Chiang Mai Highlights: Ban Tawai

Ban Tawai is a great little handicraft village outside of Chiang Mai city - perfect for souvenir shopping and getting out of Chiang Mai. To get there we headed south out of Chiang Mai on a yellow sawngthaew (18 B) to Hang Dong where we walked 3 km to Ban Tawai (don't worry, you can grab a motorbike taxi - walking is only optional!). We wanted to take in the all the home decor, pottery and lifestyle stores along the way. And there are a lot! There's plenty to photograph too...

When you get to Ban Tawai, there are loads of handicrafts to be found and while a lot of the shops sell similar things, there are a couple of great stores there that definitely make it worth the journey. There's a silver shop with a fabulous selection of silver jewelry, and a bag shop with uniquely designed, cute and colorful handbags both of which shouldn't be missed.

If you find the Night Bazaar a little overwhelming, Ban Tawai could just be the perfect alternative. Allow yourself plenty of time to see as much as you can!