014-11-24T09:31:38","date_gmt":"2014-11-24T09:31:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/thai\/?p=2141"},"modified":"2014-11-21T07:22:04","modified_gmt":"2014-11-21T07:22:04","slug":"chiang-mai-excursions-and-adventures","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/thai\/chiang-mai-excursions-and-adventures\/","title":{"rendered":"Chiang Mai Excursions and Adventures"},"content":{"rendered":"

There’s a lot to do in the city of Chiang Mai<\/a>, as we recently talked about here. With plenty of museums, temples, markets, restaurants, and bars, it’s rarely a dull moment in Thailand’s northern capital. That being said, sometimes you just need to escape the traffic and crowds for a while. Luckily, there are tons of options for day trips, excursions, and multi-day adventures around Chiang Mai. Based on my travels there, here are five of my favorites:<\/p>\n

A Day Trip to Doi Suthep<\/h2>\n
\"A<\/a>

A holy temple on a hill.<\/p><\/div>\n

About 15 kilometers from the city, you’ll find the mountain known as Doi Suthep. High up on the hill stands Wat Phra That Doi Suthep<\/b> (\u0e27\u0e31\u0e14\u0e1e\u0e23\u0e30\u0e18\u0e32\u0e15\u0e38\u0e14\u0e2d\u0e22\u0e2a\u0e38\u0e40\u0e17\u0e1e), a sacred Buddhist temple with a fascinating legend behind it. As the story goes, a monk found what was believed to be a shoulder bone of Buddha. The King of the Lanna Kingdom asked the monk to bring the bone to him, but it unfortunately split in half. The smaller piece was enshrined, and the other was placed on the back of a white elephant. Eventually, the elephant climbed the hill at Doi Suthep and then trumpeted three times before dying. Taking this as a sign, the King had a temple built on that very sight. On a clear day, you can enjoy sweeping panoramic views from the top. You’ll also see many Thai people flocking here to make offerings, pray, and be blessed by monks. It’s an incredibly holy site, so make sure you dress appropriately and are respectful. Check out this past post for a more extensive write-up of the temple<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n