Huay Tung Tao

Another easy-to-reach day trip spot is Huay Tung Tao, a reservoir located just 30 minutes from Chiang Mai’s city centre. Though close to all the action, you would never guess Chiang Mai’s busy streets were only a few kilometres away as the ‘lake’ is set in a leafy park at the base of Doi Suthep Mountain. Open every day until sunset, Huay Tung Tao is especially popular on weekends when carloads of friends and families spend an afternoon eating and drinking in one of the waterfront bamboo cabanas. Chiang Mai’s pace of life is usually pretty peaceful and comfortable and nowhere is this more apparent than on a Sunday at the lake as people order a fried fish to slowly nibble at and another round of large Singha while the sounds of conversation, and sometimes karaoke, float in the air. There are also several extensive biking and walking trails, but let’s be honest―Thailand is a lot more hot and relaxing by the water with a cold beer in hand! Come during the week and the restaurants and food shops will still be open, but you’ll probably have the place almost entirely to yourself. You can find Huay Tung Tao on Canal Road heading north toward Mae Rim.