Doi Inthanon National Park

The park is 1,005 square kilometer located south of Chiang Mai City and is, in parts, mountainous and wild. Species which are not found anywhere else in Thailand can be found here. Doi Inthanon being the Thailand's tallest mountain standing at 2,565 meters, it offers one of the best places in Thailand for bird watching.

On higher ground, one can see wild orchids growing. Trekking tours can be arranged through many agencies in Chiang Mai. It is opened 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. from Monday to Sunday. The charge for foreigners is THB200 and Thai is THB20.

Bo Sang Umbrella Village

For more than 200 years, almost everyone in the small village of Bo Sang has been earning a living from the umbrella trade, silk and cotton umbrellas and paper parasols.

You can watch the umbrellas being made, then choose one from the variety of beautiful and colorful designs to take home as a souvenir.

There is also an annual fair, held each January on the main street, which features an umbrella procession, beauty contests, exhibitions and the selling of umbrellas and other handicrafts.

You can visit it daily dawn to dusk and is situated at Charoen Muang Road (Road 1006), Chiang Mai 50000 Thailand.

Chiang Mai National Museum

The museum is located in a beautiful, recently renovated building on the Superhighway north of town, offers an interesting way to learn about the ancient Lanna culture. The showcases are impressive bronze and gold jewelry, and actual ceramics excavated from the famous 14th- to 16th-century kilns of the old kingdom of Lanna.

You can gain insight into the crafts and skills practiced in Lanna times. There are collections of farming tools, wood carvings, old photographs and textiles.

The opening hours are from: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. from Wednesday to Sunday. The entrance fee is THB 30 each. It is situated at Moo 3, Chiang Mai-Lampang Road, Chiang Mai 50300 Thailand. For more information, you can visit the website at http://www.thailandmuseum.com/thaimuseum_eng/ or dial +66 53 22 1308.