Hello, we are Gowithgu, a group of friends who are addicted to adventure and the beauty of nature. We devote our physical strength, mental strength, and financial resources to sleeping in tents in the forest, carrying backpacks up mountains, and diving into the sea.

If you can't decide whether to go to the sea or the mountains, come with us and we will take you to both.
#4teenpeenkhao #2taoteefin
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We city people today live a life separate from nature, living in a square room with air that is not conducive to breathing. We never look at the sky, our feet never touch the ground, we live in a fictional world created by humans themselves. We want everyone to try to open up the world, get involved with nature, experience nature, let nature embrace us. It will make our minds more delicate and happier.



Traveling allows us to encounter experiences that cannot be found if we do not come to experience it ourselves. It makes us find happiness that we can hardly explain to people who have never traveled. The more we travel, the happier we are, as if life has been filled with what is missing. Meeting people, new friendships are always born on every journey, so we want to share the amazingness of adventure with everyone. We hope everyone will travel and be happy like us. If you want to talk, contact us via private message.



Mon Thu Le is located in Tha Song Yang Subdistrict, Tha Song Yang District, Tak Province. The peak of Mon Thu Le is 1,350 meters above sea level, parallel to the Mae Moei River, which is the border between Thailand and Burma.



Mon Thu Le comes from the word "Thu Le Ko" in the Pga K'nyaw language, which means "golden mountain".



This trip is not very difficult, it's manageable, but it's a bit tough because we have to carry our own stuff and there is no bathroom on the first night. But when compared to the view and nature that we get to see, we have to say it's worth ittttttttt.



Here's a rough itinerary:


Night 1: Mochit Bus Terminal - Tak Bus Terminal

Day 1: Tak Bus Terminal - Tha Song Yang Subdistrict Administrative Organization - Mon Thu Le

Day 2: Mon Thu Le - Mon Kluy

Day 3: Mon Kluy - Tha Song Yang - Tak Bus Terminal - Mochit Bus Terminal


The total cost per person for the entire trip is 2,333 baht (we have 6 people, so some expenses are calculated from the total and divided by 6).

Bus fare Bangkok-Tak (round trip) = 633 baht

Pickup truck fee (round trip) = 300 baht

2 porters for 2 days = 200 (300 per person per day = 1,200 baht)

Food = 300 baht

Fuel Tak-Tha Song Yang (round trip) = 700 baht



This trip is considered to be not very expensive and the timing is just right, 3 days 3 nights. If you have a 3-day break from November to March, you can come.



Before we start our journey, let's prepare ourselves for Mon Thu Le.



First, find a date and make an appointment with your friends. Remember, Mon Thu Le and Mon Kluy are only open from November to March. The trek takes 3 days. Once you have made an appointment with your friends, you can call the Tha Song Yang Subdistrict Administrative Organization (085-7054459, 089-2680116, 080-0294249, 081-1815820). But you have to book quickly because they have a limited number of spaces. And then book your porters.



Once you have booked everything, it's time to prepare your things.

The things we prepare are as follows:

-Tent

-Sleeping bag

-Flashlight

-Camera

-Clothes for the trek

-Sweater

-Sneakers

-Sandals

-Kitchen utensils

-Dry tissue, wet tissue (very important when you have to go to the bathroom in the middle of the forest)

-Toothbrush/toothpaste, soap, medication

-Other props as you wish



Once you have prepared your things, prepare food and water for 3 meals (dinner on the first day, breakfast and lunch on the second day).



In addition to preparing your things, you also need to book a bus. We recommend booking at least 1 week before your travel date so that you have time to plan your life properly in case the bus is full or other things. Or if you want to drive yourself, you can do that too.



When you are ready, let's go!



If you are taking the bus from Mochit Bus Terminal to Tak like us, we recommend that you pick up your tickets half an hour in advance and be prepared for the chaos at Mochit Bus Terminal. And since we went on a holiday, the chaos was multiplied. The bus was delayed by half an hour, but hey, we arrived at Tak Bus Terminal on time. Or maybe they calculated the time already, we don't know.



When we got off the bus in Tak, we stopped to eat blood soup at the Rim Mae Market while waiting for another friend to pick us up.



When our friend arrived, we drove straight from Tak to Tha Song Yang Subdistrict Administrative Organization, 230 km, which took about 3 hours because there was some road construction.



We arrived at Tha Song Yang Subdistrict Administrative Organization at 10:30 AM and prepared to climb Mon Thu Le. If you arrive after noon, you will be forced to climb from Mon Kluy and then walk back to Mon Thu Le the next day.



(We crack eggs into water bottles to save space and manage the hawker's basket. When the hawker carries the eggs, the eggs will not break.)



After packing, we received a briefing from P'Doi, an official from the Tha Song Yang Subdistrict Administrative Organization.

We got a car from P'Mor Chi (the village headman). P'Mor Chi will take us to the foot of Mon Tu Lay and pick us up again on the 2nd at Doi Noi. We can order things from P'Mor Chi and have him deliver them to us.



We hired 2 porters, one of whom could carry 20 kg. But we miscalculated. At first, we thought we would fly, but no, we had to carry our own bags and clothes all the way. The porters also carried the communal supplies. Since we went during a long weekend, there were quite a lot of people going up. Some of the porters were children from the village because there weren't enough people. But don't worry, these kids are very strong.



Ready to go, we started walking from 11.00 am to Mon Tu Lay at 6.00 pm. But we stopped to take a lot of pictures, so if you are fit, we think you should be able to get there faster. Along the way, there were some hot, some slopes, and some flat sections, all mixed together.



(And we miscalculated the water again. At first, we thought it would be a short walk, so we only brought one bottle of water each. It turned out to be a four-hour trek, so we had to rely on natural water sources instead. If anyone tells you that drinking water from streams is dangerous, I won't argue! Dangerous or not, I don't know, but if we don't drink water, we'll definitely die! The water from natural sources in the forest is very cold and refreshing.)



As you hike up the mountain, don't forget to look back at the view behind you. The view will get more and more beautiful, changing with the height you've climbed.



We arrived at Mon Tu Lay at 6 pm. The sun was setting and the light was beautiful. When we reached the top and saw this view, we were no longer tired.



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Let's take a break



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We divided the work into groups: bathing, setting up tents, and cooking. The porters cooked rice for us (but we had to prepare the rice ourselves). The porters here cook rice as if they were using an electric rice cooker. It was delicious and there was no burnt rice at the bottom of the pot. Everything had to be done before dark, and don't forget to cook extra rice for the porters!


We bathed in a swamp, which is like a stagnant pool of water. If you're not brave enough, I recommend using wet wipes to clean yourself instead.



If you want to use dishwashing liquid to wash your face at Mon Tu Lay, we recommend that you walk down the hill from the tent area in the opposite direction of the Thai flag. Keep walking down and you will come to a fork in the road. Turn left and continue walking (you may not feel confident here, but you are on the right path). After walking for a while, you will have to push through some bushes and you will find a natural spring. The water here is very cold and clear, and it is very refreshing.



After dinner, the sun sets, the light disappears with the warmth, replaced by darkness and cold. The wind comes and gives me goosebumps. It's time to make a fire and roast marshmallows. We have some drinks to add a little warmth and fight the cold, which is our special recipe passed down from our travel companions when we went to Mo Ko Chu together. Drink lightly to sleep well, or you can use this time to get to know the tent next door. The middle of the night on a full moon night is really bright.



One of the things I wanted to do on this trip was to go elephant collaring. This is the elephant collaring season, so if you want to go elephant collaring, you have to prepare well. First, study the time when the elephants will appear. You should find the direction and angle to set up your camera before you even get there. Then set your alarm clock a little before the elephants arrive to prepare your camera and test your shots. When we went, the elephants arrived at 4:50 am. The moon had already set by 3 am, and the sky was very dark. There was only starlight. I recommend using the skywalk app to find the elephants and check the direction and angle again. Because the Milky Way is almost invisible to the naked eye. You'll only capture ghosts.



Note: Doi Tu Lay only has True Move H signal, and the signal is very weak. Therefore, it is better to find information, prepare yourself, and download the app in the city.



And then we got the full Milky Way to share with you.



After completing the elephant collaring mission, we sat and admired our work for a while. Glancing at the clock, we noticed that the sky was starting to change color, the sun was about to rise! As soon as we realized this, we grabbed our cameras and rushed up to the top of Mon Tu Lay, which is 1,350 meters high. The air was cool, and the top of Mon Tu Lay was quite a bit higher than our campsite. We stood there, letting the wind chill our faces. Several photographers walked over to another hill to get a different angle, but we chose to stay put.



As we were taking pictures of the sea of fog, the sky brightened very quickly. The edge of the giant fireball was just starting to peek over the top of the mountain. The morning magic hour passes much faster than the evening one. In just a few moments, the fireball rose completely, and the light in the sky changed rapidly in a short period of time.



After the other groups had gradually descended the mountain to prepare for their onward journey, we continued to soak up the atmosphere and the panoramic views. In the end, we left later than the other groups (lol).



Those small colorful dots in the distance are the camping grounds.



After descending from the peak of Mon Thu Le, we prepared breakfast and lunch for the journey ahead, and packed up our tent. Time management was crucial as we had started late. We estimated the trek from Mon Thu Le to Mon Krui to take 4-5 hours, and the later we left, the hotter the sun would be.



Breakfast consisted of instant noodles and leftovers, while lunch was rice with sweet pork, sliced pork, and a delicious chili paste.



Don't forget to call Dr. Chin and order dinner and breakfast for the next day. I recommend ordering Coke or Pepsi. After a long day of trekking, a cold fizzy drink is pure bliss.



Today's trek from Mon Thu Le to Mon Krui involved crossing two mountains. The trail was a series of steep ascents and descents, making it quite challenging. After about 2 hours, we reached the halfway point, marked by a waterfall nestled in a valley. It was a refreshing oasis for everyone. The water flowed continuously and was safe to drink. We continued our trek to Mon Krui Luang, which was a rather uneventful passage.



Take a break to drink water and have lunch to recharge your energy before leaving the forest area for an open hill. Walk to Mon Kluen Noi for another 2 hours. The path is a wide ridge, easy to walk, with beautiful 360-degree views. Although the sun is scorching hot, the wind blows constantly, preventing sweat from accumulating and relieving fatigue. If you only walk and don't take pictures, you might reach it in an hour.



The view like this will be seen all the way. It's a very amazing background. There are many cliffs where you can take pictures.



And then after walking for a long time, I arrived at the point where Dr. Chi's car was waiting to pick me up. I had to take another 20-minute drive.



Doctor Chi brought us Coke. Even though we don't have glasses, we can drink it from the bag. Ahhhh, so refreshing!



We've arrived at Mon Kluy.



That far away is Mon Tu Lay.



On Mon Kluy, there are 2 wooden huts for accommodation, free of charge. But you have to book in advance. (Luckily for us, our friend Ped helped us book it.)



Upon arrival at Mon Kluy, we divided into teams for showering and cooking as usual.

Mon Kluy has bathrooms where you can shower comfortably with soap.



The last day

We woke up, packed our things, washed our faces, brushed our teeth, and jumped into Dr. Chi's car.

Dr. Chi said that from Mon Kluy, it's a 50 km drive to the Tha Song Yang Subdistrict Administrative Organization.

But on the way, Dr. Chi took us to the exclusive roadside cave, Tham Ri Sotty.



The reason why it's so exclusive is because there are no signs or landmarks for this cave. Only locals know where it is. If we went back on our own, we wouldn't be able to find it. We parked our car on the side of the road and walked down a hill, crossed a small stream, and followed the stream until we found the cave. The further we walked, the less light there was and the deeper the water got. The water was as deep as our butts (haha, I'm short, but for my friends it was only up to their thighs). We had to climb over some rocks, but when we reached the end, we saw light again. It was light coming through a crack in the rocks. It was so beautiful!

After taking photos to our heart's content, we continued our journey by car and arrived at the Tha Song Yang Subdistrict Administrative Organization. After settling the expenses, we ate like we were starving. We highly recommend the Pa Yung Restaurant near the Subdistrict Administrative Organization. The food is delicious and the prices are reasonable.



After lunch, we returned to the Tha Song Yang Subdistrict Administrative Organization to take a shower. But after eating, our energy came back! We grabbed our life jackets and jumped into the water, swimming across the Moei River to Burma.



After taking a shower and getting dressed, we drove straight to Mae Sot. We stopped for coffee and uploaded photos. This was a time to talk and reflect on the stories we had captured through our feelings in various events, through experiences and photographs. The conclusion of the fulfillment that will stay with us for many days before we have to travel to Tak to prepare for the return trip to Bangkok.


(Actually, we could have boarded the bus in Mae Sot according to the ticket time, but due to our ignorance, we went to wait in Tak) We returned late at night, and the bus will arrive in Bangkok around 4-5 am. I would like to leave this here: No matter how tired or busy you are from traveling, don't neglect your main responsibilities on normal days (unless you take leave to do it yourself). Don't let people say that traveling makes us irresponsible!!!



The fun is over, said Teletubby.

Yes, it's time to enter the real world, working life, city life...



If you ask if it was difficult to enter the forest, it would be a lie to say it wasn't.

But every time I come out of the forest, I feel full (not that I secretly ate a lot of forest food).

But I feel full of heart, full of experience, and the more I travel, the more I feel that our world has so much to discover.

I have the motivation to return to the city to settle down and save money to continue exploring the world.



Thank you, nature, for letting me know that our world still has so much to discover.
Thank you, hardship, for letting me know the comfort.
Thank you, my companions, for being by my side even in times of hardship.
-Thank you-

Memory of Montulay in motion.
https://www.facebook.com/gowithgu/videos/177785349264236/



If you love adventure, both on land and underwater, both in Thailand and abroad, like the Facebook Page Gowithgu.



If you can't decide whether to go to the sea or the mountains, come with us and we'll take you to both the mountains and the sea.

#4teenpeenkhao #2taoteefin

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