Chiang Mai is a beautiful city, the old part of which is surrounded by a moat & remains of the city wall.
We were told there are over 300 temples (Wats) both in the new & old parts of The City. They are certainly found around every corner you walk.
In the bigger Wats, you’ll find monks, young & old. Some meditating quietly, some working, some surprisingly, talking/texting on their mobile phones. There are also signs in the popular ones that you can pop in for ‘Monk Chats’ on a range of subjects or whatever you choose!
Here is a list of the main ones we visited during our trip. We must have visited at least twenty during our 10 day visit.
Wat Chiang Man
Wat Phra Sing
Wat Sri Suphan (Silver Temple) & neighbouring temple
Wat Phra That Doi Suthep
This is deemed as the most sacred temple in Chiang Mai & is a pilgrimage for Buddhists, as well as having hoards of tourists. Located near the top of Doi Suthep mountain, you need to catch a shared bus from town for 50 Baht pp, if 10 people (or private taxi from 600).
Wat Buppharam
Wat Duanot
[…] The old city is full of culture & heritage; temples around every corner. The new city boasts shopping malls, Starbucks, Burger King & of course, the obligatory MC Donalds. There is even an Imax cinema. However, the new city still has plenty of culture of its own, from the many markets (day & night) to its own share of the 300 temples in The City. See: The Temples of Chiang Mai […]
The wats are so beautiful, amazing colours and such detail.