Muay Thai Training Camp in Chiang Mai, Thailand

A typical day starts early with a run — usually 5 to 8 km around the neighbourhood, sometimes up towards the mountain roads — followed by skipping, shadow boxing and stretching. Then it's pads, bag work and clinching with a trainer, roughly two hours in total. Morning sessions finish around 09:00 and breakfast is served after.

The afternoon session runs from about 16:00 to 18:00 and follows a similar shape: skipping, technique work on the pads, heavy bag rounds, and clinch work. Sparring is optional and only if a trainer thinks you're ready. Saturdays often end with a group session or a trip to watch fights at a local stadium; Sunday is a rest day.

What separates this camp from the many others in Chiang Mai is that it's a genuine fight gym. Thai fighters train here for stadium bouts, so the pad holders know what they're doing and the pace is set by people who compete, not by a timetable written for tourists. Trainers hold pads for you one to one, correct your guard, and remember what you worked on yesterday.

Chiang Mai itself is the other draw. The camp is a short ride from the old city, with its moat, temple compounds and Saturday and Sunday walking street markets. Doi Suthep and the surrounding national park are close enough for a rest-day trip. It's cooler and greener than the islands, and cheaper than Bangkok.

Most guests stay between one week and one month. The camp takes all levels, from people who have never thrown a punch to amateur fighters preparing for a bout. If you're training for a fight, the trainers will build your pad work and conditioning around that; if you just want to get fit and learn the basics, that's fine too.

What's included

- On-site accommodation in air-conditioned rooms - Shared or private room options - Meals served at the camp - Two Muay Thai training sessions per day, six days a week - One-to-one pad work with a trainer - Access to the ring, heavy bags and weights area - Wi-Fi across the camp - Laundry service - Rest day on Sunday

What's not included

- Flights to and from Chiang Mai - Airport transfers - Travel insurance - Personal expenses - Massages and spa treatments - Equipment (gloves, wraps, shin guards) unless borrowed - Drinks and snacks outside camp meals