Chiang Mai is one of the most popular places in Thailand to set a paper lantern off floating into the night sky. The practice is generally reserved for holidays and festivals, but there are people setting them off all the time. To get one, go to any of the daily markets (such as the one at the Chiang Mai gate) and ask around. The lantern is made of paper with a wick you light, filling the paper with warm air and making it shoot up into the air like a hot air balloon. Don't forget to make a wish!

Thailand is the center of the massage world and Chiang Mai offers every type of massage possible on every street corner (literally). At the night markets, you'll find masseuses setting up shop on the side of the road with reclining armchairs for you to sit in while you get a foot rub. When you walk any block in the old city you are sure to pass a massage storefront offering food massage, reflexology, oil, and traditional Thai massage. I say try them all! At no more than 250 baht per hour, it'd be a shame to not get a different type of massage each day.

If you are like me, all these monks walking around the streets of Thailand are pretty intimidating and unapproachable simply because I don't get it. Well, attending Monk Chat is a terrific way to get to know a monk and help them work on their English. It is super simple. Just walk up to the Wat Chedi Luang (in the center of the old city) and look for the monk chat signs. Monks and novice monks will be there most hours of the day from 9am to 6pm to have an hour long conversation about whatever you want to talk about. You won't regret it. Oh, and don't forget to hit up the donation box on your way out. It's optional, but hey, come on.

You can judge a good breakfast place by the bacon. Good Morning Chiang Mai (http://www.goodmorningchiangmai.com/) almost gets it right. The gingerbread pancakes, breakfast sandwiches, and muesli are all delicious. If you're looking for traditional Thai, try the egg skillet at Kai Kra-Tha on Prapokklao Rd just north of the Chiang Mai Gate. Look for their "Breakfast WiFi" sign out front. Breakfast sets here start at 35 baht. Open 6am - 3pm.

On the day of the Yee Peng Lantern Festival, locals gather near Mae Jo University (20 kms from Chiang Mai) to pay their respects to Buddha as well as to ask for Buddha favors. It was magical to see so many good thoughts being released into the universe at once. If you are in Chiang around the end of Oct/Nov, you must make plans to go. Top 5 travel experience. We arrived around 4:30-5pm, which was just enough time to feast on the many free, donated foods, buy a lantern--they cost 100 baht--and find a place to sit on the lawn. The event, including a dance performance and monk chanting, takes about one hour. Red trucks will go that way. You can also rent a moped or find a local to take you. Entrance is free.

The Saturday night market in Chiang Mai is an epic display of vendors from all around the region selling everything from silver jewelry to street food, tribal artifacts to hand made clothing, and furnishings to plastic things that light up. It is an assault on the senses and the feet. The market begins near the Chiang Mai gate and continues along Wualai Rd for a good 20 blocks or so. Street performers will entertain you as you take it all in with 5,000 of your new closest friends, all crammed in shoulder to shoulder trying to get all their shopping for the year done in one night. If you miss it, then hit the Sunday Market in the center of the old city where you'll find many of the same vendors and the same crowds.

Motorbikes are a great and cheap way to explore the area around Chiang Mai. Unfortunately, some people find themselves in a situation where they have to pay a certain extra amount when the owner notices a "new" scratch. This gets even more expensive when they exit Wat Phra Singh and notice their bike has mysteriously disappeared. So how to avoid situations like these?

1) When possible, always take pictures of the motorbike before renting.

2) Buy a new lock and use it to lock the motorbike instead of the one the owner provides. They are easy to find and a lot cheaper than a new motorbike for the owner.

3) There are also rental places run by ex-pats which are more expensive, but more reliable.

4) The streets are usually busy and quite hectic. Don't drive too fast and don't forget to drive on the left-hand side.

There are no motorbike taxis or public buses in Chiang Mai, only songthaews and tuks tuks. If you're traveling within the walled city or heading to the train station, Nimmanhaemin area or the Ping River--essentially central Chiang Mai--look for one of the ubiquitous red trucks around town. Tell the driver where you want to go but don't try to negotiate a price. The fixed rate is 20 baht. If your driver wants more, flag down the next truck until you get an honest driver.

If you are looking for a non-touristic, off the beaten path Chiang Mai experience, then borrow someone's cell phone and give Rung a call. She speaks fluent English, has a pimped-out tuk-tuk 3-wheeler complete with neon lights, loud stereo, and a vast collection of tunes. Her custom tours consist of eating jumping shrimp, getting massages while lying on a pier over picturesque lakes, and tours of some of the craziest nightlife Chiang Mai has to offer. Her number is 083 325 3782.

Even Thais won't drink the local water in Chiang Mai. My advice is to fill up your 6-liter bottle at the local Good Drinks dispensers near select mini marts around town. A 6-liter bottle will cost you 3 baht. Great way to save for those staying in Chiang Mai long-term.

Many guesthouses and apartments offer long-term rentals. Obviously, the longer you stay, the more negotiating room you'll have. We ended up going with a nice, comfortable guesthouse that offered a monthly rate of 8500 baht that included a/c, hot water, and wifi. It's certainly possible to do better as a friend was able to snatch up an apartment (single person) in the Old City for $80/month with a Thai reference. Look around before committing and try to make friends with a local as having a reference seems to make a difference here.