In recent years there's been a steady increase in the number of visitors who come to Chiang Mai looking to return home with a new skill by taking a self-improvement course. The most popular subject is how to cook Thai food, followed by Thai massage and meditation, but perhaps the most challenging of all, though vital for anyone planning to spend any length of time here, is the Thai language. Other skills to be tackled, besides rock-climbing, include: t'ai chi, on a ten-day residential programme (twice monthly) at Naisuan House off Thanon Doi Saket Kao (081 706 7406, www.taichithailand.com); yoga classes at the Yoga Studio, 90/1 Thanon Ratchamanka (086 192 7375, www.yoga-chiangmai.com), or the Hathayoga Centre Chiangmai, 99/42 Thanon Huay Kaew (085 864 0146, www.hathayogachiangmai.com); joining in the training schedule of a Thai boxing camp at Lanna Muay Thai, 64/1 Soi 1, Thanon Huai Kaeo (053 892102 or 081 951 3164, www.lannamuaythai.com); and intensive workshops in jewellery making at Nova, 201 Thanon Tha Pae (053 273058, www.nova-collection.com).

There has been an explosion of interest in preparing Thai food, and many Chiang Mai guest houses and cookery schools now offer lessons. The original – and still the best – is the Chiang Mai Thai Cookery School, 47/2 Thanon Moonmuang (053 206388, www.thaicookeryschool.com) run by Somphon and Elizabeth Nabnian. They offer courses of one to five days (B990– B4600), covering common Thai and one or two traditional Lanna dishes, including the use of substitute ingredients available in the West. Each day begins with either an introduction to Thai ingredients, shopping in the market, making curry pastes or vegetable carving. While the fees might seem expensive, the courses are well worth it, including a first-class lunch, seasonal fruit-tasting and a recipe book. Somphon, an experienced chef himself, also offers pricey evening masterclasses. Courses are held either at The Wok restaurant or at the Nabnians' house, a 15-minute drive out of town (transport provided). It's best to book in advance as the classes are very popular and the number of students is limited (the schedule of courses is given on the website), though it is sometimes possible to just turn up and secure a place. Another reliable school is at Gap's House, which teaches the preparation of five main courses plus desserts and vegetable carving for B900 per day. Also centrally located and well-regarded is Baan Thai Cookery School, 11 Soi 5, Thanon Ratchdamnoen (053 357339, www.cookinthai.com), which offers daily couses at B800 and evening courses (5–8.30pm) for B700. On the same lane at no. 2/2 is the Chiang Mai Thai Farm Cooking School (081 288 5958, www.thaifarmcooking.com), which offers something slightly different, with the chance to pick your own organic vegetables, herbs and fruits for cooking on their farm, thirty minutes' drive from town (transport provided; B900/day).

The best place to study Thai massage in Thailand is considered to be Bangkok's Wat Pho, which now has an affiliated school in Chiang Mai – the Chetawan Thai Traditional Massage School at 7/1–2 Soi Samud Lanna, Thanon Pracha Uthit (053 410360–1), which offers thirty-hour courses (6hr/day for 5 days) in traditional Thai massage (B7000) or foot massage (B5500). Several other well-regarded schools make Chiang Mai a popular alternative to Bangkok as a more relaxing base for courses that can run for several weeks. The longest-established centre is the forty-year-old Old Medicine Hospital (aka Shivagakomarpaj after the Indian hermit who is said to have founded the discipline over two thousand years ago), off Thanon Wualai opposite the Old Chiang Mai Cultural Center (053 275085 or 053 201663, www.thaimassageschool.ac.th). Highly respected ten-day courses in English (B4000), under the supervision of the Ministry of Education, are held twice a month, though the group size can get a bit too big at popular times; two-day foot massage courses are held at weekends (B2000).

Also accredited by the Ministry of Education, and highly recommended by past pupils, is the Thai Massage School of Chiang Mai (053 854330, www.1thaimassage.com), located to the northeast of town on the Mae Jo road, 2km beyond the Superhighway. Three levels of Thai massage training are on offer, each taking five days, with the foundation course costing B5300. Thai foot reflexology is also taught (2 days; B3200). All courses include transportation and lunch.

Massage courses are also offered by the Sunshine Network (www.asokananda.com or www.thaiyogamassage.infothai.com), an international group of practitioners and teachers founded by the highly respected German teacher, Harald Brust, aka Asokananda, who died in June 2005. Asokananda emphasized the spiritual aspect of what he called Thai yoga massage or Ayurvedic bodywork. Led by one of Asokananda's followers, twelve-day beginners' courses (B9900, including extremely basic accommodation, simple vegetarian rice meals and transportation) are held at a rural retreat in a hill-tribe village between Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai, with optional yoga/t'ai chi classes, Vipassana meditation and discussions on Buddhism. There are also less frequent courses in Keralan Ayurvedic oil massage with hands and feet, the latter involving balancing from a rope (B12,000). For information about the courses in Chiang Mai, contact the Sunshine Massage School at 159/2 Thanon Kaew Nawarat (053 262574). Information about having a massage is given in "Listings".

Northern Insight Meditation Centre, at Wat Ram Poeng (aka Wat Tapotaram) on Thanon Canal near Wat Umong (053 278620, www.palikanon.com/vipassana/tapotaram/tapotaram.htm), holds disciplined Vipassana courses (with a rule of silence, days beginning at 4am, no food after noon and so on), taught by Thai monks with translators. The minimum stay is ten days, with a basic course lasting 26 days, and payment is by donation. The other well-known and respected monastery for meditation retreats in the area is Wat Phra That Chom Thong, 60km southwest of Chiang Mai. Under the auspices of Wat Phra That Chom Thong, an International Buddhism Centre has recently been established at Wat Phra That Doi Suthep (053 295012, www.fivethousandyears.org or www.doisuthep.com), which follows a very traditional Buddhist monastic way and offers a variety of Vipassana retreats for beginners and advanced meditators. For an introduction to meditation and Buddhist culture, go to a talk at Wat Umong on a Sunday afternoon or sign up for one of the free overnight courses run by Mahachulalongkorn Buddhist University, based at Wat Suan Dork on Thanon Suthep. These involve discussions about Buddhism, meditation, walking meditation, chanting and almsgiving, and begin at about 2pm on a Tuesday, before departure to the training centre on Doi Suthep, returning to Wat Suan Dork at 12.30pm the next day. As places are limited you should make contact in advance (053 278967 ext 11, www.monkchat.net).

The longest-established and best place to learn Thai is the AUA (American University Alumni) Language Centre, 24 Thanon Ratchdamnoen (053 277951 or 053 278407, www.auathailand.org/chiangmai), which is certified by the Ministry of Education. Several levels of classes are offered, starting with spoken Thai for beginners (60hr over about 6 weeks; B3900), with class sizes limited to 5–12 students. Individual and small-group instruction can also be arranged, starting from B270 per hour for 1–2 students.