Baan Orapin Heritage B&B

Activities

• Just outside the door, Charoenrat Road bakes sleepily in the sun, exactly as wide as the doorsteps on either side. Old wooden shophouses are lovingly restored and sell good handicrafts, with the emphasis on wood
  
  
• Wat Ket (or Wat Gate), the temple that gives the area its name, is worth a look and has a nice museum
  
  
• A footbridge over the river leads to the sweltering nightmare of Chinatown, with steeply priced tat (wait till you get to Bangkok, where it’s half the money), a flower market and that interestingly stinky mess of pickles and dry goods which only Chinese people understand
  
  
• The Night Bazaar still offers the best selection of handicrafts, trinkets and pirated goods produced within a 50-mile radius
  
  
• A tuk-tuk ride away is the old town, with its temples, restaurants and fairy-lit bars; or drive up to famous Doi Suthep temple for views over the city
  
  
• Thai massage and cookery courses - there's no better place in the country to learn these two arts, with a plethora of classes and schools vying for your custom