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Gay Thailand Travel: Chiang Mai for First Time Visitors
 The spectacular golden chedi at Doi Suthep temple First time visitor to Chiang Mai? This is the ideal package for you. Choose from our great 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 A Taste of Thailand Thai cooking school holiday in Chiang Mai
Club Sanook Members 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.
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Our Introduction to the "Orchid of the North"Purple Dragon's Cool Charming Chiang Mai program will introduce you to one of our favorite places -- the ancient capital of Lanna, land of a million rice fields. There's plenty to see and do here, from peaceful temple compounds to a thriving gay scene. You're sure to fall in love with the easy-going pace and friendly Northern lifestyle. Most of Thailand's arts and crafts originate here and the bustling night bazaar gathers bargain goods from Burma, Laos, and nomadic Hill-tribes of the Golden Triangle. Hospitality and lush scenery characterize the Northern experience.
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 second or third
or fourth 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.
Please note that today's activities are by van on a "joiner" basis, which means
you share transportation with other people. If you prefer to travel by car with
your private guide, you can do so at a small surcharge. Having your own
transportation will enable you to skip the orchid nursery and instead visit a
nearby hill-tribe village to see how "ethnic minority" people have have lived in
these hills for centuries.
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.
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