However, with that first bite ofsai ua along with my dragon fruit smoothie my life changed and now I’m addicted.

If you head to Chiang Mai, binging on street food will be a MUST for anyone who loves food. Unless you decide to stay in a hotel and eat every meal there while experiencing zero of the culture, you cannot miss Chiang Mai street food.

What’s the deal with Chiang Mai street food?

Chiang Mai street food has a unique flavor that’s not easy to come by down south. Thai food is all very regional, and the northern Lanna food has its own obsession with pork, veggies, and adding enough spice to put tears in your eyes.

So if you’ve said….“Ahhhh I loved that pad thai I had in Bangkok,” well….you’ve not experienced the best part of Thai food! Go to Chiang Mai, bring your stretchy pants, and get eating!

My top three favorite foods in Chiang Mai:

1. Pork Curry: Also known as gaeng hang lay, is my all time favorite curry. It’s a thick and soft pork that soaks in ginger, garlic and spices. Eat it at Aroon Rai over rice.

2. Khao Soi: For just over $1, you’ll be able to indulge in one of the most famous dishes of Chiang Mai. It’s a thick and spice-filled broth that typically is made with chicken. There are both fried and soft noodles within the soup. You can add lime, spices, pickled vegetables, and shallot to your meal however you feel necessary. Eat it here for just 45 baht!

3. Sai Ua: This is the best sausage I have ever had in my life. It can be found at street cart vendors all over the city. Thai people love their sausages, and no, not that frozen gross processed stuff you buy at your hometown grocery store. The sausage is unique as it is a bit drier than what you may be used to. Mixed in are different bits such as lemongrass, galangal, garlic, and chilis. While some sai ua makes my mouth turn to fire, I find that most are very tolerable for my weak spice buds.

Although that may seem pretty meat-heavy, Chiang Mai is also loaded with tons of vegetarian options and even has a slew of vegan restaurants popping all over the city.

My favorite places to go for Chiang Mai street food:

1. The Chiang Mai Gate food stalls: Every Saturday I head down to the southern part of the city for a $5 foot massage and pork noodle and wonton soup. For just about $1.50 I can slurp my soup in front of 7-Eleven while people watching and drinking a cold beer. Throughout the entire southern part of the moat are tons of street carts selling everything imaginable—meat skewers, fruit shakes, mango sticky rice, corn on the cob, bugs, durian, meatballs, spring rolls…and the list goes on. As you walk around you’ll be swarmed by loads of smells that make you drool with hunger…well, usually, unless it’s that bad sewer smell that lingers throughout southeast Asia. Regardless, you’ll be grabbing snacks for a few bucks while frolicking wide-eyed through the market.

2. The Chiang Puak Market food stalls: If you aren’t too keen on crazy crowds, the street food at the north gate offers a more laid-back vibe. Yes, it may have been made famous when Anthony Bourdain came and munched on pork and rice. Get on over to the Cowboy Hat Lady for one of the top recommendations in town. Throughout the area you can get wonderful treats without feeling too overwhelmed by the tourist crowds.

3. The Night Bazaar: During the week, you should head to Chiang Mai’s Night Bazaar to binge on even more goodies. Here you will find a lot of pad see ew, assortments of noodles, different kinds of curries, and skewers a-plenty. Food stalls surround the perimeter of the location where you can listen to live music. Here you won’t find solely Thai food but loads of other mouthwatering eats as well.

4. Thanin Market: There are tons of markets around Chiang Mai where you can buy either on-the-go food or ingredients to bring back home and cook. My favorite market is just north of the old city in the neighborhood of Santitham. Thanin Market has EVERYTHING you need and is extremely local and affordable. As it doesn’t cater to tourists, you’ll be able to eat your meals for much cheaper while supporting the locals who aren’t at the busy markets in the old city. You can weave your way through multiple food stalls and snag wontons, soups, sausage, shakes, fruit, veg, dumplings, and more! These food items will be about half the price as the typical markets. So go for the local feel and head to Thanin Market to binge on more Thai snacks.

BONUS: “Tao Rai?” you ask. Thai locals will LOVE if you can ask for their treats in their language. You may even score a discount if you ask politely.

Reading about Chiang Mai street food is not as thrilling as experiencing it in person. You won’t really know what that smell is until you’ve tasted it. You’ll be drooling with no shame when you pop around the various street food markets in Chiang Mai.

Don’t know what you’re eating? Good! That’s part of the adventure. Support the local vendors who work so hard to make Chiang Mai delicious! It’s hard to miss the street food in Chiang Mai—actually, it’s quite impossible. So grab that ice cream cone from the man waiting in the heat for a sale. You’ll be doing good and eating great!

Suggested next reading: 8 Incredible Outdoor Adventures Near Chiang Mai

The post Chiang Mai Street Food: What To Eat & Where To Find It appeared first on Modern Trekker.

Flexible, alternative lifestyles are becoming more and more common in 2018, especially among millennials. Cities all over the world are becoming digital nomad hotspots, tempting remote workers with things like low costs of living, easy-to-obtain visas, and plentiful wifi.

Chiang Mai has become one of those cities.

A beautiful mountain town in northern Thailand, Chiang Mai has recently seen a surge in its population of digital nomads. It’s been a popular destination among English teachers for years, but it’s now becoming especially popular among remote workers.

 

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Why are there so many digital nomads in Chiang Mai? Here are seven reasons:

1. A Low Cost of Living

Southeast Asia in general is an incredibly inexpensive place to live, and Thailand is no exception. Basic studio apartments are available to rent for as low as $150 USD/month, with luxury units still only around $800 USD/month. Month-to-month leases are common and spaces often come furnished. Mobile phone packages with unlimited data can run around $18 USD/month (in case you need to hotspot your phone) and wifi is abundant at nearly every coffee shop and restaurant. Local transportation is easy with songthaews (local pickup trucks converted into taxis with two benches fixed along the inside) and Grab, an Uber-like app. And the best expense? Food! You can get a mouth-watering local dish from a street vendor for as little as $1 USD. If you’re making a western salary, digital nomads in Chiang Mai can live like kings, easily.

2. Accessibility to Western Comforts

 

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While Chiang Mai is a city rich in Thai culture and history, it also boasts some familiar Western comforts to appease even the most reluctant of travelers. Thai malls are some of the best you’ll find (seriously, give one a visit and you’ll be pleasantly surprised) with amazing food courts, well-known clothing shops, and plenty of services like mobile phone retailers. Western-influenced neighborhoods attract plenty of foreigners, making them a bit more expensive but with many comforts of home, like American grocery stores, European restaurants, and trendy cafés. The Nimmanhaemin Road area is especially popular.

3. Good Infrastructure and WiFi

Chiang Mai is renowned for the ease it provides remote workers. Traveling within Thailand is easy, with major airport hubs in Chiang Mai and Bangkok. In fact, Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi international airport is the ninth busiest airport in Asia, offering cheaper tickets and more accessible flights. (And flights between Chiang Mai and Bangkok are dirt cheap.) Internet is plentiful in Chiang Mai, with most coffee shops and restaurants happily offering free wifi. Coworking spaces are common, offering affordable daily and monthly rates—some host fun informational talks and meetups so you can network and get to know other digital nomads in Chiang Mai. In general, Chiang Mai is an incredibly easy city to settle into and work from comfortably.

 

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4. Stunning Landscape and Temples

Chiang Mai is bordered to the west by Doi Suthep, one of the twin peaks of Doi Suthep-Pui National Park. You can grab beers from 7-Eleven and sit on a rooftop or balcony (both of which are common in apartment buildings in CM) to watch the sunset behind the mountain, which never gets old. Dotted throughout the city are over 300 ancient temples, anomalies amidst the modern shops and cafés. Strolling through the streets of Old Town, it’s impossible to avoid stumbling upon a majestic temple, and for a nominal fee you can enter and wander the grounds. (Usually the equivalent of $3 USD—but make sure you’re dressed appropriately.) And sitting at the top of Doi Suthep is Wat Phra That Doi Suthep, a Buddhist monastery from the 14^th Century offering incredible views of the city below. No matter where you look, there’s always so much beauty on offer for digital nomads in Chiang Mai.

 

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5. A Plethora of Outdoor Activities

There’s also no lack of things to do outside in Chiang Mai. Feel like climbing waterfalls? Swimming in a reservoir? Hiking up a mountain in a national park? All of these are possible in CM! Sticky Waterfalls, Huay Tung Tao, and Doi Inthanon National Park are all within a day’s drive. Jungle trekking, zip lining, and mountain biking are also available, proving you’ll never be bored in Chiang Mai. (Check out a full list of ideas here.)

6. The Kindness of the Thai People

Perhaps another reason why so many people stay in Chiang Mai long-term is the Thai people themselves. In general, they are welcoming, gracious, and kind. Even if they only speak a bit of English, they’ll go out of their way to try to talk to you and learn about you. Rather than seeing foreigners as an imposition, they’re usually eager to practice English and tell you about their country, which they take so much pride in. They certainly help you feel at home in Thailand, even if it’s a temporary home.

7. Incredible Food

Saved the best for last! Because not only do digital nomads in Chiang Mai live like kings, they eat like kings, too. Noodle soups, chicken and rice, fruit shakes, curries galore—it’s all so good. Ingredients are fresh and family recipes abound. Most food is served street-style, cooked up right in front of you on a cart on the curb. The popular dish local to northern Thailand is khao soi, a coconut and curry noodle soup usually served with chicken, pork, or beef. It’s topped with crunchy fried noodles, and spicy pickled mustard root, shallots, and lime wedges are served on the side. Food just doesn’t get any better than Thai food in Chiang Mai.

There you have it. Chiang Mai is a little spot of heaven amidst Southeast Asia. Is it really any wonder why there are so many digital nomads in Chiang Mai?

Suggested next reading: 7 Wonderful Things To Do In Chiang Mai

The post 7 Legit Reasons Why Digital Nomads Are Flocking To Chiang Mai appeared first on Modern Trekker.

When you stay in Chiang Mai, opt for accommodation in the Old City. It’s a one-mile-by-one-mile square inside of a moat and old gated walls that still subtly remain. It’s where tourists flock, vendors set up street food carts, and where you can find little cafés and massage parlors nestled between mazes of alleys. There’s luxury hotels, adorable guesthouses, and backpacker hostels for any type of adventurer.

Here are 7 top things to do in Chiang Mai.

1. Visit The Temples

There’s no shortage of stunning temples in and around Chiang Mai. In fact, there are approximately 300 Buddhist temples. Near the old city you will find beautiful shiny temples peeking out around various corners and entrances. While entry is typically free or just a small fee, make sure to bring something to cover your knees and shoulders. A must-see temple just on the mountain to your west is Wat Phra That Doi Suthep. You can hike for 30 minutes along the Monk’s trail from the base at Suthep Alley Road and stop for a coffee at Wat Pha Lat. From there you can either snag a Songthaew (red truck) for just 40 baht from the main road or hike the remainder of your journey. The temple on top has views of the entire city.

2. Bike Around The City

You can easily rent a bicycle and peddle your way through the town. The city is small, flat, and easy to navigate. You may find yourself popping into little remote corners where you can find cute hidden gems. You can bike northwest to Huay Kaew Waterfall or bike east towards the Mae Ping River. If you’re feeling that you want a bit of guidance on your cycling venture, sign up for a city bike tour or mountain biking expedition.

3. Shop At The Night Markets

Chiang Mai is all about the markets. It would be impossible to visit the city and avoid them. Every day there’s lively evening markets offering street food, massages, clothing, trinkets, and art. If you make it to Chiang Mai on the weekend you can join the heaps of crowds looking for their sweet deals. You’ll be jam-packed shopping side by side with fellow tourists. In this case, you may fancy grabbing an hour foot massage on the streets for about $5 while watching people go by. The Saturday market is a bit less hectic as it is just south of the old city and nearby the delish street vendors. It’s a bit more spacious and if you head far enough south, you can catch the police officers singing karaoke! Even if you don’t make it on the weekend you can head to the Chiang Mai’s Night Bazaar any day of the week, Warorot Market or Jing Jai Market for even better discounts, and the markets near Chiang Mai University that cater to the local youngsters in the area. Want to test out your haggling skills? “Lot dai mai?” will be your key phrase to get a better deal.

4. Eat The Street Food

Northern Thai food will transform your taste buds. Thai food is more than just your go-to pad thai dish that your order from your favorite chain restaurant back home. From Khao Soi to Sai Ua to Gaeng Hang Lay you’ll have to test out the food yourself. Although the food may be a bit spicy for your liking, it’s all worth a shot. “Mai pet” means to not add spice if you’re feeling a tad sweaty already. Whether you are meandering around the north gate of the old city and make it to the famous “Cowboy Hat Lady’s” stall for some pork or are eating yourself into a food coma around the south gate, you’ll have plenty to keep your taste buds entertained. Pork noodle soup, spring rolls, mango sticky rice, fruit shakes, mystery meat sticks, and more! The second best part of eating street food in Chiang Mai is that each dish will typically be in the $1-$3 range, which makes eating all the authentic food one of the top things to do in Chiang Mai!

5. Take A Thai Cooking Class

Now that you ate all of that street food you need to learn to make it, right? RIGHT! Thai cooking classes will make you feel like a professional chef, even if only for a day. Sign up for a local cooking class and learn all about the food you love to eat. Many cooking classes in Chiang Mai will offer full or half day excursions which include shopping in local markets, hearing the background on different ingredients, and giving you step-by-step guides on how to cook like a Thai. Not only that, you’ll be able to take recipes home with you and give it a go when you feel that you crave a bit of that spice.

6. Come For The Festivals

If your vacay plans are somewhat lenient, check your calendar and plan accordingly as two of the best festivals in Thailand are worth celebrating in Chiang Mai. In mid-April is Songkran festival which is a three-day nationwide water fight welcoming the new year and rainy season. November is brightly lit by the famous lantern festival, Loy Krathong. Watch thousands of lanterns float up to the sky or along the river. For Thai locals, it signifies a new fresh beginning into the new year.

If possible, avoid coming from the end of February through early April. It is the smokey season and is not as glamorous to travel up north when the rice fields nearby are all being burned to prep for a new season of crops.

7. Sabay Sabay

Or in other words, relaaax! Chiang Mai doesn’t need to be go-go-go. It’s great to spend time here and unwind on your refreshing trip away. You can go for a lazy picnic in the huts at Huay Tung Tao, you can do free yoga at Buak Hard Park in the mornings, you can find various pools around the city, or you can simply go for massages all day long. The city is small enough to not feel overwhelmed by having too much to do. So enjoy some R&R while traveling through Chiang Mai.

Overall, don’t over-plan your Chiang Mai adventure. There are many top things to do in Chiang Mai not mentioned here, so you can go with the flow and find many things to do upon arrival. Eat the food, explore the markets, and take photos of the temples.

Also, if you want to get out of the city for a bit and dive into nature, Chiang Mai offers loads of outdoor adventures for your perfect vacay.

The post 7 Wonderful Ways To Make The Most Of Your Trip To Chiang Mai appeared first on Modern Trekker.