Northern Thailand

Northern Thailand is the antithesis to the beaches and hustle of Bangkok — a world of mist-shrouded mountains, centuries-old teakwood temples, rice fields in vibrant shades of green, and a culinary tradition that is spicier, smokier, and more complex than anything in the south. Chiang Mai, the "Rose of the North," is the cultural heart of the region, flanked by Chiang Rai's surreal temples, the hippie paradise of Pai, and mountain villages where ethnic minorities maintain their millennia-old traditions. Here, Thailand ticks slower, friendlier, and deeper.