Adventure in Chiang Mai: "Whoa, there's a storm coming!"

Journey Log: Chiang Dao - Doi Inthanon - Doi Suthep

- This was our first trip to Chiang Mai, or rather, our first foray into the north of Thailand.

Together with two friends, we meticulously planned our trip, scrutinizing every detail of the map. We devoured every relevant online forum, ensuring we wouldn't miss a single gem. Finally, the day of our adventure arrived, filled with the anticipation of inhaling the refreshing mountain mist.

October 21, 2018 - The weather is pleasantly cool and refreshing, with no sign of rain.

The journey from Chiang Mai Airport to Chiang Dao takes just over an hour.

Renting a car is recommended for its convenience, but public transportation is also available for those who are unable to drive.

Chiang Dao is a small town with a peak called Na Lau Mai Village, which is currently popular. However, before reaching Chiang Dao, there is Wat Tham Chiang Dao. You can go down to pay respects to the Buddha and worship the sacred objects for good luck.

We continued our journey to our booked accommodation, **Baan Pak View Doi Luang**, where the price per person was only 500 baht. Dinner and breakfast were included.

Reservations can only be made by phone at 089-5598272. Please be persistent and keep trying if you don't get through!

We booked a tent accommodation that comfortably sleeps 3 people. There is no internet access, and the signal is intermittent. The water is very cold, even though we came during the low season. However, the place is still very crowded.

The atmosphere in front of our tent was... yes, our first night camping in Chiang Dao... a tropical depression hit! So we spent the whole time from afternoon until the next morning singing songs inside the tent.

Time seems to slow down when you're up here, and there are fewer activities to keep you occupied. If you're with friends, you can find ways to entertain yourselves to avoid boredom. But if you're with your significant other, well... you'll have to figure something out.

Surprisingly, sleeping on Doi Chiang Dao is like recharging your batteries. Time seems to slow down significantly there.

October 22, 2018 - Rain fell steadily throughout the day as we headed towards Doi Inthanon.

On our way down from Chiang Dao, we met a foreigner and offered to give them a ride to Chiang Dao town. Somehow, we ended up talking them into joining our trip, and we gained an extra travel companion.

On the way, we made a quick stop at the Chiang Dao Elephant Training Center. I brought my Swiss friend to see the elephants. "There are no elephants in our country except in the zoo," she exclaimed!

Continuing our drive, we set our destination for the Queen Sirikit Botanic Garden, where the entrance fee is 40 baht per person and 30 baht for a car. The botanic garden is divided into different sections, and you can drive around to see them. The roads are in excellent condition, so we decided to take a walk on the skywalk.

The woman appeared excited by the verdant nature and the abundance of crickets.

By the time we reached Inthanon, it was already getting dark. We had booked accommodation at The Camp Inthanon for a reasonable price of 1,700 baht for 3 people. We slept comfortably, and everyone was happy! The foreigners stayed in another building not far away for 1,000 baht.

Our accommodation is located at the Doi Inthanon Agricultural Station. You can easily find it by opening your GPS and typing "The Camp Inthanon". It's easy to find and the drive up is smooth and comfortable.

October 23, 2018 - The rain may come and go, but we will climb the mountain!

Due to the closure of Kiw Mae Pan for natural restoration until November 1st, we were unable to visit it as planned.

The weather on the mountain is pleasant, around 10-12 degrees Celsius. So we stopped by to walk and study nature at the Ang Ka Nature Study Trail.

She has a lot of energy.

After satisfying our cravings, we drove to Doi Pha Tang. The road up was quite scary, so it's a good idea to honk your horn at every bend.

The final stop on this trip was a visit to Wat Phra That Doi Suthep, a revered temple and landmark of Chiang Mai.

We waved goodbye to the foreigners after descending from Doi Suthep… and this trip suddenly turned into a friendship trip. She was very happy to travel with us and try many things, such as eating stir-fried pork with basil and throwing fortune sticks. We think this trip was really better than expected. Even though we were hit by a storm and didn't see much of the sea of fog, making new friends… it was truly a memorable Chiang Mai.

Total trip cost per person.

Round-trip airfare costs 2,200 baht.

The total accommodation cost is 1,500 baht.

Other (personal) 2,000 baht

#ChiangDaoTripWithStorm

Thank you to everyone who has read this. Please let me know if there are any mistakes or if anything is not good.

See you on the next trip! #Huafooadventures