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Back in Chiang Mai from Chiang Rai by bus, we checked into a hotel near the Night Bazaar and went to see the viral Mae Kha Canal.
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Where we stayed
We booked a hotel near the Chiang Mai Night Bazaar using credit-card reward points. It cost us about ₹20,000 in total instead of the usual ₹7,000–8,000 a night. The Night Bazaar area is lively, unlike the quiet Old Town.
Live Agoda prices. Book on Agoda at the same price, and we earn a small commission.
Open Agoda →Mae Kha Canal: our honest take
An old canal, cleaned up and beautified, with shops and food stalls on both sides and a little bridge connecting them (the photo spot). On the walk there you pass Buddha shrines on almost every corner, a 24/7 laundromat and several cannabis shops.
On a weekday evening it was underwhelming: mostly locals, the decorative lights were off, and there was a slight drain smell, which put us off eating there. Prices looked a little cheaper than the Night Bazaar.
Verdict: go on a weekend evening, when it's lit up and lively, and keep it to about 30 minutes. Only add it if you have spare time.
Dinner: Korean
Like a K-drama set. The ramyeon came dry (not as a soup) and wasn't great, but the Korean fried chicken was good.
Thai supermarket prices (for the curious)
Bombay Sapphire was about 1,200 baht (700 ml), Absolut and Jägermeister about 990 baht, and Korean soju about 87 baht. We also found green and pink eggs (still don't know what they are; tell us in the comments!), quail eggs and salted eggs.
Must try: coconut crispy rolls, light and wafer-like.
FAQs
Is Mae Kha Canal worth visiting?
On a weekday, not really: it was quiet, the lights were off and there was a slight drain smell. Go on a weekend evening and keep it to about 30 minutes.
TAGS: CHIANG MAI · MAE KHA CANAL · NIGHT BAZAAR · REVIEW · THAILAND
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Prashant & Sunaina
A travel couple from Pune with Kashmiri Pandit × Maharashtrian roots, 8+ countries and counting. Every rupee shared.
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