Dokmai Garden is the perfect escape for the discerning tourist who wishes to escape the hustle and bustle of downtown Chiang Mai. It is just 25 minute drive from Central Chiang Mai, and yet it feels like you are a world away! The garden itself would be perfect for the avid gardener, or the curious new comer looking for some information on local flora. There are over 800 species of plants, 500 of which are signposted with information and names in Thai, English and Japanese.The staff speak English....

Really good Zoo, some of the enclosures are a bit dated and small - like oldZoos used to be but they have an amazing Panda Bear enclosure...

Last year we visited Chiang Mai for the Thai new Year which is called Songkran and we did not make arrangements for any hotel accommodation, we though it was not necessary. However we discovered that Chiang Mai is really popular for people visiting there for Songkran. We did in the end find a hotel room but it took us a lot of searching.So my tip is that firstly Chiang Mai is one of the best places in Thailand to enjoy Songkran New Year festivities, we saw parades and there were so many thing go....