Adventurer's Guide to Chiang Mai

Choosing an Adventure Provider

A Risk Management Manual

Each year, millions of travelers arrive in Thailand in search of tantalizing cuisine, exotic culture, and the ultimate adventure experience. Adventure travel offers the opportunity to experience the local Thai landscape through a highly charged, adrenaline-filled, and sometimes life-changing experience.  Strong bonds can be formed with guides as they help travelers climb to unimaginable heights, raft through harrowing rapids, dive in underwater wonderlands, and ride through densely forested single track.  

A common question from travelers when considering an adventure activity is, “is it safe?”  Any business owner (including me) will reply with, “of course it’s safe!”  As many travelers are trying climbing, biking or rafting for the first time, they often lack the experience in knowing what is considered standard practice for the activity.  

This article offers a simple set of questions to assist travelers in the process of evaluating the service of an adventure provider.  We recommend asking these questions of any adventure provider you meet in your travels to learn more about how they think about their business, their people and their clients.  If they don’t have answers to your questions, you might think again about using their services.

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Market Magic

Grocery stores, shopping malls, and 7-Elevens. Yes, Chiang Mai has all these modern conveniences, as well as Starbucks, McDonalds and more. Restaurants around town dish out plates of tacos, pasta, falafel as well and any cuisine you could ever crave.

You can find everything in Chiang Mai. But there are also some things you can find only in Chiang Mai. As a climber, you head out to Crazy Horse Buttress to scale up rock that’s unique to this part of the world.

So why not apply the same attitude when it comes to eating and shopping? You might not know where to start. Here’s a hint: head toward the nearest market. Or greet anyone on the street and ask: ta-lad yu tee nai ka/krab? (Where’s the market?)

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Drink Water Wisely

True, when traveling around Thailand you probably don't want to drink straight from the tap. But that doesn't mean that you need to buy plastic water bottles to stay hydrated.  Click here to learn how to reduce plastic waste AND boost your budget with Chiang Mai's handy network of potable water vending machines!

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How to Use a Squat Toilet

The thing that everybody needs to know, but nobody wants to ask. Don't panic. We're here to help. And if you maintain your sense of adventure, you might just end up liking it!

So here you are, enjoying Thailand for all that it has to offer. You're walking around in a Thai part of town, or maybe you're on a long trek, when you realize - oh no! - that pad graprow you had for lunch was a little too spicy. You need a toilet, and you need one right now. There's no time to get back to your comfy western-style hotel with that familiar looking toilet.

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