Chiang Mai is Thailand's northern capital. It is the country's second largest city, but while Bangkok has a population of more than 6 million, Chiang Mai's only a quarter of a million. It is a pleasant and vibrant city, which has more than 300 temples in which some Burmese architectural influence can be seen. It is particularly nice to bicycle around. Longer term visitors appreciate it as a cosmopolitan place with a well developped tourist infrastructure, and a center for arts, crafts,cooking, and massage. The surrouding hills are populated by several hill tribes, many of which can be found selling their wares at the interesting Night Bazaar, a great place to shop for Thai (and even designer) goods.
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