Chiang Mai was our introduction to mainland Thailand. We stayed at Baan Orapin, next to Wat Ketkaram. The house is a new building, built in traditional Lanna (northern Thai) style.
While we were there we found time for a Thai cooking course at the Chiang Mai Thai Cooking School (keep stirring, keep smiling!), to both get silk suits made and even to pick up some new glasses.
The famous night market didn't really have the variety I expected - mostly local crafts &T-shirts, but some nice things. Chiang Mai zoo was disappointing, I think they probably spent as much on the pandas as all the other animals put together.