Doi Saket

Where is it? East of the city centre, the verdant, green Doi Saket district is about 40 minutes drive out of Chiang Mai. It’s a delightfully peaceful area, dotted with small villages and rural scenery, and it doesn’t see swathes of tourists so ideal for a chilled day trip. A prime destination for cyclists too, as the roads there are mostly flat and incredibly scenic.

Why we love it: First and foremost, the underrated hot springs here are a steamy wellness haven. Aside from the little private hot springs hotels, the main player, the Doi Saket Hot Spring complex, is home to natural mineral water that emerges from underground springs at very high temperatures. The complex is cheap, well kept and has foot baths (popular with local aunties), mineral pools of different temperatures, and if you want to spend a few hundred baht extra – book yourself a private soaking tub. A couple of hours at the large, landscaped Tweechol Botanical Garden are well spent too; it’s packed with palm trees, cactus collections and tropical plants and their on-site resort turns impromptu day trips into full weekend plans. We’re also fans of a sunset pitstop at hilltop temple Wat Phra That Doi Saket for its excellent viewpoint that overlooks the surrounding valley of farms and villages – pure golden hour bliss. 

Time Out tip: Doi Saket is the place to go during Loy Krathong if you want the real local temple experience. A handful of them do lantern releases, but the rotation changes year on year.