We recently visited Chiang Mai, Thailand, and found it a wonderful family vacation spot. Other locales, such as Bangkok, or Phuket are known for their night life or beaches, but the beautiful weather and interesting activities in Chiang Mai also make it a must-see!

In my opinion, one of the best places to stay in Chiang Mai is the Puripunn Hotel (http://www.puripunn.com/). It's a small boutique hotel consisting of about 30 rooms. The grounds and pool are well maintained and charming, and the rooms are exquisite with comfortable beds. There's a small indoor-outdoor restaurant on the property that serves a variety of Thai and international dishes. The Puripunn is a little out of the way, down a few small side alleys, but other dining choices are a short cab ride (or walk) away.

From the Puripunn, you can take a short walk to the night market. This is a little overrated because the it's not frequented by the locals - it's there only to separate tourists from their currency. However, if you like to shop (and I don't!), you are bound to find souvenirs you can't live without.

I also recommend the Maetaman Elephant Camp. At this camp, you can get very up-close and personal with the elephants. My sons both got to ride elephants bare-back, and my younger son was picked up on an elephant's trunk! At the camp, you can participate in feeding (200 lbs of bananas a day!), take a trek on elephant-back through the jungle, ride an ox-cart, and float down the river on a bamboo raft. Great scenery and photographic opportunities overload the senses from every side! There's also a show where elephants participate in various sports and calisthenics, and they even paint pictures!

From there, take the opportunity to visit one of the monkey training, butterfly gardens, or orchid farms on your way back to town. Macaques are trained and used to harvest coconuts. They can climb up the trees more safely than humans, and can get the job done more quickly, too. We found a roadside farm that contained a monkey training facility, butterfly garden and orchid growing operation all in one stop.

You'll also want to make a visit to some of the hillside tribes. One of the most famous is the Karen tribe (long-necks) who adorn their women with brass neck rings starting at around the age of 6 years old. Rings are added over the years which push the collar bones down, giving the appearance of a long neck.

We did all of this in one day with our 3 children and it was a long day, but very enjoyable for everyone!