The second I landed and started walking around Chiang Mai’s old town, I knew I’d fall so deeply in love with it that I’d come back again and again. Coworking and coliving in Chiang Mai was going to be incredibly hard to leave behind. It’s a stark contrast to busy Bangkok: quieter streets, little to no motor traffic, and the same (maybe even better) delicious food from local restaurants, without the tourist price tag. Everything here feels more unique, more Thai. Or maybe I’m looking at it through a tourist lens.
It’s similar to how some places in Sri Lanka feel too. Beach towns like Ahangama and, slowly, my favourite, Hiriketiya, are starting to feel more Western than Sri Lankan. Over there, you feel like a tourist in your own home, but there are still a few places in Sri Lanka that feel like home too. I guess this is what Chiang Mai might feel like to Thais. Okay, enough rambling. Let’s move on (something I’m trying to do in another aspect too) to my experience coliving in Chiang Mai.
Where I stayed in Chiang Mai
The Social Club, Chiang Mai was overall a 9/10 stay. 1 less cause a gecko and I had an unfortunate accident in the bathroom, and it haunted my dreams for the rest of my stay. It’s not the fault of the place obviously, but, still, I’ll die on this hill – geckos should live outdoors. My hate for them seems to only attract them more, ugh. Coliving in Chiang Mai was incredible overall.
The coworking space
The coworking spaces were clean, well-maintained and minimalist. Super easy to work out of, They’ve got 2 shared work rooms and 3 call booths for your meetings, so plenty of space to get your work done. The one thing I’d say is to bring round-pin plug adapters for everything. They had no multi-plugs or extension cords that could take a three-pin square plug, which my MacBook and iPhone needed. 7-Eleven sells a few round-pin adapters for around 200–400 THB each.
The rooms and social spaces
The rooms are what you need when you don’t intend to stay locked in your room, any longer than you need to. Large beds, wee balconies; which I never ventured on because that is fair gecko terriority, a desk and chair, and a private bathroom. It’s the ideal space to rest and recharge before a day of exploring, working and socialising. Zero complaints. It turned out to be exactly what I was looking for.
The events
The Social Club plans events and little social gatherings almost every day to get everyone acquainted, from night market walks, community lunches, ice baths and yoga. And also some out-of-town trips, but I’ll have to catch those next time. None of the plans makes you feel pressured to joining and there’s always something going on, so you’re bound to find something that piques your interest.
Anthony Bourdaining around Chiang Mai
Khao Soi Lamduan Fa Ham
The first thing I did after landing was travel 15 minutes from my hotel to find the famous Khao Soi that Anthony Bourdain drooled over after a night of drinking at Khao Soi Lamduan Fa Ham. Except in my case, I was jetlagged, tired and emotionally drained and I knew a bowl of Khao Soi would heal me. And it did. Scooting under the blistering sun on the back of a Grab bike to a roadside restaurant packed with locals and other Asians felt like hitting the jackpot. I knew the food was going to be good.
The only words that were communicated between the Thai staff and myself, were “Khao soi chicken”, followed by Khop khun kaa, of course. Within five minutes, hot, coconutty broth was dancing on my tongue, leaving me in an unbothered, drunken daze like a party-goer at a full moon party. My soul felt lighter. I inhaled my bowl faster than you can say Khao soi. By the end of the bowl, I was still peckish and contemplated whether another bowl could be devoured. But that seemed borderline greedy and would entail me passing out in a food-coma before I could reach my hotel. Thankfully, they were grilling satays. A generous portion of freshly grilled chicken satays, served on a plate with a sea of peanut sauce, satiated that last bit of jetlag hunger that lingered like a brewing storm. I must go back.
Other Khao Sois in Chiang Mai
I never had a bad Khao Sois in Chiang Mai – actually, scratch that. I ordered pork once, after getting weary of chicken, and I regretted it. While expecting delicious tender pieces of pork, I instead got 2 pork meatballs, 2 very tiny ribs-like pieces from which I try not to think which part it was and some lovely intestines stirred in. But the other chicken-based Khao Sois were delicious.
Chiang Mai weather in October
Yes, it’s rainy season, so you’ll find smaller crowd. The rain didn’t affect my travel plans at all and with a spontaneous trip there wasn’t much time for planning. The October mornings in Chiang Mai were hot and sunny and the afternoons often blessed you with a thunderous shower that cleared within the hour. It rained only once when I was there, despite Thai Met predicting heavy thunderstorms, landslides, flooding, etc. Thankfully, they were wrong.
Things to do in Chiang Mai
On a remote working schedule, I had whole mornings to explore and fall in love with Chiang Mai and that’s exactly what I did. I tumbled, avalanched and bungee-jumped into love with this little city.
Chiang Mai Cultural Centre
What a fun start to the city! A little bit of an interactive history lesson into Chiang Mai’s story was a great welcome to all that I could expect.
Baan Kang Wat, an arts & crafts market in Chiang Mai
This local arts and handicrafts market is perfect for the creative soul. Get painting, try some pottery, or hammer away at a custom journal or keytag. It’s a fun way to spend a few hours while you wait for the TikTok-famous Khao Soi.
Was the TikTok-recommended Khao Soi at Baan Ran Arun worth it?
For a 1.5-hour wait, probably not. You’ll find similar or better Khao Soi around Chiang Mai without the long wait. The gravy was thick and mild in flavour, and the chicken was tender and pulled apart easily. The condiments were the usual, of course: onions, coriander, a lime wedge and pickles. While the bowl of Khao Soi definitely made my heart lighter and my stomach heavier, I wouldn’t necessarily go back for it. It was good, just not good enough to choose over the dozens of other bowls this city has to offer. I would however, go back to the art market – I loved that place.
Happy Herb Farm
Happy Herb Farm is a locally owned, female-run business that started as a cancer survival story, in which cannabis was prescribed for pain management. Since my activities had to be planned around my work schedule, the mornings were completely mine to explore. So I started one Wednesday morning cooking Thai dishes (with an extra ingredient; weed). A full three-course lunch at 8 am of spring rolls, tom yum soup and pad kra pao, plus a smoked blue butterfly pea tea. About 90% of it was boiled, sautéed, brewed or smoked with cannabis leaves or flowers. They showed me all the ways to extract the thc from the leaf by cooking. Now, normally, this isn’t an experience I would choose and I’m not sure why I still did. My only reason was, “Why not! Where else will I get to do something like this?” And that was reason enough.
I arrived back at my hotel in a fit of light-hearted giggles, a very calm nervous system and a sense of finally feeling like myself again. That last feeling of lightheartedness and contentment lasted the rest of my trip in Chiang Mai. I was grateful for the reset. I get why this is a medication, for some instances.
A truly ethical elephant sanctuary in Chiang Mai – Elephant Nature Park
A half-day getaway to Elephant Nature Park healed something in me. This ethical sanctuary is one of the few in Chiang Mai that does real work and I’m so glad it came recommended by new friends at The Social Club. Book direct on their website and they’ll pick you up and drop you back.
Elephant Nature Park is a safe home for elephants that endured years of abuse and cruelty in the logging, tourism and entertainment industries. In Thailand, it’s quite common for elephants to be taught to beg for money, trained to haul logs, made to perform in circuses or forced to breed and the work Lek has done at the sanctuary has been so wholesome.
Here, the elephants are free to form their own herds or stay by themselves for the rest of their days. They can walk over to the river, eat, sleep or just play with each other. No schedules, no tourist traps. Just broken elephants getting another chance at life. It was gratifying to be part of their journey, to contribute and to watch them heal from a distance. The sanctuary also has rescued dogs, cats, buffaloes, rabbits, goats and more!
Monk’s Trail
An early hike up the famous Monk’s Trail paired with a quick visit to Doi Suthep temple is another great way to start your morning in Chiang Mai. Starting strong with a light hangover, I clambered out of bed and booked a Grab to take me to the entrance. The first half of the hike takes about 30 minutes and it’s fairly easy, even with the near-vertical ascent. If you need a bit more of a hike, you can keep hiking to the temple, which I’ve heard is more challenging, or you can catch a ride to the top and explore from there.
The temple itself is quite peaceful when you get there early in the morning, with incredible views of the valley. A few incense sticks and lotus flowers were bought as a grateful offering and for a better journey ahead at the golden temple. On the way back down, I refuelled with local coffee and mango sticky rice before deciding how to get back home. Getting back down is a pain if you’re relying on the big red trucks, as they need at least five people before they’ll head down. I waited in one for about 20 minutes and no one ever joined, so I walked a little way off, Grab came to the rescue, and I didn’t mind paying a bit extra to get back to the city.
The best bars in Chiang Mai, IMO
My, my, Chiang Mai’s bars are reason enough to stay a little longer. Think incredible cocktails, killer views and service that makes you want to order one more.
Surr Bar – Fun, buzzy and delicious cocktails that dance on your tongue and heart. The bartenders were bubbly and entertaining and it’s the kind of place where one drink easily turns into three.
Salt and Fire – Go for sunset. It’s on the pricier side, but the view more than makes up for it, especially with good company.
Jazz Bar – The heart of Chiang Mai’s local jazz scene, so expect a crowd. I stayed for the first set and caught a band that was well worth squeezing in for.
One Nimman Courtyard – Street food, cold beer and live music most nights. Time your visit for a market day if you can.
6ixecret Bar – Fun night out for a lively, entertaining drag show with some of the best Queens around.
Back to Bangkok
I spent a few days with some friends in the city, where shopping, food, drinks and laughter were what the doctor ordered as the final farewell (for now).
Chiang Mai, you have my heart and my stomach. I’ll see you again, soon.
Yours truly,
Imperfect Traveller
