Since this was our second time back to Thailand, I wanted something different. Primarily my goals were to find the best food and unique place to stay, my research kept bringing me back to Nimman. Turns out Nimman is super kid friendly too, bonus! Our hotel Arch 39 the Wall was at a perfect location for nimman despite the beds being quite hard, we overall liked our stay there! Here’s our top reasons for staying in Nimman and what we enjoyed the most!
Food
Thailand is known for it’s food and the Nimman area takes it to the next level with gourmet spins on Thai classic dishes. Nimman is the digital nomad capital of the world so you see a strong western influence here especially in the food. Also there’s a greater emphasis on healthy dishes with regards to allergy which I super appreciate with my gluten sensitivity and my youngest son’s new dairy allergy. Here’s some of our top pics in Nimman for food, plus I’ll go into deeper detail in a Nimman Gluten free guide post!
Rustic and Blue-this is on everyones list for good reason. Its delicious, inventive, gourmet and creative plates of art. My kids also loved the brand of kombucha they carried, such a great surrprise!
Markets
The markets and shopping areas are laid out so nicely in Nimman and make for a really pleasant shopping experience. There are three different market areas very close together: Nimman One- a beautiful upscale brick building with shops and restaurants, Think park market across the street and comes alive at night, and Maya Mall which has an additional outdoor market right in front of it!
Maya Mall
I know, I know, its just a mall. Well, it was right next door to our hotel, Arch 39 the wall and offered a ton to do and see! So its worth a mention! There’s an arcade, digital cafe on the top floor open 24 hours, movie theater, huge food court, and amazing shops! Plus the most incredible “whole foods” type grocery store on the bottom floor, called Rimping Market, not to be missed.
Cooking Class- Siam Rice
I searched long and hard for the best cooking class to fit our family! Our kids are old enough to manage their own burner, but many of the cooking class options didn’t allow kids to cook! Also Siam Rice had so many wonderful options for a long day, half day or short course. We did the short course and selected all that we wanted to make, even different dishes from each other-so much wonderful variety! Also, totally didn’t expect the cooking class to be on a farm which was a wonderful purpose for my animal loving kids-they could pet all the goats, sheep, and dogs they wanted between cooking! It was easily one of the favorite things we did! *** I should mention while this cooking class was not located in Nimman, a short 20 min ride got us there and the cooking class provides transportation to and from your hotel, wonderfully convenient.
Nimman extras
If we had more time we would have visited the Insect museum (my 8 year old is obsessed with creatures and would have loved this!), the Wat Suan Dok looked amazing, Chaing Mai University if beautifully photogenic with a lake, and Chiang Mai Zoo would have been a hit too!
For our next trip, I was really looking forward to exploring Merimbula Lake—a serene and picturesque destination that promises a perfect addition to our family adventures. With its clear waters and surrounding natural beauty, it’s the ideal spot for boating, fishing, and simply enjoying the tranquility of the outdoors. I can already imagine my child’s excitement as we explore the wildlife around the lake and take in the stunning views. Merimbula Lake, with its charming ambiance, would have been a fantastic contrast to the bustling attractions of Chiang Mai. It’s definitely on our list for the next adventure
