Every single guidebook will get you the same information about sightseeing in the area. Instead of Lonely Planet, I want to get you acquainted with some places that are visited mostly by locals and unknown to the "traveling public"))
Huai Tung Tao lake
This large man-made lake, located in about 30 lm from Chiang Mai, is a great city escape. You can take part in a variety of activities here, including fishing, swimming, paddling on surfboards and windsurfing. Around the edge of the lake are bamboo rafts, which can be hired for a small amount per day. It is also a scenic spot to enjoy a picnic and the natural beauty of the north. Primarily a destination for Thais, it presents a good way to get off the tourist track.
Location:
Huay Tung Tao is just a few kilometers outside Chiang Mai city.
Take the Canal Road to the 700 year sport stadium, pass the stadium and after about 2 or 3 kilometers turn left, there is a sign as well.
Huay Tung Tao is open daily from 8:00 am – 5 pm, an entrance fee of 20 Baht per person is charged to Thai people and foreigners (no double or triple charge).
If You come after 5 o´clock afternoon, you´re still allowed to enter the recreation area,
without an entrance fee.Here's
the map.
Another picturesque place is just further on the road to
Doi Suthep, one of the most popular tourist destinations. Doi Suthep is a Wat (or a Temple) with a huge number of visitors not only among tourists but also locals and monks as it is kind of a sacred place, and there are 309 steep stairs to climb to reach it. What's the point, if you can see pictures of it everywhere???
For me it was much more exiting to get to the viewpoint and spend there some time looking at the mountains and the amazing sky))
