Restaurant & Dinning

* Roughly halfway down the alley entering the Night Bazaar from the main road is 'Centrepoint', an open-air hawkers/restaurant surrounded by more stalls and with a stage for classical music and dance performances.

* On the main road there is a Lebanese restaurant serving Falafel, Tabouleh, Hummous and other middle-eastern delicacies.

* Da Vinci is an other good place on the main road serving nice charcoal pizzas an pastas. Their lasagna is recommended.

* Good bakery just opposite the bus station (bread, rolls, good coffee, cakes). At the same time you are helping hilltribe young women have the opportunity to be apprentences, running this very bakery. Nice (and very rich) marchpain rolls.
* Then there is A&P Bakery. This is definitely the best bakery in town as it comes to whole grain bread, multi grain bread, white bread, baguette, rolls and cakes! There's even a picture book with at least 200 sorts of cakes which you can order. It is run by the very friendly Aom and Pascal (A&P). Thanon Sanambin (old airport road) on number 93/4, opposite 'Muse Bar'. Tel: +66-857231410 / 08-57231410.

* Oasis is a very specialized and delicious vegetarian restaurant. Behind the new main stage at the 'Night Bazaar' you'll notice a high building situated behind the small eateries which still belong to the market. It's at the corner of a street which leads to the fruit market. A 'must' for vegetarian people! Open until 20.00.

* Kad Khaw Nung is a restaurant in the North Hotel which specializes in home made northern style food. Here you can find Northern Thai sausage, Kaeng Hunglay (northern pork curry) and a variety of northern style dishes made by the mother of the owner. Their family recipes will give you a real taste of Northern cuisine. The North Hotel is situated next to Oasis, just in the middle of a small street between the Night Bazaar and fruit and flower market. Please check the map here:

* "Chiang Rai Beach" during the day or the early evening is an excellent spot. There are around 20 eateries overlooking the 'Mae Kok River'. Bring your dictionary with you for there are no English menus to be found. A bit out of town. Go by tuktuk or motorbike.

* Tong Tung Restaurant (no English sign) serves you Northern Thai food. Try this semi-outdoor place on the western side of the road about 1 km south of Thanon Banphaprakan on 1/1 Thanon Sanambin (old airport road). Their 'Kaeng Hung Lay' curry is to be recommended.

* Eat khao sawy (Burmese style chicken curry with noodles, 25 baht), special Northern Thai sausage (25 baht) and naam phrik num (dip made of eggplant and peppers) at a small but famous shop just in the middle of Thanon Jet Yot (nr 1023/2). Many locals eat here.

* The famous khao moo deng (rice with red sauteed pork, or as shown on the menu: 'rice with BBQ pork', 30 baht) tastes best at the big Chinese restaurant called Nakornpatom restaurant on Thanon Phahonyothin, the main street. Red sign board with large yellow font Thai letters (don't search the name Nakornpatom, unless you can read Thai). It's opposite the Lebanese shop. Big cold coffee machines attract the locals to having lunch there. Delicious!

* Siam Corner on Thanon Jet Yot. Very good Thai food, some Western dishes also.

Drinking & Bar

* Muse Bar, Thanon Sanambin 101/1 ('the old airport road'), ? 08-69169369. Sunday: Jamming night, Monday: I-Pod night, Wednesday: revival night, Thursday: Indie night. Runned by resident DJ Skin (Pi Job). If you are into good music this is the place to be! Beautifully decorated place, delicious cocktails, good ambiance and excellent snacks will make you at ease. The sound is great due to a fantastic speaker system. Go eat first at the Tong Tung Restaurant 100 meters away, on the other side of this street. edit

* Rusta Bar with rasta music at San Khok Chang Rd.

* Cat Bar with jam sessions almost every day and a pool table on Yet Yod Rd.

* Joe's on Yet Yod Rd.

* Bo's Place on Thanon Phahon Yotin 100 m south of bus station. Here is one place where local farangs meet for a beer and for a nice meal.

* Reggae Bar situated somewhere in Night Bazaar's little alley's behind the silver colored stage. Good variety of music and drinks. Open after 8pm. Later local farangs meet here.

* Easy Bar on Thanon Jet Yot. Open all day. You can have a meal here, read Bangkok Post, watch Cable TV.

* The Turntable Jazz Bar, the North Hotel is the only place you can find a wide range of Jazz records from the 40 year-old collection of the hotel’s Norwegian co-owner. Several jazz related books can also be found. The bar offers cheap beer and drinks and a friendly atmosphere. The turntable jazz bar is located between the Night Bazaar and Sirikorn (flower and fruit) Market, tel:+66 (0) 5371 9873, Fax: +66 (0) 5374 0156.

* SiTSip Bar&Coffee House. Located at Ground Floor; Wangcome Hotel. 053-711-800. The place is decorated in modern style. Serving drinks, food&snack, and lots of cocktail menu.

Accommodation

* Baan Bua Guest House 879/2, Jetyod Road, tel: (66) 053 718880, fax: 053-705357 This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it - very central but nice and quiet, with a pleasant garden where you have breakfast with other travellers and in the evening enjoy a beer. Air-con rooms 200-400.

* Baan Lanna Hotel 395 Moo 2, Rimkok, Muang tel. (66) 053-712555 This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it - clean air-con rooms, mini bar and friendly staff. Rates 450 - 800 baht.

* Chat House

* Mae Hong Son Guest House in Chiang Rai, 126 Singhaklai Road, tel. +66-053715367

* Ruangnakorn Hotel (near the police station) costs 450 baht/room

* Sport Inn Hotel 557 Prachasanti Road, tel: (66) 053 756 959, fax: 053-756 156 - very nice Hotel, free internet and they have wifi too, 5 minutes from the centre of town, Air-con double rooms 350 baht.

* The North Hotel Between the Night Bazaar and Sirikorn (flower and fruit) Market, tel:+66 (0) 5371 9873, Fax: +66 (0) 5374 0156 - rates 450-700 baht per person per night. Air-con, private facilities, hot and cold shower, cable TV, fridge, restaurant and Turntable Jazz Bar.

* YMCA International Hotel 70 Phaholyothin Road, tel:+66 (0) 5371 3785 to 6, +66 (0) 5370 2763 to 4 This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it - rates 100-400 baht

Middle price

* Chiang Saen River Hill Hotel

* Golden Triangle Inn

* Little Duck Hotel

* Luck Swan Resort and Spa - 499 Moo 4, Rimkok Muang-Chiang Rai. New hotel with Thai and Western food. Air-con rooms. Hotel has a nice garden and gazebo. Rates: 1200 to 1800 Free internet access in the lobby. Tel. (66) 053-750855 Fax: (66) 053-750857

* Starbright Hotel

* Baan Warabordee; very beautiful, clean, air-con, well decorated rooms in quiet street near centre, in the street behind the Wiang Inn. Prices for a double: 400-500 bahht, triple: 600-700 baht; 59/1 Sanpanard Rd. - Moo18 - Chiang Rai; Tel. +66(0)53754488 Fax. +66(0)53719293

* Morning Dew Lodge - New hotel targeting long term visitors and 10 minute walk from town centre. Rates: 600 /night 6000/month Free WiFi internet throughout the building. Tel. (66) 081 595 5502

Luxury & Splurge

* The Mantrini Boutique Resort

Uniquely Mantrini "... simply charming..."
Selected as "Best Paradise" by Tourism Authority of Thailand

* Dusit Island Resort 1129 Kraisorasit Road, tel. +66-53715777 fax. +66-53715801

* The Legend Chiang Rai, tel 66 53 910 400 or fax 66 53 719 650,
* Wang Come Hotel

* Wiang Inn

* Phowadol Resort and Spa

Travel to other placed closed to Chiang Rai

* Go north to Mae Sai and on to Myanmar
* Go north-east to the Golden Triangle, where Laos, Myanmar and Thailand meet, and formerly a major opium-growing region
* Go south to Chiang Mai