Where to stay in Chiang Mai as Solo Traveler?
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2007
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Where to stay in Chiang Mai as Solo Traveler?
I'm going to be in HKG the first week of September and I decide I'm probably going to take an additional 3-4 days to visit Thailand. I have never been there. I'm going to skip BKK for now and just check out Chiang Mai. Where should I stay as a single traveler who is 30?
I'm more interested in getting a real authentic feel and I love to be surround by culture. Is this a good time to visit and is 3/4 days enough or would I be too rushed.
Thanks
I'm more interested in getting a real authentic feel and I love to be surround by culture. Is this a good time to visit and is 3/4 days enough or would I be too rushed.
Thanks
#2
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"Authentic" and "culture" are pretty vague terms, IMO. I will say that if you stay in the old city markets and shops where the locals eat/shop aren't too hard to come by (I ate at some near Chiang Mai Gate in the south).
You could easily find a guest house run by locals for $25-30 that is clean and has the basics on booking.com. I also stayed here on a recent trip to Chiang Mai- it was fantastic.
You could easily find a guest house run by locals for $25-30 that is clean and has the basics on booking.com. I also stayed here on a recent trip to Chiang Mai- it was fantastic.
#4
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I'd like to keep it under $200 a night. I don't mind giving up a 5* hotel if I could live in an inn, get to meet people, locals, etc. I feel sometimes living in a large hotel you miss out on the local feel of the location.
I'm going to be at the Mandarin Oriental in HKG the week prior, so I'm very flexible with options. I searched tripadvisor and such and I see a ton of "B&B" type places that seem pretty neat.
I'm going to be at the Mandarin Oriental in HKG the week prior, so I'm very flexible with options. I searched tripadvisor and such and I see a ton of "B&B" type places that seem pretty neat.
#6
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#7
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I suggest the Aruntara Hotel in the SE of Chiang Mai. My first trip to Chiang Mai was under similar circumstances and I found this 30 room gem on Trip Advisor. It's set on the banks of the Mae Ping River and is 5 minutes from the Night Market and 10 minutes from Tapae Gate via easily available tuk tuks. Rooms 108-112 are my favorites as they have individual seating areas in the courtyard. The elephant suites upstairs are really cool as well.
#9
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Rather than focusing on yoru age and companionship level you'd be better served indicating if you want a more local experience or be yet another foreign tourist in a hotel/guest house that caters to them.
#11
Join Date: Jun 2005
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Although I haven't personally stayed there, Baan Orapin is highly recommended on many other travel sites.
http://www.baanorapin.com
http://www.baanorapin.com
#12
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Comment makes no sense to me. I suppose if you sit in your hotel room all day you'd be right. But you don't find culture, meet people, locals, etc. sitting in a $20 guest room any more than a $200 hotel room. Where you sleep is pretty much irrelevant to what you do during the day.
#13
Join Date: Sep 2003
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Although I haven't personally stayed there, Baan Orapin is highly recommended on many other travel sites.
http://www.baanorapin.com
http://www.baanorapin.com
#14
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They seem to have added a pool, if you look at the pictures.
#15
Original Poster
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Comment makes no sense to me. I suppose if you sit in your hotel room all day you'd be right. But you don't find culture, meet people, locals, etc. sitting in a $20 guest room any more than a $200 hotel room. Where you sleep is pretty much irrelevant to what you do during the day.
The plan may be a bit ambitious and I'm going to heading there in September.. I guess statistically that's when the most rain occurs.