A city of contrasts, Chiang Mai is filled with contemporary skyscrapers interspersed with carved teak houses with Burmese-style wats that are crowded with tour buses while shopping malls sell products made by Hill-tribe people. Many Thais pick Chiang Mai as a summer retreat during March through May because of the temperate climate as the remainder of the country droops under the scorching sun. Visitors can check out some of the famous wats like Wat Phan Tao, Wat Chedi Luang, and Wat Chiang Man, or take in the Tribal Museum and the Chiang Mai National Museum. And adventurous visitors can bungee jump with one of the many roadside cranes, a very popular extreme sport right or go rock climbing.
