The Summit- Highest Point in Thailand at Doi Inthanon National Park
It's day three of my blog marathon and I hope you have already read my previous blog posts.
So, our next stop after waterfalls was the highest point of Thailand (Doi Inthanon: The Summit at 2,565 meters above from the sea level). It is in Chom Thong District, Chiang Mai Province and is known to be the ideal place to get away from the hectic cities in Thailand. It is also known as Doi Luang ('big mountain'). The name Doi Inthanon was given in honour of King Inthawichayanon, one of the last kings of Chiang Mai, who was concerned about the forests in the north and tried to preserve them. He ordered that after his death his remains be interred at Doi Luang, which was then renamed in his honor.
Basically, there isn’t much to see aside from some interesting wooden trails that will take you to a shrine that holds the ashes of King Inthanon. It only requires a short walk from the parking lot.We took some pictures and then we headed down to the Doi Inthanon Park Exhibition Center. When we reached down to exhibition hall, there were a lot pictures of maps and all the information about Doi Inthanon.
Doi Inthanon is a great place to experience the nature of Thailand, away from the hustle and bustle of the big cities. The weather was uniquely cold there. Beautiful views all around Doi Inthanon National Park just makes it a must-see place in Chaingmai. It indeed, was a great short trip to the highest peak mountain of Thailand. We are so glad we made it to Doi Inthanon Natinal Park!
Fun Fact: Doi Inthanon is the only place where it has snowed in the tropics!
So, our next stop after waterfalls was the highest point of Thailand (Doi Inthanon: The Summit at 2,565 meters above from the sea level). It is in Chom Thong District, Chiang Mai Province and is known to be the ideal place to get away from the hectic cities in Thailand. It is also known as Doi Luang ('big mountain'). The name Doi Inthanon was given in honour of King Inthawichayanon, one of the last kings of Chiang Mai, who was concerned about the forests in the north and tried to preserve them. He ordered that after his death his remains be interred at Doi Luang, which was then renamed in his honor.
Basically, there isn’t much to see aside from some interesting wooden trails that will take you to a shrine that holds the ashes of King Inthanon. It only requires a short walk from the parking lot.We took some pictures and then we headed down to the Doi Inthanon Park Exhibition Center. When we reached down to exhibition hall, there were a lot pictures of maps and all the information about Doi Inthanon.
Doi Inthanon is a great place to experience the nature of Thailand, away from the hustle and bustle of the big cities. The weather was uniquely cold there. Beautiful views all around Doi Inthanon National Park just makes it a must-see place in Chaingmai. It indeed, was a great short trip to the highest peak mountain of Thailand. We are so glad we made it to Doi Inthanon Natinal Park!
Fun Fact: Doi Inthanon is the only place where it has snowed in the tropics!
Waterfalls at Doi Inthanon National Park - Sirithan Waterfall and Wachirathan Fall
Hi Everyone!
It's day two of my blog marathon and I hope you have already read my yesterdays blog post.
So,our next stops after hill tribe village were two waterfalls named Sirithan & Wachirathan.
The first was the Sirithan Waterfall. It's one of the most visted waterfalls in the Doi Inthanon National Park. The fall is about 40 meters high (origins from the Mae Klang River). The waterfall was named by the Queen who came to visit the fall. There is also a 100 m trail leading through the jungle from the main road to the waterfall. You can come up close and get a good view from a wooden platform in front of the waterfall. Sirithan Waterfall was stunning but we are not allowed to go near the fall(It's prohibited).
Wachirathan fall is quite voluminous and powerful, especially during raining season. The name Wachirathan means Diamond Creek so it's a diamond creek falls. The water falls from the height of 60-80m producing sprays which looks absolutely stunning. The fall was surrounded by beautiful trees and it looked pretty with the sun cascading on the flowing water creating a misty veil of great beauty. This impressive waterfall also attracts many photographers as you can get some of the amazing shot of this beautiful fall.
It's day two of my blog marathon and I hope you have already read my yesterdays blog post.
So,our next stops after hill tribe village were two waterfalls named Sirithan & Wachirathan.
Sirithan Waterfall
The first was the Sirithan Waterfall. It's one of the most visted waterfalls in the Doi Inthanon National Park. The fall is about 40 meters high (origins from the Mae Klang River). The waterfall was named by the Queen who came to visit the fall. There is also a 100 m trail leading through the jungle from the main road to the waterfall. You can come up close and get a good view from a wooden platform in front of the waterfall. Sirithan Waterfall was stunning but we are not allowed to go near the fall(It's prohibited).
Wachiratan Waterfall
Our next fall was the spectacular Wachirathan or Vachirathan Waterfall which is located in Doi Inthanon National Park, halfway up the mountain. This scenic spot is excellent for picnics and is reached by a short, easy trail from the parking area. It's one of the famous waterfalls in Doi Inthanon. It's very easily accessible from the main road going up to the summit of Doi Inthanon from Chiang Mai.
Wachirathan fall is quite voluminous and powerful, especially during raining season. The name Wachirathan means Diamond Creek so it's a diamond creek falls. The water falls from the height of 60-80m producing sprays which looks absolutely stunning. The fall was surrounded by beautiful trees and it looked pretty with the sun cascading on the flowing water creating a misty veil of great beauty. This impressive waterfall also attracts many photographers as you can get some of the amazing shot of this beautiful fall.
Taking a one day trip to Doi Inthanon is a wonderful way to embrace yourself into the natural beauty of Chiangmai. It indeed, was a great short trip to the highest peak mountain of Thailand. We are so glad we made it to Doi Inthanon Natinal Park.
The Karen Hill Tribe Village in Doi Inthanon, Chiangmai- Thailand
The first stop of our tour to Doi Inthanon National Park was at one of the minority hill tribe villages. When we entered the village, I was a little relieved as there were no tourist buses or souvenir stands that I could see. In fact, when we were almost ready to leave a other mini van was there with a small group of tourists like us. The origin of the Karen Tribe remains a mystery but they say the original roots of the Karen hill tribes in Thailand go back to Tibet and the Gobi desert. Although, many families living in Northern Thailand nowadays migrated from Myanmar(Burma) while escaping the communist regime a few decades ago.
The first thing that you will notice is the simple and minimalist lifestyle of Karen people. The houses were mostly made primarily out of bamboo lattice with thatched roofing. Teak or bamboo and usually constructed on stilts to provide space and shelter for livestock. Talking about traditions, Karen people were primarily animists.
Nowadays, some of those families who live in the lowlands and are in contact with Thai people, started practicing Buddhism. Others converted to Christianity thanks to missionaries in the area. There's also a Church among bamboo huts as you can see in the picture.
Weaving Center at The Karen Hill Tribe Village
Fun fact: Do you know how much time it takes to make a scarf?
And the answer is around a week, a month to make one of their shoulder garments, and it takes a whole year to make a blanket. Yet, you can buy these beautiful items from them for next to nothing.
Source of Income of The Karen Hill Tribe Village:
Almost all of their needs are found in the village. All of their food is grown in their farms, and they have chickens for eggs and meat, and cows for their milk. They make their own clothes from cotton grown in their farms.
Talking about source of income long back The Karen Tribe used to farm opium but with direct influence from the Thai King, they stopped doing that. There are various Royal Projects set up by The King and now their the principle products are rice, flowers and coffee etc. Now they can work on organic farms supported by the government that help local communities exclusively with marketing.
Tourism is of course a contributing factor to the ongoing success of the village, but as a part of the whole rather than the sole income.
Declaimer: Some of the links or images on the blog may contain affiliate links, which add no extra cost to you, but will help me earn a small commission and reduce the costs of running this blog.Last thing which caught my attention was this cute little cafe where I had the locally produced and freshly brewed coffee which was amazin'. You can also buy the coffee beans and other traditional home made snacks from the cafe.
It indeed was a great short trip and we are so glad we made it to Doi Inthanon Natinal Park. Stay tuned for upcoming posts as we visited 5 places around Doi Inthanon Natinal Park.
Have you visited a Karen village or any of the other hill tribes in Northern Thailand?
How was your experience?
Share in the comment section below.
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- Vandna Tilkaan
- Vandna is an avid blogger living in Thailand, devoting most of her time to creative writing and blogging since 2012.
Academically, she has done Ayurvedic Pharmacy, Post Graduation Diploma in Computer Applications and Master in English. Using her intuitive skills along with her own experience; as well as with her online expertise, she loves to help others in every possible way.
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