Thailand's tropical beaches are some of the prettiest sights we've ever laid our eyes on, but a last minute trip to the Doi Inthanon National Park in Chiang Mai unexpectedly redefined the word "beautiful" for us. Why we haven't taken a day trip to Doi Inthanon sooner is beyond us, but this exquisitely green side of nature was absolutely spectacular. So much so that dare we say it's now our favorite place we've ever visited in Thailand.
We're not the first people to regularly forgo vacationing in our own backyard. We know that Chiang Mai has plenty of interesting places to visit and things to do, so naturally we stick them in our back pockets and save the best for our visiting family and friends.
When Angela's college friends came to our side of the world and said they were going hiking up Doi Inthanon, the tallest mountain in Thailand, we thought, "Heck, why not go, too?"
Highlights of Our Day Trip to Doi Inthanon
We didn't have nearly enough time to go to all the recommended stops during our day trip to Doi Inthanon, but the areas of the park that we managed to see were AHHmazing!
We were also lucky the day was bright and sunny with big fluffy white clouds and clear robin egg blue skies. And even though Chiang Mai's cool season just started in December, Doi Inthanon's high altitude (nearly 2,600 meters) sports temperatures in the mid teens (mid 60s) much of the year, which was a welcomed change from the city heat below.
Giew Mae Pan Nature Trail
Do not miss this. If there is one place you have to go while in the Doi Inthanon National Park, it's the Giew Mae Pan Nature Trail.
At first we were hesitant to go because hiking the Giew Mae Pan Nature Trail requires a guide at a price of 200 baht per group. But we quickly warmed up to the man who led us, a local Hmong hill tribesman who undoubtedly cared for and respected the mountain. He was a very personable and humble guide and contributed fun facts and short stories about the trail and his people that really added a special touch to our trip. If we remember correctly, his name was Pong.
The first kilometer of the trail twists its way through a towering forest made of (surprisingly) tall oak species blanketed in a variety of moss. There weren't tropical coconut trees with a deep underbrush of ferns as we had expected. Then the trail opens up to a clearing of golden hills.
That second kilometer lead us along the mountain's ridge and experienced some of the most gorgeous skylines we have ever seen. Much of our photos captured rolling blue-green mountains and a kaleidoscope of green forests down in the valley below.
The last half of a kilometer took us back into the cool forest where we walked by several small waterfalls and over bridges that spanned crystal clear streams, all which eventually feed into Thailand's mighty Chao Phraya River.
This 2.5 km trail requires a moderate level of physical activity. It has a significant number of both gentle and steep stairs to climb and descend. Make sure you're in good health (with good knees!) and can withstand a moderate level of activity for 2+ hours.Royal Twin Pagodas
Our first glimpse of the Royal Twin Pagodas was actually while hiking the Giew Mae Pan Nature Trail. About two-thirds way through the trek the trail opens up to a clearing on a hillside just opposite of the Royal Twin Pagodas. What an incredible view!
We knew we were going there next and get a closer look at these immense structures.
These Royal Twin Pagodas, known as Naphamethinidon and Naphaphonphumisiri, are two Buddhist structures that contain important relics. The mirrored structures were built to honor Their Majesties The King and Queen of Thailand. We walked around some of the surrounding landscaped gardens and up the stairs of the pagodas for more mountain views.
Although the national park has an entrance fee of 300 baht per person, the Royal Twin Pagodas require their own entrance ticket at a price of 40 baht per person.The Summit: Highest Point in Thailand
We made a quick dash to the very top of the mountain, know as The Summit. There isn't much to see here aside from some interesting wooden trails that take you to a shrine that holds the ashes of King Inthanon (for whom the mountain is named.) It only requires a short walk from the parking lot to the sign. Of course we had to take a picture as proof of our visit!
Suriphum Waterfall
We had only an hour or so left before the sunset, but we still wanted to visit at least one of the many waterfalls on Doi Inthanon. We randomly chose Suriphum Waterfall and spent some time exploring the interesting gardens at its base before snapping a few shots of the falls.
It's actually an extremely tall waterfall and you can appreciate its height much more on the approaching drive. It's possible to hike up to near the top of the waterfall (a strenuous hike we may add) but there were no safety restrictions such as handrails to prevent us from tumbling into the waterfall. To be honest it was a little intimidating, especially with the approaching darkness.
Cost of Our Self Guided Trip
Although there are several tour companies in Chiang Mai that will arrange all transportation and meals, the four of us decided to rent a car and take a day trip to Doi Inthanon on our own. We spent 888 baht or about $25 USD per person for the entire day. The fee to the park is 300 baht per foreigner, even for those who have a Thai driver license. Otherwise, the fee for Thai adults is 50 baht per person.
It's worth mentioning that the regions of the park we explored were very well maintained. The Giew Mae Pan path was in excellent condition and alternated between quality concrete steps and packed dirt paths that progressed up and down through the forest. The roads up the mountain were free of potholes, too.
Get a car with at least 1.5L engine. We rented a Honda City (1.49L) and with the four of us and day packs (weighing about 600 lb or 275 kg total) we were using low gears to get up the hills a lot. If we had to do it over again, we'd get a more powerful vehicle.We Can't Wait to Go Back
Now that we're home and flipping through the pictures we took, we can't believe we've waited this long to go. No sooner had we gotten in the car to begin our drive home we were chatting about what we would do during our second visit.
In fact, we would suggest to others interested in visiting Doi Inthanon to go on a two-day trip instead of trying to fit everything into one day. There's just too much to see such as more waterfalls, a second nature trail, and an interesting cave. Luckily the park headquarters rents out camping gear to visitors but there is also the option to spend the night in a Thai style bungalow within the park.
Have you ever been to Doi Inthanon? If so, what was your favorite part?
Chris and Angela sold everything, paid off their debt, and ultimately figured a way out of the nine to five grind in the United States. Today they are living full time in Chiang Mai, Thailand, guiding and inspiring future expats towards amazing lives abroad! For more updates follow them on , , and . To see a full list of posts check out the .
