Umbrellas, Silk and Hot Springs: The San Kamphaeng Road

A craft road east of the city: painted paper umbrellas in Bo Sang, silk weavers and lacquer workshops, ending with a soak in steaming natural springs.

Area

Countryside & Villages

Start from

Chiang Mai

Distance

about 36 km east to the hot springs

Time needed

1 day

Best season

All year; the umbrella festival is in January

Difficulty

Easy

Transport

Scooter, car or hired songthaew

Tickets & rules

Small entrance fee at the hot springs

Why go

The road east from Chiang Mai to San Kamphaeng has long been the city's craft corridor. Workshops line the way, producing silverware, celadon pottery, lacquerware, carved teak and silk, and many still let you watch the work in progress. It makes an ideal rainy-day or slow-day trip.

The highlight is Bo Sang, the umbrella village. Here artisans stretch mulberry paper or cotton over bamboo frames, then paint them freehand with flowers, birds and dragons. In a few minutes they can paint a design on your bag, phone case or notebook.

At the end of the road, the San Kamphaeng hot springs bubble up in a landscaped park, where geysers spout every few minutes. You can boil eggs in the spring water, soak your feet in warm channels or rent a private mineral bath.

The story

Umbrella making in Bo Sang is said to have begun when a monk brought the technique from Burma more than a century ago. Villagers made umbrellas in the dry season, when there was little farm work, and sold them in the city. The trade grew until Bo Sang umbrellas became a symbol of Chiang Mai.

Every January the village holds an umbrella festival, with parades, contests and the main street hung with umbrellas of every colour. The paper, called sa, is made from the bark of the mulberry tree and is also used for notebooks and lanterns.

San Kamphaeng was also a centre of silk weaving. In the twentieth century some local weaving families developed their businesses into large companies, and the district's silk became known throughout Thailand.

Getting there

Drive or ride east along the San Kamphaeng road; Bo Sang is about 10 km from the city, and the hot springs about 36 km. Hired songthaews and drivers are easy to arrange.

Combine this with Mae Kampong for a longer day.

A suggested plan

1. 9:00Leave Chiang Mai along the craft road.
2. 9:30Watch artisans at work in Bo Sang.
3. 11:00Visit silk and lacquer workshops.
4. 13:00Lunch on the way.
5. 14:30Relax at San Kamphaeng hot springs.

Where to stay

Most people return to Chiang Mai the same evening, but the small resorts and bungalows near the hot springs are peaceful for a night, with mineral baths on hand and Mae Kampong only a short drive further into the hills.

Good to know

• Bring a towel and a change of clothes for the springs.
• Ask before photographing artisans at work, and consider buying something small if you stay a while.
• Prices vary widely between workshops; compare before buying larger pieces.
• Visit Bo Sang in the morning, when painters are working and the light is good.