TRAVEL WATCH: NOVEMBER 1, 1999 VOL. 154 NO. 17

chiang mai city guide: Hot Deals While you might not have time to travel to Thailand by boat, you can always take the Royal Barge. This Boeing 747-400 was painted by Thai Airways to resemble the famous river craft in celebration of King Bhumibol Adulyadej's 72nd birthday and another year of the "Amazing Thailand" tourism promotion. Royal Orchid Holidays, the tour wing of Thailand's carrier, offers packages to Chiang Mai, among other destinations. For travelers seeking a quick de-stress break, two nights at the luxurious Regent Chiang Mai might be just the thing (request booking number rohs33). Flying out of Hong Kong, (852) 2876-6883, the price is $740; out of Singapore, (65) 334-5545, it's $600. If you want to stay longer, try the Chiang Mai Delight package, with three nights at the Westin; $515 out of Hong Kong, $350 out of Singapore (roh30). Both tours include breakfasts and airport transfers. Prices are valid until Dec. 19.

Back to the Chiang Mai City Guide Home Hot Deals While you might not have time to travel to Thailand by boat, you can always take the Royal Barge Hot Tip Visitors can turn their trip to Chiang Mai into an education by learning to give massages and cook like a local Detour Let Charoui guide you through his museum and, if you're male, he might let you seat yourself on a sacred chair made from an elephant's hip bone Web Crawling Now that you have the inside track on Chiang Mai, here's a directory that will let you put together some of the nuts and bolts of the rest of your trip more city guides Beijing Jakarta Manila Kuala Lumpur Taipei Ulan Bator Seoul Macau Singapore Sydney Bangkok Shanghai Tokyo Hong Kong