Chiang Mai & Chiang Rai, Thailand

CHIANG DAO

An easy day trip for some spectacular caves.

DOI ANG KHANG

A scenic area also known as Little Switzerland. Best visited  with your own transport, if the weather is good this is a great area for a picnic. Located 20 km south of Fang.

DOI SUTHEP-PUI NATIONAL PARK

This National Park was declared in 1981 but it is fighting to survive in the face of increasing urban sprawl from Chiang Mai, the continuing presence of hundreds of hilltribe families living within the its boundaries, and the encroachment of luxury holiday retreats. Luckily, a residents action group has sprung up in Chiang Mai in defense of the park and, hopefully over time, some of the damage will be allowed the breathing space it needs in order to repair itself.

Not all the blame for the degradation of the park lies in the hands of greedy developers. Continuing activities of the hilltribe villages and their slash and burn agriculture continue to devastate the park. The network of roads through the park continues to increase into previously untouched areas making it easier to reach both for poachers and illegal collectors of plant life.

The park is still very nice to visit and is a veritable treasure trove of plant species. Almost 2,000 different varieties of flowering plants and ferns have been recorded, some set around quite scenic waterfalls. Although the vast majority of the animals have been tracked , trapped and tucked into, there is still a wide variety of birdlife which would keep most bird spotters more than content and there are hundreds of both butterfly and moth species in the park.

There are two main trails which can be walked   including one to the peak of Doi Palace and the scenic Khonthathan Waterfall. None of the walks are particularly strenuous and certainly beat driving around for atmosphere.   The entrance to the National Park is by the temple car park. If you can handle some extra steps, the entrance to the National Park Headquarters is on your left, a 10 minute walk up. There is an interesting photo and poster display on the reforestation program at Doi Suthep at the seedling nursery-worth a visit for getting  a perspective on destruction of natural resources and the hard work involved in reforestation.


WAT PHRA THAT DOI SUTHEP

For many this is a highlight of any visit to Chiang Mai. On a clear day, the views of Chiang Mai and its surrounds are unsurpassed. On the same clear day the gleaming golden chedi at Wat Phra That Doi Suthep can be seen from downtown Chiang Mai. Originally built in 1383 the wat has gone through a number of facelifts and extensions to reach its present state. The story behind the construction goes along the lines that the site of the temple was chosen in the late 14th Century as a storage place for local holy bits'n'pieces. All the goodies were placed on the back of a white elephant and they waited to see where the elephant went. After lumbering up the hill, the elephant reached the present site, jumped around in a circle three times, trumpeted and sat down. This was taken as a good indication of where to build a temple. Mmm...

It around 300 steps to the wat from where you leave the road and the walk is not too strenuous. However if you are really struggling, catch the cable car. Ring the bells to bring yourself good fortune. Strict dress regulation apply if you want to get inside the wat-long sleeves and long pants. Accessories are available for people who are not respectable enough.

PHU PHING PLACE

Around 5 km past the wat is the winter retreat for the royal family. Although the palace itself is off limits, lovely gardens are open to the public which you can wander through at your leisure. Again, you need to dress modestly, otherwise you can rent some pants for Bt10 Songtheaws will charge another   Bt20 each way from the wat.

HMONG HILLTRIBE VILLAGE

Another 3 km past the palace is this well tourist village. It is worth visiting to see the destructive impact of over tourism on a fragile culture. At times visitors outnumber the locals. There are some bargains on the hilltribe wares.  To get there it costs another Bt20 by songtheaw each way from the palace. With the other sites, it makes a return trip fare to Chiang Mai cost an outrageous Bt130, therefore the hiring of a motorbike (Bt100) becomes a reasonable alternative.

BAW SANG AND SAN KAMPHAENG

Baw Sang is also known as the umbrella village due to the fact that the entire street is lined with umbrella factories and retailers. Some stores offer good bargains, but shop around as quality varies tremendously. A big hit with package tours, you may have to fight your way through rude farangs at times. Tuk Tuk drivers will offer to take you there because they get a free tank of gas (and commission) from the stores for taking you as a potential customer. It is around 9 km east on Route 106 from Chiang Mai and a bus costs Bt5. San Kamphaeng is the big aea for cotton and silk. All the above rules also apply here, but there is also a discount for quantity.

MAE SA VALLEY

This village is a popular tourist destination, reached via Route 107 north of Chaing Mai. Just head up Route 107 for around 17 km, turn left and follow the signs. Elephant shows, feeding and rides are the highlights here with Mae Sa Elephant Training Centre getting the best reviews. The morning show starts at 9.30 am and costs Bt40, after which short rides to 'Jungle trips' ranging in price from Bt50 to Bt250 are available. They are situated nearby to Namtok Mae Sa and only 10 km from the 107 turn-off at Mae Rim. Namtok Mae Sa is a ten tiered waterfall and is actually in Doi Suthep-Pui National Park. To get to Mae Rim from Chiang Mai costs Bt6.

SAMOENG LOOP

This circuit trip is very popular for those wanting full day trips on a motorcycle from Chiang Mai. Best described in David Unkovich's handbook, The Mae Hong Son Loop, the trip is a combination of exhilarating motorcycling, some interesting sights, waterfalls and hilltribe villages. The basic route heads south from Chiang Mai to the junction with Route 1269 which you can then follow to Samoeng then head down Route 1069 to Mae Rim before turning south and returning to Chiang Mai. We suggest that anyone planning this trip pick up a copy of David Unkovich's book (available in Chiang Mai).

DOI INTHANON NATIONAL PARK

This National Park is home to Thailand's highest peak, Doi Inthannon Mountain, which climbs 2,595 m and offers superb views as well as stunning waterfalls and entertaining birdwatching. The park is best visited between November and February, but remember the high mountain air can get quite chilly at any time, and it is advised you take a pullover. There are three main waterfalls which can be fairly easily visited, Mae Klang, Wachiratan and Siriphum. Namtok Mae Klang is the largest of the three and the easiest to visit and with picnic and swimming possibilities it is a pleasant place to rest up. The next fall, Namtok Wachiratan, is nearly 21 km en-route to the top, and is supposedly the most powerful of the three but not as big as Mae Klang. Last but not least is Namtok Siriphum with a clear and serene fall, though hardly close to Niagara. It is probably the least visited of the three and the route takes you past a number of hilltribe settlements.

Last stop before the summit is Napamaytanidol Chedi which was built in 1989 to celebrate the King's 60th birthday. It is a very modern looking wat, worth a visit for some thing a bit different from the average wat. At the summit a large radar station mars the otherwise spectacular view. It is worth the ride up.

KOK RIVER TRIP

The boat leaves at 12.30 pm and is a bit of a tourist trap (expect the only Thai person on board to be the driver), but still worth doing for the brilliant scenery and for a free shower board to be the driver), but still worth doing for the brilliant scenery and for a free shower from the spray. The boat passes by a number of hilltribe villages -all of which sell Pepsi or Coke, and you can get off at any of these and stay if you so desire. These hilltribe villages are well used to farangs, but you can use them as a base for visiting other outlying villages. Two of the most popular villages to use as a base are Mae Salak (Lahu) and Ban Ruamit (Karen). The fare from Tha Ton to Chiang Rai is Bt160 per person, Bt170 in the other direction, and the ride takes about four hours.

TREKKING AND RAFTING TRIPS

All of the guesthouses in Tha Ton can organize combined rafting and trekking trips for all budgets and time spans (between one and seven days). The cost is fairly reasonable. One day trips start at Bt400 to Bt500 per person, and three day trips cost around Bt1,000 to Bt1200 per person. The kiosk in front of Chan Kasem Restaurant has a good display of photos taken on the trips which they run.

FANG

Fang was founded by King Mangrai in the 13th Century as a trading centre. The original settement is believed to predate this establishment by a further few hundred years. Today, Fang is little more than a place on a map that people pass en-route to Tha Ton, though it can be used as a trekking base or as a base from which to visit a couple of nearby sites including Doi Fang National Park and a selection of hilltribe villages.

HOT SPRINGS

Located around 11 km west of Fang by the entrance to Mae Doi Fang National Park (see below) are a system of hot springs which are well worth visiting if you are in the vicinity. Wooden huts have been constructed over two of the hottest springs to create a couple of natural saunas. You may of come out smelling too sweet and your silverware may be black for a few days, but they are free and good fun, so take a towel with you. There is one for men and one for women. The area is also a very popular place for picnics, with plenty of food and drink stalls and regular songtheaws (during the weekend at least) from Fang. Ask for baw naan rawn.

MAE DOI FANG NATIONAL PARK

This park contains some fairly high mountains of over 2,000 m, great jungle hikes, waterfalls and several hilltribe villages. There are plenty of rarely visited hilltribe villages to the north and the west of Fang which are easily accessible. They can be reached by hiring motorbike, by encoring in the hotels about various songtheaws, hitching there or paying for a motorbike taxi. A couple of the taxi drivers in Farng speak very good English and can often be found hanging around at the Wiang Kaew Hotel. They propose tours to the National Park, the hot springs and a couple of villages (including either the Black Lahu, Chinese Muslim, Akha or Palang) for around Bt250 per day (if you cannot find them, and they do not find you, ask the hotel manager). These tours get very good reviews.

The Palang are very recent arrivals in Thailand from Burma and there are at least three villages in the Fang area. The whole community is very grateful to be there after escaping persecution in Burma and are therefore a lot more open and friendly than many other local tribes. The Palang are easily recognizable by their very brightly coloured clothes, plentiful silver jewelry and spectacular belts. Since their arrival, the Palang have been encouraged by the Thai government to grow a wide range of fruit crops as well as the traditional rice, corn, beans (and poppies). The Palang villages have small wats where Thai government loudspeakers try to entice them to become Buddhists, but the Palang do not understand much Thai and so the monks there get pretty bored. Both their culture and language are unique though perhaps distantly related to the Karen ethnic group. Anyhow, they are very friendly and will willingly put people up for the night for a few baht.

THAM CHIANG DAO

This huge cave complex is a must see for your tour of North Thailand. The caves are partially lit and can be wandered through at your leisure or with a lantern equipped guide. The latter is a better choice as not all the caverns are lit.

One  of the caves which is open to the public is Tham Maa which extends for over 6 km into the mountain. You will need a guide for this one as it is not lit. A more accessible cavern/tunnel is Tham Phra Nawn which is lit for all of its 300 m. Guides are mostly available on weekends. All the caves are marked and signpost and tracks often make the going fairly easy. Admission is Bt5 for the whole cave system.

The caves are located just over half way from Fang to Chiang Mai (72 km north of Chiang Mai, and around 90 km south of Fang), and 6 km west of the main road (Route 107). To get there take a bus from Chiang Mai or Fang/Tha Ton to the town of Chiang Mai costs Bt20 and takes 1 hour. Travel agents in Chiang Mai also arrange day trips to the caves. The caves close to the public at around 4.30 p.m.

TAENG DAO ELEPHANT TRAINING CENTRE

Located 56 km north of Chiang Mai, this centre puts on elephant shows for tourists in the morning. If you missed the show in Lampang Province, check out this one.

We read a recommendation about a restaurant called Once Upon a Time, that is located at the River Ping Palace hotel. This was terrific and we would definitely recommend it! It is a little out of the way and it took a couple tuk-tuk drivers to figure out how to get there, but it was definitely worth the extra effort. We went there twice, taking friends the second time. Each time, we were the only people in the whole restaurant that sat right on the river. It was very romantic, and extremely affordable. Their English skills suffer, but through charades we had great time ordering some of the best Thai food we've ever had! We highly recommend the appetizer of minced prawns with lemon grass, served with a coconut sauce. YUM. Also, their curry/coconut milk sea food stir fry was inspiring. I can't say enough about this place.

As a word of warning, we learned from a trusted citizen of Chiang Mai that there is some shady business practices that go on with the tailoring (& jewelry) industry there. Be wary of any "locals" or other Asian tourists that pose as individuals who are also buying tailored goods, and who recommend particular shops and are willing to send you there. They are paid by the shop owners and receive a large commission for targeting you. We unfortunately were had on this one before we found out the system, but believe me we weren't the only ones!

We met countless tourists that had the same experience but still don't know that they were had. We found out too late that we had paid at least $75 too much on a suit. Just make sure that you do your own shopping around, and don't a commit to a single shop until you know what you want. Also, haggling is free game even in these stores. Hope you can benefit from our stupidity. Next time we go back, we'll handle it much differently.


We went on the elephant safari (be careful the Bangkok airport Thai airways group said they were the cheapest offering this - not so it was cheaper in Changmai get the local Changmai booklet at the airport or should be in your hotel. The tours of the handicraft villages is a complete rip off - you can buy all the staff much, much cheaper in the night markets.

Jewellery is cheaper in Changmai too - overall we found this to be the cheapest place to buy handicrafts much cheaper then Phuket and Malaysia. We spent a great 4 days here with a family of two adults and three children under 14.

skyline

Originally posted by zaza88 at 18-8-2006 03:18 PM


elok gi tu tipin... i baru aje balik dari chiangmai ni... best....

zaza.. tak mo citer detail ke pegi sana?

citer shima dah detail, tapi nak tau byk lagi kot2 ada cerita baru ..

duduk hotel mana?

Buses provided by the municipality to serve in Chiang Mai as a public

shimakichi

Shima mintak kat ejen travel kami yg sempat snap gambar ni...Shima tak sempat becoz terrr
Pause n hanya geleng kepala jer!! (pasal tu lambat post kat sini)

plastic_flower

i'm going to chiang mai this coming 14th, i mmg ade sedare mare kat sane coz my mum mmg org sane, takk sabarrnyaa nakk giii, org sane tak makan nasi, derang makan pulut, tapi not bad gak makanan derang

skyline

Originally posted by plastic_flower at 3-1-2007 09:55 AM
i'm going to chiang mai this coming 14th, i mmg ade sedare mare kat sane coz my mum mmg org sane, takk sabarrnyaa nakk giii, org sane tak makan nasi, derang makan pulut, tapi not bad gak makanan de ...

pegi sana lama ke?

Bet this is not your first time??

cassiopeia

humm..cassio pegi Thailand ngan family about few weeks ago..(for 10 days)
paling best tentu la kalo ikut package tour..
tapi cassio ikut package tour hanya sehari je..

ok...panjang nak cite ni... fuh..

dari umah kami ke hatyai..
kalau di hatyai, ckp bahasa melayu pon byk org faham..(not all ok?)
pastu sebab dah malam kami bermalam kat hotel.
pagi esoknye, kami naik bas dari hatyai ke bangkok..
my father ingat bas yg kami akan naik tu bas besar..rupenye bas yang dimaksudkan adalah VAN.. :geram:  (dorang ni cakap tak serupa bikin)
bayangla bape sakit badan dok dalam van yg sempit cam tin sardin with pelancong lain..
macam2 bangsa ade...thais, filipina, org eropah, chinese, indians and malays of course!
bayangla semuanya duduk lam van tu ngan beg2 besar bersebelahan..
nak gerak kaki pon takleh! dari 9am to 8-9pm!
diaorang akan stop for lunch, etc...tapi bukannye kami leh makan coz restoran tu dah sah2 hidang babi..(siap ade gamba lagi..eww)
so terpaksa la beli air ke, keropok ke yg ade jual kat situ..
sesampainye kat stesen bas besar di bangkok, satu badan dah lenguh..huhu..
my father cadang nak naik bas lain... trus pegi ke chiangmai..
tapi my mom plak kata dia penat sgt dah..
so kami pun tido satu malam di bangkok..

--------

besok paginye kami pegi terus ke chiangmai naik bas..
sib baik kali ni bas yg dimaksudkan adalah mmg BAS... haha  :lol



err..alamak..i must stop now..brb

skyline

OK.. jgn lupa sambung citer kat chiang mai tauuu..

plastic_flower

Originally posted by skyline at 3-1-2007 11:51 AM


pegi sana lama ke?

Bet this is not your first time??

i gi sampai 25th, actually dah byk kali pergi, tapi dah lama tak pergi

cassiopeia

helo skyline..ni nak sambung la ni..

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

10/12/2006 - [Bangkok - ChiangMai]

kami naik bas dari bangkok..tak ingat plak kol bape tapi waktu pagi..then sampai kat stesen bas di chiangmai waktu malam..bas tu mmg best..selesa..layanan dorang pon mesra je..
sampai je kat sana, cassio call my Thai friends...kenal dari internet..hehe
dorang kata takbleh jumpa malam tu coz dorang tinggal kat Lamphun..jauh..
cassio ingatkan dekat ngan chiangmai..huhu...
so kami pun pegi la carik hotel..kami stay kat Suriwongse Hotel..
sebab dekat betul ngan Night Bazaar. Bukak tingkap bilik je dah bingit ngan suara orang, tambah2 lagi hari tu ade konsert kecil promote chiangmai..sesak yg amat, so cassio tgk la sape perform..rupenya Carabao! patut la byk org kat situ..

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carabao_(band)

kami pegi makan kat Night Bazaar..adela jual kebab..pastu jumpa byk betol org Malaysia so my father sembang jap..
cassio ngan adik-beradik pun pegi la jenjalan..yg lawaknya org kat situ ingat cassio ni org Thai.. (tapi, cassio ade la darah Thai belah grandmother) so bila cassio nak beli pape je pening nak jawab....try ckp dlm english..dia jawab lam Thai balik..huhu..tak paham2 bahasa dorang ni...last2 cakap la... "I'm Malaysian!" pastu barula ok.. dia pon jawab la..
"you face...Thai..look Thai" ... wakakakak.... :lol      bantai je la english kat sini...campor bahasa Thai.. :gila:
then balik hotel coz penat..hehe..bosan tol ek perjalanan cassio?

____________________________________________________________________________________

11/12/2006 - [Chiangmai]

the next day, kami check out hotel ...
pegi hotel yg tak jauh dari situ...Travellers Inn..
bukan ape..my dad ckp kat situ murah sikit..
kami nak bajet duit la katakan..
after that, satu hari kami kat chiangmai..pegi memacam kedai..
tetiba cassio teringat pasal 'ROYAL FLORA RATCHAPHRUEK 2006' (1 November 2006

skyline

best. best..

boleh bagitau (or PM je) ejen ke golden triangle tak?  ko bermalam tak kat chiang rai? kat maner?

ANd hotel travellers inn tu bape semalam?  dekat ngan night market tak?

Aku tgk tenet, international hotel YMCA cuma rm 58 semalam - tgk gambar nampak cam cantik je.. tapi location tatau dekat or jauh fr pasar malam.

TQ!

cassiopeia

Originally posted by skyline at 4-1-2007 01:18 AM
best. best..

boleh bagitau (or PM je) ejen ke golden triangle tak?  ko bermalam tak kat chiang rai? kat maner?

ANd hotel travellers inn tu bape semalam?  dekat ngan night market tak?

Aku t ...

oh..pasal ejen tu, mmg kalo skyline sampai kat sana je, ade la byk tempat..or dorang panggil..booth?
i dunno.. ^^;;  tapi mmg akan ade nye...
bygla..sepanjang street cassio lalu ade lam 10 'kedai' camni..i think it's called booth right?
adoi..teruk la cassio ni..hehe..
tapi kalo nak gak ejen cassio tu, my dad ade lagi simpan no dorang..nanti cassio tanye esok...

pasal harge hotel lak, i'm truly sorry..i really don't remember..
tapi yg pasti mak ayah cassio masti ingat.. ^^;;
nanti besok cassio tanye dorang dan kasi tau skyline ok?
maklumla, budak2 cam cassio ni, tau jalan2 je... :nyorok:
yg pastinya...mmg hotel travellers Inn dekat jugak ngan Night Bazaar..
dalam 5 minit je jalan.. ^^
kalo hotel Suriwongse, depan2 dia dah mmg Night Bazaar!

http://www.virtualtourist.com/ho ... uriwongse-BR-1.html
http://www.travelfish.org/accomm ... mai/all/510/1?ord=0
^ hotel Suriwongse dan Travellers inn... ade harga kat situ..nanti cassio confirmkan kalo betol2 harga tu sama ngan harga masa cassio stay ari tu.

kami pergi chiangrai, tapi tak bermalam kat sana coz kami amik 1 day tour..
nanti cite tu cassio sambung esok with details yg skyline nak, ok?
sorry again/  but anyway, bape minggu lagi my mom and dad nak pegi sana lagi..
borong barang2 mcm jed..etc... :lol
skyline bile nak pegi?

-------

OK...skyline...cassio dah tanye...
yg cassio stay 2 hotel je..

RM40-RM50   *1 bilik    Travellers Inn  (satu malam)
RM200+ *1 bilik   Suriwongse (satu malam)   

byk hotel dekat ngan Night Bazaar..
kalo sesape ade soklan lagi, tanyela ye?
i will try to help u guys! :hatdown:

oh ya...ni website yg mmg byk info ttg chiangrai..
http://www.chiangraiprovince.com/

[ Last edited by  cassiopeia at 4-1-2007 02:06 PM ]

Originally posted by cassiopeia at 4-1-2007 01:28 AM


oh..pasal ejen tu, mmg kalo skyline sampai kat sana je, ade la byk tempat..or dorang panggil..booth?
i dunno.. ^^;;  tapi mmg akan ade nye...
bygla..sepanjang street cassio lalu ade lam 10 'k ...

thanks for the report

i'm a chiang mai fan too.

i suka makan kat anusarn market

lepas tu urut kaki kat roadside

cassiopeia

Originally posted by matz_rockz at 4-1-2007 10:41 AM



thanks for the report

i'm a chiang mai fan too.

i suka makan kat anusarn market

lepas tu urut kaki kat roadside

hai.. :tq:
i love chiangmai so much..

bangkok...tak bape menarik sgt..
maybe coz cassio tak pegi tour around bangkok..
cuma pegi bape tempat je.. ^^;;

tak penah try urut kaki..
my parents 3 kali! hehe/  :jeling: