A wanderer's guide to Chiang Mai

Chiang Mai has been on my hit list for two years now, everyone online touts it as a “digital nomad hub” and now as a self professed digital nomad graduate, I wanted to see what the fuss was all about. 

I decided to visit in February for a 2 week stint after a destination wedding in Guang Zhou. People online said Jan / Feb is potentially smoking season where the surrounding villages burn their crops and the air quality is horrendous. I decided to gamble as I wanted to go in a month that wasn’t blistering hot.

Let’s get into it:

• How long to stay in Chiang Mai

• Chiang Mai Accommodation

• Chiang Mai Eats

• Chiang Mai Drinks

• What to do in Chiang Mai

• What I brought back from Chiang Mai

• Overall thoughts

How long to stay in Chiang Mai

Slow traveling: Five days to two weeks
Remote working: Couple of months

Why I like Nimmanhaemin (Nimman)

Nimman is very very convenient, everything I needed was honestly less than a kilometer away. I can see why digital nomads pick to stay in this area.

Pros

• Lots of restaurants and cafes, from really affordable to upscale and a lot of variety in cuisine

• Getting transport was really easy

• The night market at Nimman Soi 6 was my favourite night market in town

• Very close to the Lantay Flea Market which I also loved wandering around

Cons

• Nimman is so close to the airport (good and bad thing) so the airplanes that fly over are VERY loud. Don’t stay here if you’re a light sleeper.

• High tourist to local ratio (I recognise I’m also adding to the problem)

Where to stay in Chiang Mai

If you’re in town for just a couple of nights, I’d honestly keep it simple and book a hotel, you’ll spend most of your time out in the city anyway.

If you’re staying three nights or more, it’s worth looking at the huge range of Airbnbs: they’re generally very affordable, usually come with decent Wi‑Fi and basic kitchen setups.

[images of G Nimman]
https://www.gnimmanchiangmai.com/

If you’re into architecture and minimalist design I’d recommend checking out G Nimman. The interiors are calm and clean, think Muji vibes. All of the rooms open onto a central pool, so you wake up to water and light rather than a street view, which feels quietly luxurious without being flashy. It’s a very cool stay, worth looking up if you want your hotel to be part of the trip, not just a place to sleep.

Where to eat in Chiang Mai

I was here for two weeks and ate a LOT of meals and here are a list of my favourites:

[image collage of restaurants]

KaPaO: 10/10 - so good I came by another night for seconds.
A love letter to one dish: Pad Kra Pao, one of my favourite go-to meals in Thailand, but KaPaO takes it up a notch. Open kitchen so you can watch the cooks cook. Pick your desired protein and the masters combine it with fragrant aromatics and a spicy kick. Upgrade to a set meal for a couple of dollars for a side salad, soup and must have fried duck egg. I think this is the best Pad Kra Pao I’ve ever had.
Come for lunch for a less busy setting or you might have to wait 30 mins during dinner.

Koyi Chicken Rice: 9/10 - visited twice
If I could only have one dish for the rest of my life it would be Hainanese chicken rice. But this Thai version at Koyi is really making me question that. They serve a half poached and half fried chicken which is heavenly. This spot has been on the Michelin Guide for years and I can see why. Also don’t sleep on the soup, you’ll be wanting seconds.

Ginger Farm Kitchen: 8.5/10
A farm to city concept using organic and free-range ingredients grown on their farm on the outskirts of town. Their Northen Thai menu showcases a rainbow of ingredients, colours and herbs on a plate. Decent sized serves better for sharing. The menu is huge. You probably won’t be able to try everything you want to on your first visit. I’m still dreaming about their spicy (big juicy) raw prawn salad.
https://www.gingerfarmkitchen.com/menu-2
https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5dcac1b37b75f56509c0a367/t/68bf90f548649a5caff96166/1757384949619/GFK+One+Nimman+Menu+2025.pdf

PARI-: 8.5/10
Took myself on a solo date to PARI- nestled in the heart of old town, this small cosy restaurant with a Thai-Japanese inspired menu. All the dishes were unique and well prepared with high quality ingredients. Cherry tomato wasabi with fetta cheese, mentaiko pasta, home made sesame ice cream. Wish I wasn’t solo so I could try more dishes. 🥲
Bookings essential. Go for dinner as their lunch menu is not the same.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1TZRaCS7VeQvpDunVv_6jsobgug8xNCtM/view

Cafes & Drinks in Chiang Mai

[image collage of recommendations]

Charlie Thai Tea: 8/10
Charlie Thai Tea takes Thailand’s national drink and gives it a modern spin. Head straight to the bar first, where rows of tins let you smell and choose your tea leaves before they brew.
I tried the ‘Charlie’ Salted caramel cold foam over Thai milk tea, served in a wine glass (v bougie). A bit sweet, so more dessert than a drink but pretty delicious if you don’t mind the sugar kick.

Fimue: 9/10
https://www.instagram.com/fimue_social_club/
Stumbled upon Fimue after lunch at Koyi Chicken Rice (350m away). Half café, half curated store, stocked with vintage objects, glassware and trinkets sourced from around the world. Took my time to browse whilst light jazz looped softly in the background. The Earl Grey milk tea with a sweet cold foam was just what I needed to feel in place in this cottagecore-esq cafe.

SMOO! House: 8/10
https://share.google/SSU3i8t9drzTwHPnw
A cute smoothie joint in Nimman offering fresh smoothies to beat the tropical heat. Love that they customise the level of sugar and milk depending on what you like. My rec? The mango yoghurt.

Akha Ama Phrasingh: 8/10
Akha Ama Phrasingh pours some of the city’s most respected locally sourced coffee in a bright, two‑storey space on Rachadamnoen Road. The architecture of the space is gorgeous with earthy brick walls, concrete pillars and a winding staircase to a second floor where you can watch the baristas brew below. It’s an ideal first (or last) stop on a loop around Old City.
https://asiatop80.com/top80lists/91-97249-22/view/Akha-Ama-Phrasingh

What I brought home

• Thai flavoured Lays chips

• Dried mango

• Javin de seoul wink eye shade primer (colours I couldn’t find in Seoul)

• Adapalene (hard to get in Aus)

• Thrifted cute bowls!!

• Wooden spoons

• Postcards

• Milky oolong tea

• A very full belly

• Sadness cause I had to leave Chiang Mai

My overall thoughts of Chiang Mai

As a tourist? 8/10
Lovely place with so much to do. I know I was there for two weeks but I feel like I barely scratched the surface as I was working FT and only had one full weekend to explore. I didn't manage to go out on any day trips to Chiang Rai or the mountain side so I would love to come back and do some of those more “touristy spots”.

As a digital nomad? 9/10
This place has everything to support a digital nomad. There's definitely lots of expats. It's very convenient, never once felt unsafe as a solo female. You can essentially get anything you want (tho I'm not sure about the healthcare). I think I could stay here for three months and probably not get bored.

My favourite bits of Chiang Mai:

• Coconut Market

• The cafe scene in Chiang Mai

• Massages are so good here as a lot of the massage training schools are in Chiang Mai

What I didn't like:

• High tourist to locals ratio

• Chiang Mai Sunday Night Market - way too busy

• Very loud plane and jets flying over nimman. Cool the first time, but not the next 53452 times.

What I’d do next time:
Probably try staying on the right side of town next to the river for a different experience (and to get some better sleep).

Happy Wanders xx