Chiang Mai Habitat Guide

Chiang Mai is situated on the bank of the river Ping, and lies in a fertile valley surrounded by hills covered with forests, especially of teak - at one time elephants were used for logging of teak, but this has since been discontinued. The elephants can still be seen in training camps and protected areas among the hills. The entire region of the northern hills is lush green, cool and beautiful. Here sits Doi Inthanon, Thailand’s highest peak, with a height of 2565m, overlooking a National Park, full of flowering plants (orchids among others), birds, and animals, including bears and monkeys.

The combination of rivers, paddy fields, waterfalls and forested mountains makes the area around Chiang Mai one of the most scenic in Thailand.