Have you ever tried wandering in a forest? Like taking an aimless journey where you're crossing bridges, witnessing beautiful waterfalls and (luckily) not getting eaten by wild animals? I have. With my family. And thank god there was a guide with us so we didn't end up crossing Thailand's borders & entering another country illegally. That'd make for an interesting blog post now that I think of it. Anyway, in this post I'll be discussing my experience trekking Doi Inthanon.
One of the best things to do if you're done exploring the amazing city of Chiang Mai is to take a Doi Inthanon National Park tour.
INTRODUCTION TO DOI INTHANON
The Doi Inthanon National Park is situated in the Chom Thong district of Chiang Mai. It surrounds Thailand's highest peak - Doi Inthanon (2,565m above sea-level). Here Doi means mountain in northern Thailand lingo and Inthanon is the name of the mountain.
Doi Inthanon National Park is one of the most famous National Parks in Thailand named after the mountain of Doi Inthanon. It's popular for it's trekking trails, waterfalls and pleasant temperatures (owing to the altitude).
During the New Year's, you can even witness frost at Doi Inthanon's summit. When the people of Chiang Mai crave an escape from the city heat, they generally opt for a Doi Inthanon tour.
DOI INTHANON - NATURE TRAILS
In Doi Inthanon National park, there are three main nature trails for trekking Doi Inthanon :
- Kew Mae Pan
- Ang Ka
- Pha Dok Siew (Mae Klang Luang)
My driver cum guide from Chiang Mai suggested me this trail as it is off the beaten path and has more scenic spots (like waterfalls) when compared to the other nature trails. The Pha Dok Siew nature trail ends at the Mae Klang Luang village so it's also called the Mae Klang Luang nature trail.
WEATHER IN DOI INTHANON - WHEN IS THE BEST TIME TO TREK?
Being situated at a high altitude, the weather in Doi Inthanon is generally a bit cooler than Chiang Mai city.
So, if you just want to take a Doi Inthanon day trip to watch the waterfalls in all their splendour, then visit during the rainy months ie. June-October.
As far as favourable trekking months are concerned,
- Kew Mae Pan nature trail is closed for the monsoon season from 1st June - 31st October. That's because things can get a bit risky near the mountain summit. So the best time (or the only time) to trek this trail is from 1st November-31st May.
- Pha Dok Siew or Mae Klang Luang nature trail is safe and can be done throughout the year (no tantrum trail!).
- Ang Ka nature trail is basically a 340m comfortable wooden boardwalk which can be done throughout the year as well (Pha Dok Siew high fives Ang Ka).
- So to summarize, if you want to avoid rainfall, then the best time for a Doi Inthanon trek is November-May. But, to be on the safer side, I'd advise you to check the Doi Inthanon weather forecast before you plan your trek.
HOW TO GET TO DOI INTHANON FROM CHIANG MAI
It takes an hour and a half to get to Doi Inthanon from Chiang Mai downtown and 2 hours from Chiang Mai city centre. The distance between the two places is approximately 105km.
There are many ways in which you can travel from Chiang Mai to Doi Inthanon but since you want to be flexible, save time and not do just the trek but various other places in the park, I suggest you to hire a private driver for yourself.
- From Chiang Mai, you can hire a private driver for the day paying around 3000 Baht. You get to travel in a private air-conditioned car. Note that this does not include tickets to the Doi Inthanon National Park and that they have to be booked/purchased separately. You can book your taxi by clicking here.
- If you want a private guided Doi Inthanon tour, then I have the best recommendation for you which I used myself. The tour includes visiting the 1) Mae Ya waterfall, 2) Wachirathan waterfall, 3) Doi Inthanon summit, 4) Mae Klang Luang village, 5) Twin Royal Pagodas, 6) Hmong Tribe market besides of course the 2 hour Doi Inthanon trek. It includes your lunch, water and entry fees everywhere and also provides you the best english speaking guide. You can book your private Doi Inthanon tour here.
- Other than that, there's another trustworthy company called Travel Hub that gives you the cheapest guided Doi Inthanon group tour which includes the same things offered in the private tour package that I'd recommended you. You can book your group Doi Inthanon tour here.
TREKKING DOI INTHANON - PHA DOK SIEW NATURE TRAIL
After having seen the famous Mae Ya waterfall and Wachirathan waterfall, we were to trek the Pha Dok Siew nature trail. Since my driver cum guide from Chiang Mai had specifically suggested this trail as it's off the beaten path, I was excited for this trek.
I was trekking with my family comprising of two darlings - my mum and my dad, both 50+ year old youngsters. They too were looking forward to the trek as it was only our second trek together as a family. We reached the entrance of the Pha Dok Siew nature trail at 12pm, all gung ho and charged up to explore the forests during the 2 hour trek.
We were greeted by this young smiling male guide with a backpack on his shoulders. His name was Bu and he'd been pre-arranged for us by our driver. Yeah just Bu. Interestingly Bu in Hindi language means odour. Bu belonged to the Karen hill tribe and was to lead the way for the trek.
By the way, it's compulsory to hire a local Karen hill tribe guide for the trek for safety reasons. Hiring the local guide generally costs 200 Baht.
It was a clear day with blue skies. The sun shone brightly over our heads. We were relieved as the heat wouldn't be a problem thanks to the forest cover being dense. We started our trek walking through the forest and exploring the flora around us.
Bu began talking about his village and the changing farming dynamics in it. He lived in a village called Mae Klang Luang which was also the end-point of our trek. He explained to us - how his village, which was once habituated to growing rice and opium, now grows rice and coffee. The other crops grown are mushroom, banana flower.
We spotted pine trees, chestnut trees and cinnamon trees along the way. He went ahead and cut the bark of the cinnamon tree to have us taste fresh raw cinnamon.
Then, he showed us a group of bamboo trees with holes in them. Bu told us that local tribesmen hunt for white grubs (ie. larvae of insects like beetle) inside the bamboo trees for food. I thanked god that he didn't give us a demo for this too. I was sure that I wouldn't be able to see a Thai Bear Grylls eating delectable protein-rich insects in front of my eyes.
We passed by a sheltered plantation with Chrysanthemum flowers being grown as part of the Doi Inthanon Royal Project. In this project, the villagers are encouraged by the government to cultivate flowers instead of poppy plants (opium). The government gives both - assistance and attractive incentives to the people to divert them from opium plantation.
Soon we reached what was the start of a series of waterfalls. The trail was downhill, steep and had us walking next to the waterfall. The water flow wasn't that aggressive so we sat beside the waterfall and chilled for a bit.
Walking further, we came across a river. The river was a picture of serenity and the trees on both sides of the river formed an attractive green tunnel.
A bamboo railed path had us walking downhill to reach the bamboo bridge.
It was a lovely sight from the bamboo bridge as we had the enthusiastic Pha Dok Siew waterfall gushing in all it's glory behind us, and a calm river leading to the Mae Klang Luang village ahead of us.
Passing a clump of banyan trees, we walked on a narrow muddy path which had a blue pipeline running parallel to it. Bu explained to us that the pipeline carried water to irrigate the paddy and strawberry fields that we were about to witness. As we were walking, we could see bamboo home stays from a distance signalling the end of the forest stretch of the trail.
We exited the forest only to be welcomed by a stunning visual of organized terrace farms cut into the hillside for cultivation of rice. The terraces, surrounded by lush green hills on either side, made for an alluring sight.
Bu told us that the Mae Klang Luang village had a rice bank. A food grain bank that worked like a normal bank. Here the villagers deposited rice instead of money into the rice bank, which was managed by the tribe heads.
People could borrow rice in the form of a rice loan whenever they needed it - be it for eating or for cultivating crops. But at the end of the loan period they had to return the borrowed rice plus some extra rice as interest to the rice bank.
Rice loans cost the villagers much less in interest as compared to borrowing money loans from outside banks. This way the flow of rice is maintained and any profits made are distributed among the villagers.
I was enthralled listening to Bu as he explained the ways of life in the Mae Klang Luang village. Imagine a world running like this. I'd already devised a plan in my head to run pizza banks in my country. Before I could enjoy the idea any further, My daydream of a Pizza bank was interrupted by Bu pointing towards the strawberry fields.
The strawberry fields were covered by grey plastic sheets. This was done in order to protect the strawberries from excess heat and to nurture them.
A thing that fascinated me was that the villagers planted onions on either side of each row of strawberry plants. This was done so that onions diverted the insects which would have otherwise eaten the strawberries.
We passed by a pleasant looking flowery trail consisting of Nuttall's sunflower - Helianthus nuttallii, followed by the Arabica coffee fields where villagers cultivated coffee instead of poppy as part of the Doi Inthanon Royal Project.
The Doi Inthanon trek came to an end as we walked past the farms and into the Mae Klang Luang village which strangely had pigs tied to the huts. Bu told us that the pigs served as "watchdogs" and made noise if they saw a stranger approach the hut.
Strolling past an elderly woman (from the Karen tribe) who was sitting patiently and making shawls in a small store, we assembled in a hut for a coffee break.
The locals made us some freshly brewed Arabica coffee and I was thrilled to bits after having just the first sip. The coffee had a unique smell and a deliciously strong taste. Or maybe it was just the exhaustion from the trek that made it taste so bloody good.
To my surprise, Bu told us that the coffee farmers sent their coffee beans to Starbucks outlets in the city. Being a coffee addict, I didn't miss the opportunity to carry some coffee home with me. A small packet of Arabica coffee costs 100 Baht and a big packet costs 200 Baht.
So with that solid kick of caffeine and a Nuttall's sunflower (which I'd plucked along the way wink wink), we bid goodbye to Bu and the charming village of Mae Klang Luang.
IMPORTANT TIPS BEFORE TAKING A DOI INTHANON NATIONAL PARK TOUR
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- Start as early as possible. The earlier you arrive at the National Park, the more things you can do and explore there. The park opens at 5:30 am and shuts at 6:30pm.
- Doi Inthanon National Park entrance fee (as of November, 2018) is 300 Baht for foreign visitors and 30 Baht for the vehicle. It's free for Thailand citizens though. Keep your National Park tickets at all times with you as you'll have to produce them at various checkpoints.
- You won't find many places to eat in the park so if you're coming early, I'd advise you to have a heavy breakfast and pack some snacks and water with you.
- Carry a mosquito repellent/bug spray with you as the forest area has a tendency to give you love bites.
- There are enough bathrooms in the park so don't fret over your weak bladder.
- As the park is situated at a high altitude, the weather is chilly and generally around 15°C-20°C normally. During winter months the temperature ranges from 4°C-10°C and even drops to 0°C. So wear long pants and carry a warm waterproof jacket with you. If you're visiting during the rainy season, carry an umbrella or a good raincoat along with a waterproof bag and camera cover.
- Wear proper trekking shoes (preferably waterproof) with a good grip as the trekking trails can get steep and slippery and you never know when rain decides to pay you a visit.
- Though swimming isn't exactly an option at most of the waterfalls in the park, carry a swimsuit/swimming trunk with you just in case you decide to take a dip.
- The forests are dense and the sun isn't very harsh so chances of a sunburn are next to nil but if you get sunburnt easily, then I'd suggest an effective sunburn lotion that contains aloe vera.
DOI INTHANON HOTELS - WHERE TO STAY?
Some of the best Doi Inthanon accommodations for you to stay are :
1) Doi Inthanon View Resort -
- One of the best properties in Chom Thong district, this Doi Inthanon resort is ideal for a 2 person stay.
- It has an Asian restaurant, terrace, some great garden views, 24 hour frontdesk & modern rooms with all the amenities you'd expect.
- It also has a sumptuous breakfast that offers Continental & Buffet options.
- The property's extremely clean and the staff is friendly.
- The area is suitable for cycling and the resort provides you free bicycles for cycling in Doi Inthanon.
- It has an excellent location. The resort is just 0.5km away from the Doi Inthanon National Park entrance, 0.5km away from Mae Klang waterfall and 4km away from Mae Ya waterfall.
- If you need to buy grocery, then there's a 7-Eleven store just 4km away from the resort.
2) Inthanon Hostel
- This is the best value budget backpacker accommodation in Doi Inthanon with the cheapest option available from 6 USD.
- It offers free Wi fi and all rooms have a kitchenette and a shared bathroom.
- It provides a coffee maker, fan, an oven, refrigerator, slippers, towels, free toiletries, hairdryer and an outdoor dining area. Room with air-conditioning comes at a slightly higher charge.
- It has a very good location as it's 0.5km from Mae Klang river, 0.6 km from Wat Phra That Si Chom Thong temple, 7km from Doi Inthanon National Park, 7km from Ping river and 13km from Mae Ya waterfall.
- The owners of the hostel are kind, warm and welcoming. They make you feel at home.
- They even offer cooking classes if you request for them. Breakfast is good and do try their stone oven Pizzas.
- For grocery, you can go to a 7-Eleven store which is just 0.5km away.
CONCLUSION
That brings me to the end of my comprehensive guide to trekking Doi Inthanon - Pha Dok Siew nature trail. If you require any other information or have a doubt, then you can ask me in the comments. I'll be happy to help you.
I recommend you to take a Doi Inthanon day trip from Chiang Mai if you have time on your hands. It's well worth your time and money. The trek in particular can be done by anybody. Just go slow and follow your guide. The trail can get steep in certain areas so appropriate shoes will come in handy.
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