Thailand Travel Guide ->  Northern Thailand Travel Guide
The north of Thailand (in Thailand known as Lanna) is a region that is as famous for its natural beauty as it is for its rich cultural history. Until the early twentieth century Lanna was isolated form the rest of Thailand and had its own kings and royal families and its own language. Geographically it is separated by mountains and the Mekong river from Laos and Burma and by vast jungles from the central plains of Thailand. (See Map of Northern Thailand) The climate is tropical but cooler and more temperate than the climate in the rest of Thailand. 


Lanna Style Teakwood Temple Building in Wat Chiang Mun, Chiang Mai

Apart from its lovely scenery one major attraction of the North are the many beautiful teakwood temples that differ in style from the temples in the south and the central plains of Thailand. Lanna also has its own cuisine with special dishes and the Lanna dialect differs in some respect remarkably from the Thai spoken elsewhere. The North is often experienced by visitors as an entirely different country than the rest of Thailand

It is also known for its cultural diversity. The famous hilltribes live here who have ancient origins in China and  Tibet and migrated to Lanna only during the las two centuries. There are six major tribes: the Karen (or Karieng), the Hmong (also called Meo), the Akha, the Yao (or Mein), the Lahu, and the Lisu. The Karen tribe is by far the largest group with about 300.000. Each tribe has a language and a culture of its own, an a special traditional costume with elaborate headdresses for the women. The hilltribes used to be nomadic farmers who practiced slash-and-burn agriculture, planted several crops (in former times often poppies, the raw material for opium production), and moved away when the soil was no longer fertile. Today, however, the Thai government encourages them to settle and stay in particular areas. They now live in small villages in the hills north of Chiang Mai.

The two major tourist regions of northern Thailand are Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, and Mae Hong Son.

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Last Updated 10.02.2007