Chiang Mai at night

Before I post the pictures from the actual flower festival, I wanted to share a couple pictures from the Chiang Mai night market as it is truly a phenomenon.

Chiang Mai by day is a beautiful place - dozens of temples, horizons filled with mountains, shops filled with colorful hilltribe clothing and catchy Thai souvenirs. Songtao trips can be arranged up into the mountains, or to an elephant camp nearby. Alternatively, there are several neat museums and a zoo in town. The old town wall and canal weaves around small sois (streets) filled with local shops, food and flower markets, restaurants and guest houses. Foreigners and Thais alike can be seen around town - mostly on motorbike or tuk tuk (small 3 wheel taxi).

As the evening begins to approach, however there is about a square kilometer block of streets that begin to fill. Metal carts filled with goods for sale are wheeled onto the streets and sidewalks. Everyone who traveled about on motorbikes, tuk tuks or songtaos in the day, takes to foot travel by evening and the streets and sidewalks are packed with tourists (foreign and Thai) perusing the stalls. Everything from gaudy Thai kitch to clothing to tribal treasures to food to foot massage corners can be found on one street or another. One should not attempt to enter the market area within a restricted time frame as the speed of travel is greatly dependent on the crowd packing the sidewalks. However, fun souvenir shopping and bargaining as well as magnificent people watching can be found around every corner. Here are a couple glimpses into the Chiang Mai night market...

people crowd between the shops on the sidewalks of Chiang Mai

shoes for sale

Some hilltribe ladies come to town to sell their crafts

Even Chiang Mai cannot escape McFever

Some fun decorative lights for sale light up the street corner