Trip to the Top of Thailand

When travellers meet there is often a discussion of the best way to see the country. Do you hire a car or bike and go it alone or go with an organised tour? Obviously there are pro's and con's on both sides of the discussion. As Annie and I don't have a car and nor do we want to rent a bike we decided on an organised tour. We may not have the freedom of our own vehicle but we will get to where we are meant to go and have some expert guides along the way. We didn't want to do the mundane and be in a large crowd of people so we turned to Trip Advisor to seek some advice.

The first day tour company we came upon on Trip Advisor, Chiang Mai was the Lanna Kingdom Tour company  http://www.lannakingdomtours.com/detail.php?viewID=24 which had fantastic reviews. I checked out the website which was professional and full of information. Browsing through a multitude of tours there was one that caught my eye, "One day stunning Doi Inthanon National Park and soft trekking." It sounded good, private tour, no crowds for much of the tour and some physical activity. We would visit the highest mountain in Thailand as well as trekking over some stunning Thai countryside. It wasn't particularly cheap at 7500baht ($230USD) but for what we hoped to be a unique Thai experience well worth it.

I completed the booking over the phone without any problems at all and we were all set to go for an 0800 pick up from our condominium. We went down to the lobby at 0800 and were surprised to find our tour guides there waiting to meet us. Our tour guide was a lovely Thai woman named Yuen and our drivers name was Puma. Yuen led us to our vehicle which was another surprise. It was a large, modern van that was super comfortable inside. Annie and I had the vehicle to ourselves for the day. We had a little counter which had water, snacks and Mentos candy to have at will. The interior was plush even down to a 20" TV.

As we set off into the usual Chiang Mai traffic Yuen briefed us on the day ahead. Yuen's English was excellent she had to learn the language as part of her four year tourism degree. She also had to undergo stringent tests and checks to be accredited as a tour guide. This is a little different from my experience as a tour guide in Australia where the only qualification required is passing the interview and training course.

Our first stop was at a roadhouse where we loaded up with coffee and treats. This was a typical tourist stop selling cheap junk and people using the restrooms, really no different from anywhere else in the world.

After an interesting trip through the Northern Thailand countryside and a quick stop for Yuen to buy some roadsides snacks, tamarind with sugar and freshly cut sugar cane pieces we came to our first event of the day, our two hour soft trek. We were met at a side road by a local Karen man by the name of Roti. The Karen were originally from Burma and some 300,000 have fled to Thailand to escape various types of persecution. Most famous of the Karen refugees are the long-necked Karen women who place layer upon layer of metal bands around their neck to stretch the neck.

Sign at the start of our trek

Roti's village didn't practice the neck stretching which occurs farther to the north of Thailand but they do adopt other traditional Karen customs and dress. Karen men and women can only wear certain coloured clothing  and some colours are reserved for special occasions and events. Only Karen can act as guides in the national park and there are large fines for tourists who enter the national park without a Karen guide.

Our two hour trek was downhill so it was nice and easy. Roti stopped continuously to point out different plants and trees the Karen use as food and to treat a variety of ailments. Annie with her background in herbal medicine particularly enjoyed her interactions and questions to Roti who was a gentle soul who had spent his entire 33 years living in the mountains. His village of 360 people only gained electricity 10 years ago.

Roti explaining how to get bamboo worms a Karen delicacy

On the way to the village we stopped at three beautiful waterfalls, each one bigger and grander than the last. If the day was a little warmer I would have jumped into the clear, swirling water. Finally the thickish rainforest gave way and we came in sight of the rice terraces, dry and barren now as the harvest is done. The rice paddy fields dotted the landscape like a patchwork quilt, as did small rudimentary farmhouses which often had several water buffalo grazing contentedly outside. Yuen remarked the the buffalo are on holiday at the moment as there is no work for them to do when the paddies are fallow.

Happy travellers

The path to Roti's village

 Once inside Roti's village we were led to a coffee shop which was actually an open sided building that looked to be in threat of tumbling down at any time. A Karen women in elaborate local dress prepared our coffee. Annie helped her out by grinding some of the beans and remarking that it was hard work on the coffee grinder. Throughout the restaurant were photographs of the time the King of Thailand visited the village 40 years ago. It was and still is the most momentous thing that has ever happened here. Roti mentioned the visit several times during our trek such a positive impact it had on the local people. The Karen coffee was fresh and tasty and we bought a pack to go as well as some local rice.

Annie observing the coffee making

Our trip with Roti was an amazing experience whereby Annie and I learnt so much about the Karen people and the lush landscape they inhabit.

Our next stop was a short drive to lunch. The restaurant was huge, located under an iron roof about a third of the size of a football field. Tables were laid out in rows and several restaurants serviced the throngs of tourists. Not a particularly scenic or romantic lunch stop but the food was both plentiful and delicious. We had five large dishes and a plate of watermelon between us. As much as we tried we could not eat it all. Feeling guilty about leaving so much food we asked for a doggy bag and received a hearty chuckle in reply. I don't think doggy bags are the done thing in Thailand.

Yuen & Roti explaining Thai native fruits

Filled with remorse about leaving behind all the yummy food we climbed into the van for our next adventure, a ride to the top of the highest mountain in Thailand, Doi (means mountain) Inthanon. The road to the top was windy and as we climbed higher the temperature dropped. The top of the mountain is nondescript as there is no view or vantage point. There is a sign though that states that this is the highest point in Thailand and that alone was pretty cool. There is also a digital thermometer which records the current temperature. When we were there in the early afternoon it was 13c (54F). Not what you expect in the tropics. That morning it was just 3c (36F). Chilly!

 Though there wasn't a vantage point at the top of the mountain there is an interpretive boardwalk that takes visitors through the lush mountain top landscape. Whilst on the boardwalk we were lucky enough to spy one of the colourful local birds which was a real treat.

At the end of the boardwalk we were happy to jump back into the warm van for the short downhill trip to the Twin Pagodas or to use the official name the Great Holy Relics Pagoda of Naphamethanidon. The twin pagodas, one for the King of Thailand and one for the Queen were built to commemorate the 60th birthday of the King. The pagodas are set atop two small hills facing each other. A steep flight of steps lead to each pagoda, though if you don't feel like climbing the steps you can take an escalator to the pagoda.

King & Queen Pagodas

Each pagoda took five years to build and the artwork is stunning. Within each pagoda is a large representation of Buddha. On the walls of the King's Pagoda are stone reliefs which tell the story of the Buddha. The Queen's Pagoda has a 360 degree stone relief that depicts many of the Queen's good and charitable works. Another highlight of the Twin Pagodas are the beautiful gardens that surround the hillside and even though it is winter in Thailand the flowers are flourishing and the hill was alive with colour.

Our next stop was at a local hill tribe marketplace which was basically a set of stalls set up beside the road. The main products for sale were a variety of dried local fruits, fresh fruit and vegetables as well as some local handicrafts. Nearly every stall was a replica of the one beside it so competition was limited. There was no pressure to buy the local people just smile and only approach you if you had a question or query which is a refreshing change from many places in the world.

Annie somehow managed to get herself into a local wine tasting whereby she was given small shots of the local wines to taste, strawberry, mulberry, kiwifruit and loganberry wines. After tasting the wines Annie felt she had to buy a bottle and selected the strawberry wine which she states she is saving for guests to Chiang Mai.

Artwork on the walls of the King Pagoda

Our final stop of the day was at a large waterfall which even at this time of the year when there is virtually no rain had a mighty flow which sprayed a light mist across the viewing point. Yuen informed us that in the summer the waterfall is inundated with local Thai people who come here to escape the hot weather in the city.

The day was drawing to a close and we faced a 90 minute drive back to Chiang Mai. It wasn't so much the distance that made the trip so long but the traffic we would meet once we hit the city. Chiang Mai is a compact city but at certain points the traffic is horrendous.

We made it back home just a little after 1800 and said our farewells to Yuen and Puma. They had treated Annie and I to a fantastic day where we had learnt so much about Thai traditions, culture and the natural landscape.  Before departing Yuen informed us that the owner of Lanna Kingdom a man named Mr Pop wanted to meet us and he was on his way. We thought this a little strange but this was Thailand after all so we happily agreed. 

Not long after Mr Pop arrived with his wife and his school age daughter in tow. Mt Pop said that when he found out that Annie and I were staying in Chiang Mai for 12 months he wanted to meet us and welcome us to Chiang Mai. Mr Pop spoke perfect English and had a calm a personable nature as did his wife and daughter. Mr Pop had been a Buddhist monk for a number of years, one of the hard-core monks who live in isolation in the jungle. He leads tours himself from time to time and usually does the meditation and Buddhist tours. When he found out Annie's interest in such things he invited Annie to join him on a private mediation visit to the jungle.

They were a lovely family and we were invited to their home for dinner. He also said that Annie can call on him at anytime of the day for help and advice and now we weren't customers anymore we were his friends. What a beautiful sentiment!

Mr Pop's visit was the culmination of a fantastic day whereby we were able to immerse ourselves in the "real" Thailand. We will certainly be back for more.