DAY 2 (30th December 2022) – Doi Inthanon National Park
The twin chedis, or pagodas, of the Doi Inthanon National Park are famous landmarks in Chiangmai, and a must-see. The park is located approximately 2 hours outside of the city to the southwest, and is named after one of the last kings of Chiangmai, King Inthawichayanon. The park contains at least seven very easily accessible waterfalls, some just short hikes off the main road and several hiking trails.
This area, with its lofty peaks and mountainous terrain, is actually at the eastern tail end of the Himalaya Mountain range. It’s no wonder then that this area is known as the Roof of Thailand. Since the elevation in this area is more than 2000m above sea level, the weather was perfectly cool for hikes and walks. November to February are the drier months, hence suitable for outdoor adventures.
We wanted an early start, and our van driver arrived on time at 7:00am to bring us there. He also gave us some tips on which of the seven waterfalls to focus on, i.e. the more spectacular ones.
Wachirathan Waterfall
While it is possible to make it to the park by public transport (will take 2.5 to 3 hours), the park itself is very vast, making it difficult to visit the key spots merely by walking/hiking, unless you are prepared to stay a few days here (Bro Ray: Not a bad idea, actually). There was a small fee to be paid for the van and for foreigners at the entrance to the park. Since this place is popular among the Thai holidaymakers from Bangkok, it was no surprise to see the park crowded on the holiday season.
The first stop was Wachirathan Waterfall, right next to the visitor centre. It wasn’t a tall waterfall by any means, but the general area was soothing and calming, just nice to get us into the mood of the day ahead. The roaring sounds of the waterfall together with a perfect rainbow formed by the spray was very welcoming, as we began to stretch our legs after the long van ride.
Kew Mae Pan Nature Trail
Next up, the nature trail. There is a parking lot just beside the trail head, and there are various stalls selling local Thai food, and in this cool weather, we kinda got hungry pretty fast. A quick snack, and then we headed off into the woods. The hike was gentle and easy to walk, just beware of the tree roots along the path in some places.
Some parts of the trail were properly constructed with wooden platforms and stairs for ease of walking, particularly at the steeper areas. Once we reached the top, and after taking some photographs, three of us (GMF, GC and me) continued on the circuit route while the rest turned around and walked back the way we came.
The trail around the circuit route was not hard to walk, perhaps a little longer than if we had turned back. But I was pretty glad we took longer route, because somewhere along the trail, we actually came to a clearing from which we could see the two chedis at a distance. A small reward for the brave and adventurous!
The King’s and the Queen’s Chedis
We met back at the parking lot near the trail head, and then our van took us to the Two Chedis, known as the King’s Chedi (the slightly taller and darker-hued one) and the Queen’s Chedi. Both were built and gifted to Thailand’s beloved late King Bhumipol and Queen Sirikit by the Royal Thai Air Force for their 60th birthdays in 1987 and 1992. The official name for the King’s Chedi is Phra Mahathat Chedi Nophamethanidol and for the Queen’s Chedi is Phra Mahathat Chedi Noppholbhumsiri.
The two chedis were built on two separate hills, and to get to the chedis, you have the option of walking the few flights of stairs (probably a total of 150 steps, I could be wrong) or taking the covered escalator. But before taking on the stairs, we first walked around the King’s Garden, where there were many well-manicured lawns and all kinds of beautiful bright-coloured flowers.
There was a bridge built over a manmade lake, which, from one part of the garden, you could capture a beautiful photograph with the chedis in the background.
Now We Know
You would notice that ZC was wearing a sarong, which is a kind of tubular skirt or long-length fabric usually with colourful patterns, when she was at the grounds of the chedi. She was wearing short pants before this, and for a lady to have her bare legs exposed would be deemed disrespectful, since the chedi is technically a temple for conducting Buddhist prayers and rituals. It is important, naturally, to respect the customs and rules of the host country as we explore and adventure in their lands.
Soon thereafter, it was time to brave the long climb up the steps to the King’s and Queen’s Chedis (Bro Ray: my mom made it all the way up without any problems, so, everyone should be able to as well!). We chose to go up to the King’s Chedi first, though at that time, we didn’t know any better.
When we walked back down, Mom, GMF and REF decided that they’ve had too much walking and decided to just wait for us. We walked up to the Queen’s Chedi thereafter for a quick look around. We did not take any photos of the statues in the interior of the chedis out of respect.
The Rest of the Doi Inthanon Park
A short drive away, we came to the highest point in Thailand – you will know when you get there. There is a huge wooden signboard, unabashedly announcing the fact. And just a stone’s throw away, the trail head for a short nature trail named Ang Ka Nature Trail. The walk was mostly on raised wooden platforms, and you can see the lichen-covered trees. I went alone as the others were too tired to walk any more.
I saw something amazing – this group of nature photographers quietly seated on stools near an old well, pointing their expensive cameras on a patch of muddy ground, no bigger than the size of a ping pong table. One of them got up and walked some distance away for a quick ciggie, and I caught up with him to try to understand what was going on. He told me that at a certain time of the evening, a blue-coloured bird would venture out from the undergrowth to look for food from that muddy patch. I can’t remember if he said it was a flightless bird species, but it did seem pretty odd that three full grown adults would sit around a whole afternoon just for a shot. But, what would I know….
It was already quite late in the evening – our driver took us to a small village, overlooking the Siriphum Waterfall, cascading down the opposite slope of the valley. The entire area is well-terraced for farming purposes, with some greenhouses dotting the landscape. We chanced upon the Inn Lhaikhow Café (or อินท์ไหล่เขา), which gave us a perfect view of the waterfall. What a way to end our day here at the Doi Inthanon National Park, sipping our hot lattes on the balcony while the sun set in the distance. (Bro Ray: the café is located along Route 1284 and if your driver goes too fast, you’d miss it!)
Note: It is possible to hike up to Siriphum Waterfall, but due to the lack of time, we didn’t go there. And we also missed the 5 other waterfalls.
The rest of the day was spent in the van making our way back to downtown Chiangmai.
Summary of Day 2
We spent the entire day at this park, and truth be told, visiting all the waterfalls alone would’ve taken more than 2 days. Hence, one day is not enough to really soak in the atmosphere and enjoy the wonders of nature here at the Doi Inthanon National Park. There are many hotels, homestays and AirBnbs here, so, staying a night or two in the cool environs of Doi Inthanon could be an option.
