Customer comments on this selection.
 Cutesy illustrations might just mislead you.
Nancy Chandler has created some adorable little Richard Scary illustrations to accompany her admittedly very subjective take on the Northern Thai city of Chiang Mai. It will definitely help you get your bearings straight (not that that is too difficult) and get you excited to go and shop at all of the "amazing" places "charming" Chiang Mai has to offer. There is only one problem.
Almost everything sold in Chiang Mai is complete GARBAGE, and Nancy Chandler's map is a key contributor to masking this depressing fact. The night bazaar is filled with junk stand after junk stand of the worst mass-produced knock-offs, chintzy statues and ultra-tacky 70s art. The few nice shops that are around town charge a PREMIUM for anything that is halfway decent and honestly, is nothing that you couldn't find through a good dealer in the states. This is to say nothing about the squalid Chinese day market about which Chandler rants and raves. The stalls on the map marked "posters" for instance are just lame mass-produced wall hangings like you'd find in an MSG-infested Manhattan Chinese takeout joint. Chiang Mai is also filthy and probably serves best for those wanting a launching pad for getting out into the country or getting drunk in one of its many bars.
The town certainly does have a bit of its own funky feel (prostitutes, overpriced bookstores, groveling expatriates, stinking klongs) but nothing like one would be lead to believe looking at this map. I can see how it could have at one time been a charming town, or might be in the future with its attractive river and surrounding hills. But don't be fooled about the Chiang Mai of 2008. Chandler is something of a propagandist.
 Don't step off the plane or train without it !
Best of its kind ! After 12 trips to Chiang Mai, we have worn out three of Nancy's maps.
Handy graphic-oriented map
I bought this map for an upcoming trip to Chiang Mai. It is a "fun" map due to the graphics and comments. It also is legible and it appears to be very usable. I'll report back after my trip -- assuming I can remember to do so.
It also came with a booklet of additional information to help locate places on the map. Nice touch.
Addendum April 23, 2008:
I remembered to add to this review after completing my trip to Chiang Mai and am pleased to do so because this map was a real help in my travels.
I used this map extensively for a five day stay in Chiang Mai and it was extremely useful in helping me navigate the city, including the Night Bazaar, Warorot market, and pretty much everything else, including a couple out of city outings.
Considering that the map is dated 2006, it was still remarkably up to date -- probably because many places marked are sucessful businesses.
Wandering about Chiang Mai there is a lot to be discovered and this map can help you do it. It was much more helpful than the maps included in Lonely Planet Laos, especially with the included booklet I mentioned above -- that let me find places not mentioned in the guidebook and often not individually shown on this map.
This is not a review of the city -- every city has its pluses and minuses, yet I wandered about day and night without negative incident.
Chandler's Map of Chiang Mai
I was thrilled to buy this map and receive a small booklet with it. The 76 page booklet is an index that is packed full of lists:
'Accommodations - Hotels and Guesthouses' (a list of over 300 places to stay!)
'Sightseeing - In and Around Chiang Mai' (with advice, sights, river cruises, Wats, Buddhist studies, schools, elephant camps, etc.)
'Shopping' (lists of markets, malls, Thai antiques, art, textiles, etc.)
'Dining' (lists of Chinese, French, fusion, Indian, Italian, Japanese, Mexican, Muslim, Vegetarian, Vietnamese, and of course Thai)
'Entertainment' (Backpacker faves, clubs, breweries, cabaret, sports, music, quiz nights and a pub crawl guide)
'Living' (list of churches, cinemas, consulates, hospitals, alternative medicine, international schools, Thai language and massage schools, Vets, libraries, supermarkets, organic produce and wine)
'Sports' (gyms, archery, badminton, bowling, boxing, cycling, fishing, flying, golf, jogging, rockclimbing, swimming, tennis and yoga) and
'Transportation' (information about airlines, railway stations, river travel, bus stations, car rentals, roads, highways and districts)
The items listed offer the addresses, phone numbers and sometimes little notes from Chandler about them.
The map is large, colorful and fun to read. Chandler has included most of the items from the index on the map.
I have found both the map and the index to be very useful in planning my first trip to Chiang Mai. I look forward to using it!
Wonderful and colorful map!
I am definitely glad we purchased this map of Chiang Mai before our trip. We used it help plan our itinerary and we used it frequently while in Chiang Mai. Nancy does a great job of telling local secrets and best options to choose from. It is very well done, up to date, very colorful, and I am 100% satisfied with the map. It is a little different than what I am used to, but it was a nice change. Thank you for the great product.
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