Annoyances

Before arriving in Chiang Mai, I had assumed that it is a beautiful green city dotted with temples with easily accessible hiking trails. Maybe because of Google Images or the fact that most online accounts of Chiang Mai are people raving about it, the first couple of days here, I have to be honest and say that I felt quite a bit disappointed. It's true that people here tend to be very nice & even incredibly helpful sometimes and generally don't hassle you, plus it is cheaper than other touristy places in Thailand. However, sometimes travel writers just tend to focus too much on the positives! Adjust your expectations and you might see the Chiang Mai seemingly everyone loves, although to be honest, I really don't see the appeal here — there are just so many other much better places to visit, in Thailand and other countries!



Chiang Mai is a city

Having been to really beautiful places in Thailand like Koh Samui and Phuket, I had expected Chiang Mai to be amaze me with its natural wonders and greenery, but in fact, Chiang Mai is an Asian city with unpleasant qualities associated with being one — constant funny smell that you can't quite put a finger on (sewage? food? car exhaust?), horrible traffic that makes it quite a challenge to cross the street sometimes, and dirty sidewalks that resemble an obstacle course with dangling power line cables and more!

Some areas reminds me of a less busy version of Bangkok, without the same level of risque excitement. If you want to see the beautiful greenery you see in photos, get out of the city! However, to get out of the city, you need to join a tour (which will cost you!) or rent a motorbike (not the safest due to the terrible traffic!)


Not as cheap as you think

Yes, it is quite a bit cheaper than über-touristy Phuket but not as inexpensive as I had thought. If you want a meal that's under 100 baht (which is still cheap, I know), you need to walk around a bit. Although are loads of great eateries to choose from, if you want to find budget places to eat, they are not as common as you may think, especially inside/around the Old City because it's really very touristy!

Sure, you can live for under USD $10 (300 baht) a day including accommodation, but you have to really try to find cheaper places. Try getting out of the Old City since things are a lot cheaper. A more realistic and comfortable budget would be at least double or that, plus more for shopping and activities. Bring enough money!

Even tours here seem more expensive than ones in Phuket that include more activities. Trekking tours seem especially bizarre as the more walking you get to do, the more expensive it seems to be (why does it cost to walk more and less to have more activities included in the package?!). A lot of sights here are far from amazing. Simply overrated.



It's harder to get by with only English

Even though there are lots of tourists, it's harder to get by only in English unlike in touristy Phuket or Koh Samui. Although some shop staff do speak some English, be ready to mime and gesture if you don't speak Thai at a lot of the cheaper, more local places. On the plus side, people are generally really nice, and unlike Phuket, nobody will try to harass you or get you to buy things when you walk down the street.

One restaurant we went to only had a menu on the wall in Thai, we pointed to a picture that looked like stir-fried squid but turned out to be some sort of animal intestine. Good times. We had a tuk tuk driver who didn't speak a lick of English and didn't really know where he was going even though I showed him the address in Thai. That was fun.
Of course you can get by without speaking a word of Thai as there are lots of shops tailored to tourists, but if you want to eat/shop more cheaply, it might be useful to pick up simple phrases in Thai like how much, thank you, some names of dishes you might want to order, and at least learn the numbers.



Tummy woes

If your stomach doesn't feel funny at some point, consider yourself lucky! During my previous visits to Thailand and other Southeast Asian countries, I've almost never had any problems, but not this time! Street vendors often have no running water and are not the most hygienic places to eat although they're cheap, delicious, and very tempting! Plus, not ,all places are keen on refrigeration so... you know, avoid those places as well as spicy food ( Mai Ped = not spicy ). Google remedies online (drinking yogurt, ginger ale or other non-caffeinated carbonated drinks might help.) You can also buy little individual packs of stomach meds at Boots or other drugstores for 18 baht teach.


Mozzies!

While it's not as bad here as other places, insect repellent bug spray is your friend, but it won't always work. Mosquitoes don't discriminate! When you go out for dinner in the early evening, make sure to wear long sleeves or give yourself a spray or you'll be feeding the mozzies while you feed yourself. The internet says there's no malaria risk in Chiang Mai though. You can buy anti-itch ointment from the pharmacy and I find that a dab of non-gel toothpaste helps to stop the itch. The best policy is to avoid mosquito central (damp, shaded places with lots of greenery), especially during dusk.


Too cold to swim in January!

There's a pool at the hotel I'm staying at right now. It's beautiful and I've tried twice to swim in it but failed. Even though it's 30°C during the day, it simply is too cold to swim for most people. The waterfalls are really cold too!

The temperature in January is perfect though, not too hot during the day and not too chilly at night. You don't even need air conditioning at night. A t-shirt and shorts are good for most days/nights. You may want to bring some long pants and a thin long-sleeve hoodie or cardigan if you want to go out early/late. It gets a bit hotter in February.



Hay fever!!

If you have hay fever, it may start to act up early February. You can buy allergy medicine for 100-385 bath for 10 pills (once a day pills) at Boots, just east of the Old City. I was told the more expensive ones are faster acting.
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