Chiang Mai has been in the top 5 digital nomad hotspots for probably over a decade at this point. And when even a backpacker’s budget permits small luxuries like a daily mango and a weekly massage, why wouldn’t it be? The best time of year to visit is between October and January, before the annual burning season that make the town much less appealing in February and March.
Travel thought: Are there any “normal” things in your area that might appear strange or illogical to someone viewing it from a different perspective? Some examples in North America might be drying clothes in a machine (as opposed to air drying), the inability to buy smaller sized products (toothpaste is only travel sized or super sized, there’s no half-size washing machines or sinks, etc.), and the lack of public transit. For me, Thailand has many unusual quirks, including “public transit” that follows no fixed route but has a fixed price, delivery apps that offer so many coupons that 2 separate orders (with 2 coupons) is cheaper than 1 combined order, and the biggest quirk of them all: an annual burning season that causes so much smoke that it’s visible from space.
Yi Peng is the biggest festival of the season, and many tourists arrive in Chiang Mai solely to watch the sky lanterns
That’s a lot of lanterns!
The botanical garden has a wide variety of tropical plants, many of which I expect need minimal assistance to grow in the middle of a rain forest
Round cactus
Squiggly cactus
Hobbits live throughout Southeast Asia, not just in New Zealand
The orchids area had special effects smoke for a unique ambiance
Mon Cham (also spelled Mon Jam) is a mountainous area with flower gardens and scenic views
Stand in a hand, apparently what some tourists come for
Fresh coconut with a view over Chiang Mai
Eating fresh mango is common, but this dessert looks particularly exquisite
