CHIANG MAI

The northern Thai city offers avantgarde art and cuisine alongside ancient wats

- JEREMY TREDINNICK

1 WAT UMONG

Take a THB200 (£4.80) taxi ride west from Chiang Mai’s centre to this unique forest temple, built in the 13th century by a monk who taught the king meditation. The main chedi is surrounded by six hectares of woodland, but it stands on a broad knoll beneath which are a series of tunnels, supposedly built by the king, with walls painted with jungle scenes and Buddha statues at various dead ends. The murals have mostly faded away, but it’s an atmospheric place. The local cityfolk come often to meditate in the peaceful grounds, feed the catfish and turtles in its lake, and wander the grounds where many old and broken sculptures lie. Curiously there’s also a replica of an ancient Ashoka pillar from India, which depicts Buddhism being brought to northern Thailand by the Lanna dynasty’s King Mengrai. One of Chiang Mai’s least-visited temples, but one of its most rewarding. templesinchiangmai.com

2 BLACKITCH ARTISAN KITCHEN