During my overnight twelve hour bus to Chiang Mai from Bangkok, Thailand, I was surprised by the number of foreigners who were in the bus with me. Listening as they talked to each other, I could hear different languages from different parts of the world, Portuguese, Spanish, French, English, Korean, and Chinese.

So what made these foreigners decide to go to Chiang Mai? Was it because we all read the same on-line article that lists it as the world’s second best city according to Travel and Leisure. To say that Chiang Mai as a city is an overstatement. With a metropolitan population of just under 1 million and the city itself having no more than 150,000 inhabitants, this place felt more like a small town to me and never felt like a city. It was very relaxing without the hustle and bustle of a big city, but at the same time, it still has almost the same infrastructure as any other major cities. No wonder this city has become one of the most visited tourist spots in Thailand.

On the first day I got there, I could already see how popular this place was in the world. Foreigners, both tourists and ex-pats, were everywhere. If it wasn’t for the obvious signs of a typical Southeast Asian country, I would think I were in some kind of a tropical town somewhere in Europe due to the high number of tourists and expats from Europe, Americas and Australasia. And with the addition of other tourists from other Asian countries such as Japan, China, and South Korea, I felt the place was overrun by foreigners as if they all came here and just invaded the whole town.

But what made these tourists flock to this city up in Northern Thailand? For sure, it is not the beach because there are none. Instead what they have is the beautiful nature nearby. The highest mountain in Thailand is actually located here. So I guess it’s because it is an outdoor paradise, and if you are into outdoor sports, this is definitely the place to be. Here you can do zip-lining, trekking, climb mountains, do mountain biking and other outdoor activities.

As for its nightlife, it also has a laid back atmosphere. Most of the bars are set up outdoors, so literally, being in those outdoor bars are like a breath of fresh air in contrast with most bars in any other city, where most of the time do not even have windows. The great thing about these bars in Chiang Mai is that you can really feel the tropical climate that we associate with Southeast Asia, so it does not feel like you are just in another bar. It definitely creates a different mood as if you really are in a tropical paradise but without the beach, just the nearby mountain and nature.

Somehow I can compare this place to Key West, Florida, where I have been before. For any wanna be Ernest Hemingway or any other creatives, it is such an ideal place with cafes everywhere, and the prices of the real brewed coffee are much cheaper than what you would expect to pay in other Asian cities such as Seoul, South Korea. It is almost the same price as what I would pay back in the US. Sometimes even cheaper. As with other things such as accommodations, food, and transportation, everything is even way cheaper than you would also expect to pay in Bangkok. It was this reason that I had stayed longer over there than any other cities as I traveled all over Asia this last summer.  It is probably the reason why also a lot of digital nomads and entrepreneurs chose this place as the place to do their business. Because of this, Chiang Mail is being considered as a Creative City at this moment. I would not be surprised if some great novel gets written or some new startup is created in this place. Not as noisy and crowded as any other cities or towns you typically associate with a tourist spot, this place will definitely get you focused on whatever creative pursuits you are doing.

So if you are looking for something other than being in a seaside city such as Pattaya, Krabi or Phuket or an urban center such as Bangkok, I highly recommend this place. Definitely less expensive than Bangkok or one of the coastal towns or cities I mentioned especially if you want to stay longer. Very laid back and not as crazy as the seaside towns I just mentioned. And for those who are adventurous and into outdoor sports and activities, it is definitely where you want to be.

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