Golfing Destinations: Chiang Mai
The North is ideal for a golf holiday, with its long mountain ranges, wide valleys and spectacular jungle scenery within easy reach of culture-rich cities, and pleasant weather year-round.
Because of the altitude, it is cooler than other regions, with temperature in the single digits in the cool months of December and January. The regional capital of Chiang Mai, 700 kms from Bangkok, has the biggest number of golf courses, most with magnificent views of surrounding hills and valleys. Chiang Rai, three hours' drive from Chiang Mai to the North, boasts a number of championship courses in picturesque settings. Towns in the lower North offer small gems of courses owned and run by EGAT, in areas surrounding its dams, with moderate albeit comfortable accommodation nearby.
Besides splendid golf, the North offers unique cultural charms. A separate Kingdom for centuries, these provinces have their own distinct heritage: architecture, arts and crafts, dialect and cuisine. Chiang Mai, capital of the Lanna Kingdom for 700 years, is home to flourishing cottage industries: silk and fabrics, silverware, pewter, lacquerware, celadon pottery, wood carving, to name just a few. Visits to craftsmen' villages near the provincial capital are a must for shoppers and non-shoppers alike.For outdoorsmen, the forest and mountains of the North offer great appeal, with choice of hiking, hilltribe visits, river rafting, and jungle treks, among others.
Click here for list of discount hotels in Chiang Mai
