We last visited Chiang Mai in about 1985, so It is not surprising that there have been some changes. Cheryl doesn't remember much as she was sick the whole time with what turned out to be bronchitis. This time she just has a normal Asian winter cough. Clive has vague recollections of a large town but it is now a city -Thailand's fifth largest. Some snapshot impressions of CM follow: Aimless wandering tourists, even some reproduction 60's hippies with dreadlocks An obvious Mecca for the young backpacker brigade "You want taxi Mister, you want tuk tuk Mister" Many very seedy middle aged male "tourists" Tattoo and massage parlours Thai cooking schools 1 to 4 day elephant mahout training courses The "Gibbon Glide" - voted Thailand's best tourist attraction Tiger petting sessions Traffic and exhaust fumes Many gilded blingy wats Flubby muffin-topped female tourists in harem pants Scrawny tattooed male tourists with mangy beards I would say that, unless you were a student of Wat architecture, you would not be missing anything by missing Chiang Mai. A great disappointment! Fortunately, the Thai food is good (of course). We, at least, have a very nice hotel to retreat to in the heat of the afternoon.