If you go off-peak, you can get some really cheap flights to Chiang Mai. I booked an HK Express flight for a few hundred HKD$ and when selecting the return flight, it showed as being free with some minimal fuel surcharges. So if you can, head here when it’s not a public holiday as it really doesn’t make sense to be paying a few thousand to get here when you get here for literally next to nothing during off-peak times. Hotels are cheap even during holidays in Thailand, but they’ll be even cheaper during April and May. Pick one with a good swimming pool because it’s stifling hot during those months.
Don’t stay in the city, especially if you have kids. Or the Old Town, or along the river. Instead, try something different like the Lanna Rice Barn. This isn’t the best hotel in the world but it’s a really cool property that your family will love unless you’re one of those silver spooners and only stay in the absolute best hotels with all the amenities and staff brown nosing you the entire time. Read more about our stay at the Lanna Rice Barn here.
Chiang Mai had major pollution problems when we were there but apart from visually, we didn’t really notice it that badly. It’s more the heat. Organise everything and all your things to do in Chiang Mai in the early morning and try and finish by early afternoon. Have some lunch, a rest in your room in the hottest part of the day, then head out for a swim around 4-5p.m. By the time you’re done the sun will be going down and it’ll be cooling down.
We went into the City to some local markets but it’s the same shit over and over that you can find at any market in SE Asia. With the heat, you’e going to want to head to the malls anyway. Central is the biggest and has two locations in Chiang Mai. They also have massive food courts and you can always find something good there. For more information about traveling to Chiang Mai and if you have specific questions about where to stay, what to do and when to visit, feel free to contact us via email or on Twitter or Facebook.