I've just recently come back from a two day holiday in Chiang Dao, and whilst telling a friend of mine about it in Chiang Mai he seemed to have no idea how easy it was to get there. So before I write a travel blog about the place itself I thought I'd write a mini blog on how to get there.
OK, first and most importantly you have to go to Chang Puak bus station. This is important as this is the far more obscure bus station. Most tourists will only know about Arcade Bus Station on the east side of town, however this one is just north of the town square and covers the more local trips. I've left a Google Maps link below because I'm sexy like that...
This is the main entrance of the station. It's very small so you won't get lost. Then shimmy your way to the middle and they'll have various little kiosks telling you which bus to become a stowaway on. Our stop was number six, and was going to a place called Fang and stopped off at Chiang Dao along the way. You then buy your ticket on the bus
When Do They Leave?
Every half an hour. I'm not sure when they stop running though, so I'm just going to pick a number out of the hat and say five...
How Much Was The Ticket?
A whopping 40 Baht, which works out as roughly $1.20, or £0.90
How long was the journey?
Between 90 minutes and two hours, depending on how motivated the driver is...
Tell me about the bus journey.
It's nothing special, but you are on a proper local Thai bus which is pretty cool to experience. They have loads of windows open so it's actually nice and cool as you drive along. There are fans spinning around on the bus as well for reasons that probably don't need to be explained...
Cool! And that's it?
No, you're dropped off into town and your best bet is to stay near the caves. It's a bit more touristy there (But not too much) and there's slightly more life there. There's also a bar called The Cave Bar that gave me a free drink in exchange for one of my books, so I'm happy to give them a name drop on here.
OK, So How Do You Get Up To The Better Side Of Town Then?
It's not too hard. There'll be touts offering rooms in the area with a lift there, or if you are feeling adventurous like I did, you can grab a song tao (a red truck, similar to the yellow trucks in the picture but, umm...it's red...) to take you to the cave for 150 Baht ($4.50, or ~£3) and from the caves most guesthouses are walking distance.
OK, and accommodation costs?
I stayed at a place called Ashi Guesthouse for 450 Baht a night (single room, communal bathroom down the hall) but there were other options; Chiang Dao Huts - which pretty much summarises what they are - were 400 Baht a night. If you are looking for somewhere nicer then there was a lovely little resort called Chiang Dao Nest. They have two locations very close to each other and the price starts at 950 Baht a night (roughly $30 or £20) and if you are looking for a relaxing getaway, then this is the recommended place
Anything else I need to know?
About Chiang Mai to Chiang Dao? No, not really. If you have any questions please let me know in the comments section. If not feel free to sing along to 'We Didn't Start The Fire' with Peter Griffin...