Have you ever wondered what the highest point in Thailand looks like? That would be the Doi Inthanon National Park in Chiang Mai, Thailand. From majestic waterfalls and scenic walking trails to tribal villages and stunning pagodas, you can spend a whole day in this lush wonderland and still not get tired of the view.
We invited our TripGuru travel curator Melissa Pees to take a trip to Doi Inthanon, and if you haven’t quite made up your mind yet about visiting the area, you have to watch her cool video to see what it’s really like.
Here’s a little excerpt from Melissa’s review of her experience:
March 6, 2020. It’s 8 am, and a Thai with a green TripGuru shirt smiles at me when I reach the van. It is Vasit, my tour guide for today. After we had communicated via WhatsApp a few days before, I was really looking forward to getting to know him.
Our tour for today was composed of a small group with lovely people. The itinerary for the day was full of fun: First we visited two waterfalls (Wachirathan and Sirithan Waterfall), where we were stunned by the amazing landscapes! I love the nature in Thailand, especially the forests that have their special charm and magic.
After the waterfalls, we went to the Mae Klang Luang Village. I’m pretty sure Vasit knew that we could all use some good strong traditional coffee at this point. So we went to the Karen Hill Tribe, where they grow coffee beans from all over the world. Vasit explained the history of these people and gave us a lot of interesting information. (Did you know that all the Karen single ladies have to wear white clothes until they get married?) Really interesting. We also had lunch in one of the cute restaurants between the flower fields and small natural rivers. It had such an amazing view too!
My absolute favorite part of the tour was our next destination: Doi Inthanon National Park and the highest point in Thailand – around 2,500m above sea level. I have no words for it! I have been traveling to Thailand since 2015, and thanks to TripGuru I was finally able to visit one of my bucket list attractions in Thailand. This place is very popular among the Thais in the early morning, because of the chilly atmosphere which is a nice break from the sweltering heat in the city. You will not believe the temperature differences until you’ve experienced it yourself. It was 36°C in Chiang Mai, and it was 13°C in Doi Inthanon. (Some say you can even see frost on the leaves at times!) Pro tip: Take a jacket and maybe long trousers with you so you’re ready for the cold.
Once there, we walked through the Angka Nature Trail and saw a lot of different birds (some of which you can only find here in the park). Our last stop was also on top of the mountain – the twin Royal Pagodas, Napamatanee Don and Napaphon Bhumisiri. Pagodas made for the King and Queen in front of a breathtaking view in the middle of a huge flower park. The colors, the smells – I fell in love with it all. At around 4pm we started our journey back, making a stop at the local hill tribe market. I bought wild strawberries and they tasted so delicious!
To summarize my trip: Vasit was amazing, one of the friendliest and most open-minded guides I’ve ever had during my travels. With a good sense of humor (which I especially like). The whole tour was perfectly planned and I felt very welcome in every single place we went. I would highly recommend this tour to anyone who wants to see something special around Chiang Mai, and to book this tour with TripGuru! Thank you TripGuru – it was amazing!
Looking for more activities and things to do in Chiang Mai? We’ve got you covered! Check out our Chiang Mai Travel Guide and our favorite list of 15 Things to Do in Chiang Mai to Keep You Moving.
If you have any Chiang Mai or Doi Inthanon related questions, do leave us a holler in the comments section below, and we’ll gladly help you out.
