I saw many incredible things in Thailand, both natural and man-made, but from the waterfalls to the sweeping views from the royal pagodas, Doi Inthanon was on another level.
I’m sure you could spend a week exploring all the national park has to offer, but since I didn’t have that much time (and was yet to pass my driving test even if I had the bottle to take on those crazy roads!), I took a tour. A guide nicknamed Banana and his driver picked me up from my hostel early in the morning. Our group was from a few corners of the world: the UK, USA and Singapore. It was about a 1.5 hour drive down a highway lined with lush greenery and rising hills to the first stop, the Wachirathan Falls. The majestic waterfall, nestled in tropical greenery, is about 80 metres high. Its name means ‘diamond creek.’
Another short drive took us to the Sirithan Waterfall, a 50 m tall cascade that feeds the Mae Ping River. It was previously called Pa Kha Waterfall, but got its new name when Queen Sirikit came to view it in 2002. The surrounding woods are home to all kinds of species of trees, herbs, vegetables and animals. I wish my mum had been there to see these – I can appreciate a nice waterfall, but she really loves them!
We ate lunch at a cafeteria in the park. I had a spicy mushroom curry that was pretty good. The food at parks in England isn’t that nice! The next stop was Sobhad Village, which is known for its coffee. I never drink coffee, so I’m definitely not the person to ask about quality, but I tried some to see if my mum would like it so I could bring some home. It seemed like nice coffee.
Once everyone finished chatting over their coffee, we drove on to the highest point in Thailand, 2.6 m above sea level. The temperature dropped from the high thirties to about 17 ºC. The travellers from Singapore were cold, but although I wasn’t melting anymore, I still thought it was too hot… I’d be quite at home in Antarctica. It was cool to stand there! I really felt like I’d explored the north as much as possible in the five days I had.
Like many of the attractions in the park, the spot is surrounded by lush forests. There must be countless trails to explore, but we just walked along one, crossing over a rushing river while Banana told us some fun facts, from Bangkok’s very long full name to how to tell someone they’re attractive in Thai. I’m glad I took the tours not only because it saved time and stress, but because if I’m totally honest, I didn’t always enjoy travelling alone. I felt very lonely at points. Getting to know other travellers was fun and reassuring, as was travelling with the guides who seemed more like very well-educated fellow travellers than tour guides just doing a job. Banana had been carving durians with his family while tourism died during the pandemic and asked us all to share our photos to encourage others to go to Thailand, so I hope my photos and stories are doing that!
There are souvenir shops up there, in case anyone wonders. My fellow travellers found my souvenir-buying very amusing, but there were cute keyrings! And a Chiang Mai t-shirt! …Which I probably won’t wear often, but it makes me smile when I see it in my wardrobe. At least I resisted the plushies.
The final attraction was the Twin Pagodas. Also known as the Royal Pagodas and King & Queen Pagodas, they were built here on the ‘roof of Thailand,’ where they meet the clouds, to commemorate the 60th birthdays of the king and queen. The pagodas aren’t the only attractions here – there are the beautiful gardens, a small waterfall and most breathtakingly, in my opinion, the sweeping views of the surrounding mountains. Ambling around the gardens in the cool(ish) air, admiring the views, was my favourite experience in Thailand.
Before returning to Chiang Mai, we stopped at a small market, where I was apparently ripped off for dried strawberries. My Moroccan ancestors would be ashamed of my (lack of) bargaining ability. The strawberries were nice, though.
On the way back to Chiang Mai, I managed to catch a photo of the moon over a temple roof. Whilst I’m sure there’s so much more and I’d love to go back, I really was satisfied that I’d experienced as much of Thailand’s beauty as I could then.
Atlas and a Camera 