AsiaLIFE

The centre of all that is trendy in Chiang Mai, Nimmanhaemin Road boasts a wealth of shopping, dining and drinking options. For those planning a trip to Northern Thailand’s provincial capital, here’s a cheat sheet of places beloved by savvy locals.

Many tourists who come to Chiang Mai rarely venture beyond the gates of the old city, except to visit the surrounding hills for elephant treks and village sightseeing. Those who do take the time to wander further will discover that the city is thriving with newly opened businesses, offering more than painted parasols and Khao Soi noodles.

As Chiang Mai furiously builds and develops, there is no neighbourhood that exemplifies the new city as much as Nimmanhaemin Road and its immediate area. A seemingly endless number of boutique hotels, coffee shops, funky pubs, wine bars, spas, galleries, eateries and bars cluster along half a mile of road near Chiang Mai University.

As you stroll up and down the numbered lanes (known as sois in Thai) that jut out from each side of Nimmanhaemin Road, you could spend weeks exploring all the places to shop, eat, drink, dance and sleep.

The Must-Sees

If you don’t have the luxury of weeks, then here’s some tips for doing the “Nim” area on the fast track: Start on the leafy Soi 1, which contains some serious hidden shopping gems from unique handicraft shops to high-end décor stores. Check out Studio Naenna’s stunning hand-woven textiles, Wit’s Collection cool ceramics, Loy Fah’s classy pewter ware or Ginger’s heavenly accessories across the road. Further down on the main road, stop by The Box (Soi 5), a wine bar that plays jazz untilthe early hours. Here you’ll find some of Chiang Mai’s parvenu pouting into their wine glasses while playing with their iPads.

On the other side of the road sits Smoothy Blues (Soi 6), a colourful café that has become a staple dining experience with foreigners and Thais alike serving up some of the best breakfasts and Western diner food in town. Smoothy Blues heralds the entrance to a large tract of land called Kad Choeng Doi, which is home to two of Chiang Mai’s most popular nightclubs: Infinity (Soi 5) and Chalerm Krung (Soi 6). The former attracts massive crowds and is fast becoming the city’s premier nightspot.

A Food Frenzy

Food options are aplenty. Chinese food doesn’t get much better than at Yangze Jiang (Soi 5), or for Italian you might try Beccofino on Soi 7, although if you don’t have the money for this high-end Italian you could try Koh Lanta Pizza and Pasta on Soi 5. Middle Eastern nosh can be found at Sahara opposite Soi 12, Mexican in the middle of Nimmanhaemin at Miguel’s (between Soi 9 and Soi 11 opposite Tesco Express), Spanish tapas at the phenomenally delicious Su Casa (Soi 11), Japanese grub in a very unique little eatery called Hatena half way down Soi 11 or next to Su Casa at Sumo Sushi, while Thai food is pretty much served all over the place.

After Dark

Nightspots worth mentioning are Monkey Club (a pub onSoi 9) and Warm Up (opposite Soi 17) on the main drag, both of which are packed nightly as the places to see and be seen for Chiang Mai’s student generation. Next to Warm Up, you’ll find The Wine Bar (Soi 12), which is about as posh as it gets this side of town, and where you can lounge on large beanbags with your champagne flute watching the people walk by. Opposite The Wine Bar in an area called Room 1 is a great Thai restaurant called At Niman (Soi 9), serving up some of the best central Thai food in the north, the Glass Onion and its sister Cosmos (Soi 17), a sophisticated and sexy cool bar recommended for anyone out at night in this area...it is open ‘til very late.

Where to Stay

By the time you read this article, there will have been at least ten new businesses opened along the bustling Nim strip, so the best thing to do is check into one of the hotels or guesthouses in the area such as the luxurious Kantary Hills (44 Nimmanhaemin Road), the Himalayan-Moroccan styled At Niman (37 Nimmanhaemin), or the quaint Yesterday Guesthouse (24 Nimmanhaemin).

The plethora of accommodation available means you can simply walk around and find your favourite spots—but as the area becomes increasingly popular, you may be at risk without a reservation.

Content and photographs supplied by Citylife Magazine of Chiang Mai, www.citylifecitylife.com.