One Day in Doi Inthanon Park
My review for the One Day in Doi Inthanon Park is specifically with Chiang Mai Local Tours. I saw a similar tour on Viator.com, however, it was much more expensive. As much as I love Viator and recommend them for my clients, sometimes they don’t always have the best price. You are paying for great service, and a reputable brand. Price was 2500 Thai Baht which currently is $72.15 USD. It included round trip transportation, local guide, and lunch.
This 1 day trekking tour will introduce you to one of Thailand’s most famous attractions and a must-visit place in Chiang Mai that is Doi Inthanon National Park (Thailand’s highest mountain of over 2,565 meters above sea level). This national park is famous for its natural beauty and of course the gorgeous landscapes.
So, let’s talk about what One Day in Doi Inthanon Park is like:
Morning
7:00a – 7:30a -Pick up from hotel.
9:30a – After Driving approximately 2 hours to the highest peak of Thailand. Enjoy the view at the summit. Trek approximately 2 hours in the beautiful trail, along the way you will find incredible views of the forest.
I believe in the phrase “Pics or It Didn’t Happen.” So here is proof for you guys. I made it to the highest spot in Thailand
March seemed to be summer for Thai students, so we had the pleasure of witnessing ‘Take Your Kid to Work Day.’ How cute is he with his binoculars?
Afternoon
11:30a – After our trek, we visited the beautiful architecture of Nopamaytanidol Chidi and Phra Mahatat Nopaphon Bhumisiri which was built to honor the 60th Birthday of King Bhumipol and Queen Sirikit. This site was surely something to see. Beautifully landscaped gardens, Monks walking around. It was so cool to see how modern they are, taking selfies with their camera phones.
The monkhood also known as ‘Sangha‘ brings merit and honor to the family of the Monks, so it is a positive thing for these young boys to get to test the waters of the Monk life. There are escalators available for those who do not want to climb endless stairs to make it to the top. There are also bathroom facilities here (though with lack of cleanliness I don’t recommend using them).
1:30p – Break for lunch. When I read “buffet” I figured we were going to be taken to some cheesy, tourist-driven restaurant in Chiang Mai. Boy was I surprised! We went to this very local restaurant where every single person there (except for us) spoke Thai. The food was served “family style” and we were given Fish, Chicken curry/soup and potatoes, rice, and veggies. Plenty to fill everyone up. They also brought out fresh fruit, but flies buzzing around it made me lose my appetite for it.
After lunch, we were driven to this roadside market where you could make purchases. I was surprised to find that the sellers weren’t too pushy. Bought some dried mango that was pretty cheap, and tasty. When using the bathroom facilities I had to keep my eyes closed. Wasn’t the cleanest. No toilet paper to be found, but that’s pretty standard in all of Chiang Mai. They have tools to wash you down there afterwards.
2:30p – After lunch, we drove to visit the Papagayaw Karen hill tribe village and taste a cup of locally ground coffee. I must admit I was a little bummed because I thought this was the famous Long Neck Karen village. It wasn’t. Womp womp. It was still cool to see a local tribe in the countryside. Along the way before we reached the hill tribe village, we passed through farmland where we got to see the coffee plantation, flowers farm and rice terraces (which we couldn’t visit because we went in March). Rice terraces blossom during the rainy season July – mid-November.
We visited the Papagayaw Karen hill tribe village and tasted a cup of locally ground coffee. I’m not a huge coffee drinker but it was actually quite tasty and had a strong, rich flavor to it. Tourists had the option to buying the coffee beans and/or coffee mugs. One of the photos below was a lady in the Karen hill tribe village that was making a dress for her daughter. Note the white color. That’s the color the girls wear as virgins. We were told it takes about 8 days to complete the dress using this tool. Wow, what a difference sewing machines make.
4:00p – After the hill tribe village tour, we drove to Vachirathern Waterfall (a 70 meters high thunderous waterfall). I’m not a huge waterfall lover, so for me this stop was just Meh.
Drove back to Chiang Mai and we arrived to our hotel around 6:00p. Enough time to grab a cheap Thai massage 🙂
Interested in heading to Doi Inthanon National Park? Already been there? Share experiences! I’m also happy to answer any questions you may have about this tour for those thinking of booking.
