Why should you go there and how do you do it right?

Arrive at seven o'clock and experience this place at its best: vendors pile up seasonal fruits and vegetables, locals fill their bags, and no one tries to sell you an elephant tour. It's a bustling fruit market on Pra Pok Klao Soi 2 in Phra Sing – compact and functional. It serves the needs of the local residents more than entertainment. If you're looking for photogenic chaos and souvenir stalls, this isn't the place for you.

What's really worthwhile here is the seasonal selection. The fruit available in Northern Thailand changes throughout the year, so the best-value, affordable fruits of one month are gone the next. Just ask, point to the fruit, buy a small amount of two or three varieties, and enjoy them on a bench. My tip: Consider the fruit stand more as a stop on a morning stroll through the old town than as a destination in itself, as you'll be through it in twenty minutes.