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

chiang mai city guide: Hot Tip Tired of bringing the loved ones tacky trinkets from your travels? Surprise them with an assault on their senses after your excursion to Chiang Mai. Visitors can turn their trip into an education by learning to give massages and cook like a local. Chiang Mai has long been a home of the healing arts, and several respected schools teach the techniques of ancient Thai massage. Unlike the more robust European style, Thai massage involves very little stroking or kneading; instead, it emphasizes stretching, bending and deep pressure. Practitioners use their elbows, knees and hands to work the pressure points of the body, which are much the same as those mapped out by Chinese acupuncturists. Highly recommended is the 10-day, $80 course at the Old Medicine Hospital, (66-53) 275-085, opposite the Old Chiang Mai Cultural Centre. Instructors here have taught many of the local practitioners. Another good school is the Institute of Thai Massage, (66-53) 218-632, which offers a five-day program for $60. If that's too touchy-feely for your tastes, how about learning to serve genuine Thai cuisine at home without using a telephone? Chiang Mai Thai Cookery School (www.chiangmainews.com/cookery/index. html) has classes that take students from garden to plate. Courses start with an introduction to the flavorings that make Thai food so delicious: ginza, lemon grass, kaffir, basil and of course, the star of this culinary ensemble, chili. Using pestle and mortar, novices grind up a curry paste from scratch and then create a variety of dishes, like red curry fish and spicy glass noodle salad. Hard-core fans of Thai cuisine can take a four-day course for less than $100; the casually interested can sign up for a single-day session that will make them a one-meal wonder. Call (66-53) 206-388 to enroll. By Daffyd Roderick, with reporting by Jennifer Gampell/Chiang Mai RELATED LINKS: • The Institute of Thai Massage • The Chiang Mai Thai Cookery School, specializing in vegetarian dishes

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