I recently returned from a week-long adventure in Thailand. No, I didn’t navigate the hustle and bustle of Bangkok, or spend a week lounging in the beautiful paradise that is Phuket, Ko Tao or Ko Samui, but instead, I spent all of my time in Chiang Mai. Chiang Mai is an ancient city nestled in the northern foothills of Thailand known for its temples, lush rain forests, and elephant sanctuaries. To me, the city felt like a sleepy little town grounded in time-honored Thai culture, which was evident on just about every street corner.

For a week of exploring Chiang Mai, I would recommend the following activities:

Discover the temples

You will want to spend at least a day discovering the awe-inspiring temples (more than 300) in Chiang Mai. There is at least half a dozen within walking distance to wherever you’re staying in the city, and many more located further north in the mountains. The incredible level of detail and sheer size of some of these monuments is both breath taking and inspiring.

Here are a few specific temples you won’t want to miss:

• Wat Phra Singh

• Wat Chedi Luang

• Wat Phra That Doi Suthep

• Wat Suthep

• Wat U Mong

Take a Thai cooking class

I’ll start off by saying this: I do not cook at home, and my attempts at cooking usually end in one giant fail. That being said, I was a little skeptical to sign up for an entire day of cooking in Chiang Mai, but it ended up being one my favorite activities!

We started our morning by visiting the local market to pick up some ingredients. Once we collected the goods, we took about a ten minute ride to the Pra Nang Thai Cookery School where we immediately got to work.

Our menu consisted of the following:

Appetizers

• Spring rolls

• Papaya salad

Soup

• Chicken in coconut milk soup

• Hot and sour chicken soup

Curry

• Pa-naeng curry

• Green curry

Stir-friend

• Pad Thai

• Stir fried noodles with sweet and sour chicken

Dessert

• Sweet sticky rice with mango

• Banana coconut milk

Maybe it’s because I made it myself, but I was shocked at how great everything turned out. Also, it’s fascinating how much timing and ingredients go into the creation of Thai food. The cool part about cooking at the Pra Nang school is that all participants receive a recipe book with ingredients and instructions on how to recreate each dish. My favorites were both soups, the papaya salad and the pa-naeng curry. So good! You won’t want to skip this authentic Thai experience.

Get a Thai Massage

When in Rome right? Or, I guess, when in Thailand. Put your feet up after a long day of exploring Chiang Mai by treating yourself to a Thai foot massage. Our hostel recommended Lila Massage, and they certainly did not disappoint. An hour-long foot massage will cost about $250 baht, which is less than $8 USD… now are you starting to see why these are so popular? Prices vary from place to place, so be prepared to do your research.

Stroll the Night Market

Of the four countries I’ve managed to visit thus far in Asia, no one does a night market like Chaing Mai. In total, my friend and I spent about three or four hours roaming the stalls of this city staple. Not only are there unique keepsakes, but the food. Oh, the food! My advice would be to not pick a dinner spot one of the nights on your trip and simply eat all the street food. I’ve never experienced such delicious food, in fact, some of my favorite snacks from the entire week were found at the market.

Volunteer at the Elephant Nature Park

One of the big reasons people find themselves in Chiang Mai are for the elephants. For years now, places like the Elephant Nature Park have been rescuing and rehabilitating elephants from horrendous conditions all around Asia. Despite the best efforts of these reserves, elephants today are still being mistreated and tortured in places such as the logging industry, in circuses and of course as modes of transport for tourists.

For two days, my friend and I spent quality, non-caged, time with the elephants roaming the Nature Park. We bathed them, fed them and spent some time in the elephant kitchen making food for them. As someone who’s never even seen an elephant before, let alone up and close and personal, I can honestly say these creatures are gentle and sweet. My time at the Elephant Nature Park cannot be captured in a few short sentences, so look for a full recap (if nothing else, you’ll want to see these photos) coming up next!

There is so much to do in Chiang Mai, each with its own unique experience. If you find yourself venturing to Northern Thailand, let me know what activities you enjoyed the most!