As the year draws to a close and the air turns crisp, a thought flits through my mind: wouldn't it be lovely to embark on a trip?

And then Chiang Dao just popped into my head.

Upon entering the platform, we immediately initiated the process of immersing ourselves by scrolling through posts and images repeatedly.

Before I knew it, it was a holiday and I had already booked my accommodation.

I want to say that this self-hyping method works. I hyped myself up so much that I accidentally booked several trips. Now I'm in the process of planning a trip to Russia. I'm so excited to go!

It is important to understand that "Chiang Dao" refers to Doi Luang Chiang Dao, a mountain located in the Chiang Dao district of Chiang Mai province.

There are two ways to visit Chiang Dao, just in case anyone is confused:

∇ Trekking is available to Doi Luang Chiang Dao.

Relax and drive your car up to the new Na Lau village. From there, you can enjoy stunning views of Doi Luang Chiang Dao or the familiar Ban Rabuang Dao.

Due to time constraints and various limitations, we opted for a different approach to experiencing Chiang Dao this time around.

I can help you translate the text from Thai to English. Here is the translation:

The original plan for this trip was 3 days and 2 nights, but many things happened that made us deviate from the plan. It was the most unplanned trip we've ever had, haha.

If you're curious about what happened, stay tuned!

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If you're planning a trip to Chiang Mai and want to make the most of it, we recommend staying for several days. (However, this is our second time visiting Chiang Mai in two days and one night, which is crazy. The journey is long.)

A four-day, three-night itinerary would be ideal. You could visit Mon Cham, Mae Kampong, Doi Inthanon, and consider adding Chiang Dao as an option to your plan.

If you have limited time but still want to go, just follow our plan!

Plan

Day 1: Baan Na Lao Mai, Chiang Dao. Overnight stay in Chiang Dao.

Day 2: Rent a motorbike and explore Chiang Dao district (Chiang Dao Cave Temple, coffee shops). Stay overnight in Chiang Mai city.

Day 3: Pay respects at temples in the city center and explore the local culinary scene.

We were only able to follow the plan for the first two days. Try to adjust it accordingly.

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● Travel ●

===From various places to Chiang Mai===

Airplane (but during long weekends there are no promotions, the price of a ticket/trip is like 1800++ ouch)

∇ Train (We have reviewed Utravithee before on the page Isara.bhap)

∇ Tour bus

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This time, we took a Nakhornchai Air tour bus from Rayong, which was a good time saver. We sat in the Gold Class, which has 32 seats.

The outbound journey departs Rayong at 7pm and arrives in Chiang Mai at 7:38am the following day.

The return trip departed Chiang Mai at 15:30 and arrived in Rayong at 05:47.

However, as you know, in Thailand, nothing is ever on time. =[]=

===From Chiang Mai to Chiang Dao===

∇ The car has GPS turned on, just follow it. It's not difficult to get there.

This motorcycle is not recommended for inexperienced riders or those unfamiliar with hill climbing due to the steep incline of the road.

∇ Bus > We chose this method because it still adheres to the concept of budget travel. 55

Get off the bus at the Nakhonchai Air bus station. Take a red songthaew to Chang Phuak Station. Board the orange Chiang Mai-Tha Ton bus to Lotus Chiang Dao.

After reaching Lotus Express Chiang Dao, walk past the Khamoo Pornpen shop for a short distance. You will find a small alley on the right-hand side next to a grocery store. Walk into the alley and you will find a shared taxi to Kong city waiting. You can board the taxi directly.

** You should arrive before noon, otherwise it will be very difficult to find a car.

★ Contact number for Uncle Nan, the driver: 081-0294622

★ Contact number for Aunt Boon, who also drives a shared taxi: 098-7837217

We called Uncle Nan to inform him that we would be arriving a little late. He then informed Aunt Boon, who had gone to the market to buy some things. She had to wait for another group of people, so they barely made it onto the bus.

Note: On the way back, do the same thing but in reverse. 555

● Accommodation ●

The recent surge in accommodations at Ban Na Lao Mai is largely attributable to positive online reviews. However, when we attempted to book a reservation two months in advance, we discovered that all accommodations were fully booked, with only tent camping options remaining available.

Therefore, if you are planning to visit, please make a reservation well in advance. For popular destinations like Rabeang Dao, it is almost impossible to secure a reservation.

This time we booked a tent at "Baan Mork Tawan" for 500฿ per person. Bedding and two meals are included, dinner on the first day and breakfast on the second day. The bathroom is shared. However, if we book a house, we will get a private bathroom.

Note: The original text is empty, so the translation is also empty.

★ Baan Mork Tawan: Phone 095-452-2599

★Baan Rabeang Dao: Tel 089-998-0712, 089-903-0083

★ Doi Mok House: Phone 088-410-7231

★Chiang Dao Mist Curtain: Tel 093-2434898

★ Doi Kieng Dao House: Phone 081-3879311

This is just a list. You can find more information elsewhere.

● Expenses ●

Approximately (price per person 2 days/1 night)

Accommodation with 2 meals included for 500฿

> Round-trip bus fare 1500฿

> 200฿ for a Thai barbecue buffet

Bus fare to and from Chiang Dao: 80฿

> Roundtrip fare for a songthaew to Ban Na Lao Mai is 120฿.

Shared taxi between Chang Phuak and Akat 2, 60 baht.

> Feel free to add other miscellaneous items as needed.

Approximately 2500฿/person

If you want to chat with us, please visit our page at http://www.facebook.com/issaraparb. : )

There are many more trips that I haven't posted here yet, but I've reviewed them on my page.

Day 0

We opted for a NCA Gold Class bus from Rayong to Chiang Mai, departing at 19:00 on Friday to optimize travel time. The 32-seat bus provided ample space, ensuring a comfortable journey.

Rice and water are provided, sleep all the way to Chiang Mai.

Day 1

We arrived in Chiang Mai at 9:00 AM, two hours behind schedule. We had to wait until 11:00 AM for the next bus to Chiang Dao (buses from Chiang Mai to Tha Ton run every half hour).

Upon arrival in Chiang Dao, inform the bus conductor to drop you off at Lotus Express Chiang Dao.
Proceed a short distance from there, and you will encounter "Kaa Moo Pornphen," where you can grab a bite to eat before continuing your journey. It is already noon.

Walk past the Kha Moo Phor Phet shop, there will be an alley on the right next to the grocery store. Walk straight in and you will find a songthaew to Tong City parked there. It costs 60 baht per person. It is recommended to arrive in Chiang Dao early in the morning to catch a ride. If you arrive after noon, you may have to hire a private car.

The provided text is empty. There is nothing to translate.

The winding and narrow road required constant horn use at every bend, but the breathtaking view from the summit made the effort worthwhile.

"Doi Luang Chiang Dao"

We booked our accommodation at "Baan Mork Tawan".
Upon arrival, the first thing we encountered was the "Star Balcony". To reach Baan Mork Tawan, we had to walk down a short distance. The local songthaew (shared taxi) dropped us off right in front of the house.

As the sun was high in the sky around 4 pm, it was too bright to sleep in the tent. I took the opportunity to explore the surroundings.

The view in front of the tent is beautiful.

Looking left from the tent.

Walk to the house next door to the fog line.

The sentence is already in English and does not require translation.

That's the tent where we're staying, under the sloping canvas.

Even ordinary wildflowers are beautiful.

Many houses have a barbecue, but on the day we went, Baan Mork Tawan did not have a barbecue, so we ordered from Pa Tuu Tuu.
The dipping sauce was good.

We want to say that staying in a tent is just as comfortable as staying in a house. It gives you a light camping vibe. For those who have already booked a house and it's full, a tent is a good alternative.

Distant view of Baan Na Lao Mai

A view of verdant rice fields

Strolling along, we arrived at the popular Baan Rabeang Dao. The view from Baan Rabeang Dao offers a clear sight of Doi Luang Chiang Dao.

All areas are open for photography, ordering drinks, and enjoying meals.

A small hill provides access to a scenic vista with phone signal.

After a tiring walk, we returned to our tent to find dinner already waiting for us. The accommodation serves dinner between 5:00 PM and 5:30 PM. If you arrive late, the clear soup will be cold.

The view in front of us is truly breathtaking. This hundred-baht meal feels like a million-dollar experience with this stunning scenery.

Everything is delicious.

Hot pork on a mountaintop with cool air is a perfect combination.

As dusk approached, we set up our cameras in anticipation of capturing elephants. Drawing upon our extensive research, we successfully snared a wild elephant.

DAY 2

Waking up to greet the sun around 6 am, we were met with a thick blanket of fog, almost obscuring the sun's warm embrace.

The morning air is cool, not too cold, just right. I'm really enjoying it. 5555

The fog is thick.

Morning freshness

As the sun gently rises, casting a soft glow on the swirling mist, a sense of tranquility washes over me.

Embraced by the mist in the arms of Chiang Dao. : )

I wish I could wake up to this view every day.

This instant coffee easily surpasses freshly brewed coffee when the atmosphere is right.

After breakfast, we packed our belongings, washed our faces, took a shower, and prepared to descend from Chiang Dao. We had an appointment with Aunt Boon at 8:00 AM.

Farewell, Doi Chiang Dao. I will return soon. Next time, I will climb to the top.