The golden spire of a chedi at
Doi Suthep temple

First time visitor to Chiang Mai? This is the ideal package for you. Choose from our gret gay-friendly hotels and also get two days sightseeing and a private nightlife tour.

The famous Night Market bustles with bargains
 

Our other great Chiang Mai programs:
Chiang Mai Basics
Two days/two nights for return guests or visitors short of time.
Chiang Mai Leisurely
A week or more for budget travelers Ultimate Chiang Mai
Four days in comfort and style
A Taste of Thailand
Thai cooking school holiday in Chiang Mai

Includes
private airport transportation, hotel accommodation with tax, service and daily breakfast beginning on day 2, nightlife guide on gay 1, full day with car, driver and private car on day 2 and elephant/rafting trip on day three. The elephant/rafting trip is on a "joiner" basis, meaning that you will share transportation and a guide. If you want a private car and our own guide to join you, this is available at a surcharge.  Not included: airfare, local transportation not part of the tour, other meals and drinks, gratuities, features not specifically mentioned in the itinerary; or items of a purely personal nature.

Club Sanook Members who use our packages in Bangkok, Phuket or Chiang Mai can use a Club Sanook mobile phone free during your trip if you make arrangements with me in advance. We will give you the number before you depart so you can leave it with friends and family. There are a few rules, of course, but I will send you details before your trip. Please make your arrangements in advance.

You can take an instant discount when you combine any Purple Dragon Chiang Mai package with either our Krabi or Koh Samui packages. More details are on the Club Sanook website. (See details at left.)

 

Arrive in Chiang Mai and transfer to your hotel. If you arrive early you might like to relax at your hotel or explore the temples, shops, and winding alleys inside the moat-ringed fortress walls of the Old City. This evening your guide will accompany you on a treat-filled evening tour of the city. Why not start with a cocktail by the quiet Ping River, or a feast of Northern Thai specialties, while being pampered with Lanna hospitality? Afterwards, enjoy our introduction to the bustling bazaars and delightful charms of Northern nightlife.

After breakfast your guide and private car will transport you  to the mountain summit of Doi Suthep to visit a spectacular golden temple that can be seen from practically anywhere in Chiang Mai. Climb the undulating dragon stairway to Chiang Mai's famous temple-in-the-clouds for a sweeping view of the gorgeous countryside and an up-close look at one of Thailand's most revered religious places. Later, return to the city for a lunch of khao soi, a uniquely Chiang Mai dish of both boiled and crispy noodles and tender chicken in a thick and flavorful soup. (It is perfectly OK to have a seconds or third bowl.) Next, your guide will take you to explore sacred shrines and ancient temples which dot the city, and introduce you to the town's historic and shopping areas. Your evening is free to dine at an historic teakwood mansion, a riverside beer garden, or a street-side food stall. Sharpen your bargaining skills to obtain arts and crafts hawked in the colorful, circus-like Night Market, or try some of the local beer bars, which attract many friendly local people.

This morning we whisk you off into the great green mountains North of the city to get closer to nature in an unspoiled rural valley on the edge of one of Thailand's most beautiful national parks. The forest here is hundreds of years old and tiny farms overlook a gentle, sparkling river. The valley is also home to one  province's best elephant training camp, where the population is preserved and visitors learn to appreciate the strength and intelligence of this dwindling species. After an educational show, you take a ride on elephant-back through the nearby forest. Your first elephant ride? You will never forget it. After lunch, you enjoy a lazy trip down the river on a raft made of giant bamboo to soak in the dazzling scenery. On the way back to the city you also make a brief stop to admire the the grower's skills at a local orchid nursery. Your evening is free to enjoy the city's great restaurants and nightlife.

Free time until we take you to the airport. From Chiang Mai it is a short plane ride to the UNESCO World Heritage site of Luang Prabang, one of the Wonders of Asia. Or, connect to Phuket Island for some fun in the sun, or back to Bangkok, which is Indochina's principal hub for transportation to Vietnam, Cambodia, Myanar and other surrounding countries.

You can easily add extra nights and see even more of Chiang Mai. Take a walking tour on your own, or discover natural wonders in the surrounding countryside, or visit the nearby ancient cities of Lampang and Lamphun. You can even enjoy a half-day bicycle safari to see some of the sleepier and less-visited parts of Chiang Mai.

PRICE PER PERSON FOR ALL INCLUSIVE PACKAGE (DOLLARS/EUROS/POUNDS/BAHT) BASED ON YOUR CHOICE OF HOTEL

Standard: Raming Lodge, Superior Room March through October 08 Double 223 141 111 7,210 Single 318 202 158 10,290 November 08 through February 09 Double 244 155 122 7,903 Single 356 226 177 11,528 March through October 09 Double 223 141 111 7,210 Single 318 202 158 10,290 Superior: Centara Hotel, Superior Room April through October 08 Double 299 190 149 9,675 Single 421 268 210 13,650 November 08 through March 09 Double 351 223 175 11,363 Single 525 334 262 17,025 Delectable: Lana Mantra, Deluxe Room May through October 08 Double 344 218 171 11,138 Single 560 356 279 18,158 November 08 through April 09 Double 409 260 204 13,268 Single 682 434 340 22,113 May through October 09 Double 337 214 168 10,920 Single 542 345 270 17,570 Tamarind Village, Deluxe Room Through October 08 Double 460 292 229 14,911 Single 785 499 391 25,434 1 November through 20 December 08 Double 531 337 265 17,212 Single 917 583 457 29,711 21 December 08 through 10 January 09 Double 590 375 294 19,126 Single 1,035 658 516 33,539 11 January through 30 April 09 Double 531 337 265 17,212 Single 917 583 457 29,711 May through October 09 Double 477 303 238 15,463 Single 814 517 406 26,376 Faaabulous: Rachamankha, Superior Room May through October 08 Double 440 279 219 14,243 Single 706 449 352 22,883 November 08 through April 09 Double 540 343 269 17,500 Single 888 564 443 28,770 May through October 09 Double 458 291 228 14,850 Single 756 480 377 24,503 VIP: Chedi Chiang Mai (Deluxe Room) Through October 08 Double 672 427 335 21,775 Single 1,226 779 611 39,715 November 08 through October 09 Double 762 484 380 626 Single 1,406 893 701 1,180 Ultimate: Chedi Chiang Mai (Suite) Through October 08 Double 853 542 425 27,625 Single 1,591 1,011 793 51,563 November 08 through October 09 Double 986 626 491 31,938 Single 1,858 1,180 926 60,188

choose from these great gay-friendly CHIANG MAI HOTELS Standard: Raming Lodge Superior: Centara Duangtawan Delectable: Lana Mantra   Deluxe: Tamarind Village   Faaabulous: Rachamankha   VIP: Chedi Chiang Mai   Ultimate: Chedi Chiang Mai Where We Shine: Purple Dragon specializes in Chiang Mai and we survey the city and surrounds personally throughout the year. We save our guests precious time by recommending the best, newest, and most popular attractions. Our Chiang Mai manager and staff all speak excellent English. Your tour is private and you have the undivided attention of our guides. You'll never be herded around on a bus with 40 strangers. Our guests often remark that the highlight of their holiday was the charming company of our trained guides and their superlative insights into Thai culture. Holiday surcharges and compulsory meals may also apply to the rates above. Christmas/New Year rates may also apply to Chinese New Year and Songkran Festival. Prices are based on currency exchange rates of 15 July 2008 and may be subject to change, although no changes will apply after you reserve and pay. Convert to Other Currencies