On Day 1, you will leave Chiang Mai early, say about 8:30 in the
morning. Within an hour, you will enter the Doi Inthanon National Park and stop
for half an hour to enjoy the Wachirathan Waterfall. Let me assure you that the
beauty of this waterfall will mesmerise you completely, and you will not tire
of taking and having pictures taken. If it’s busy, as it was when I was there, with
both Thai and foreign tourists, then it may be a little bit of a wait before
you can pose at the right spot. This stop will also offer an opportunity for a
quick bite of the delicious Thai cuisine if you forgot to have breakfast in the
morning or to relieve yourselves at the spotlessly clean happy rooms if drank
too much liquid with your breakfast!
Your next
stop will be a local covered market run by a hill tribe called the Karen.
There’s a lot to see and buy at this market, including fresh organic fruit and
vegetable grown by the Karen people. They will let you taste some of the fruit
before you decide to buy it. But they won’t force you to make a purchase. If
you buy it, they will express gratitude to you for supporting their tribe. If
not, they will greet you with a friendly smile and say mai pen rai (never mind). Most vendors you will see will be
female, who speak little or no English, but that’s when your guide can help
again. As I said, it’s not just fruit and vegetable that’s on sale at the
market: there’s a lot more, including but not limited to clothes, souvenirs, wine,
tea, handicrafts and ornaments.
You have a
mountain to climb as you drive on. Your next destination is Doi Inthanon.
There’s plenty to see on the way. Your guide will tell you about the flora and
fauna and the migrant birds that come to this national park from the Himalayas
to escape winter. If you were me, you would sit back and relax, enjoying the
scenic view and lush greenery of the rolling hills, recognising only teak and
rhododendron trees, paddy fields and strawberry farms. If you want to know more,
you can always ask your very knowledgeable guide.
At 2,565
metres above the sea level, Doi Inthanon is the highest spot in Thailand. At
the top of this mountain, there is the summit, of course, the King Inthanon
Memorial Shrine, a wooden trail-bridge leading to the Visitor Centre (which
provides visual and textual information on Doi Inthanon’s biodiversity), a
souvenir shop and a cafeteria called Summit (whose coffee is very good!).
If you go
there, like I did, in December, expect it to be chilly, if not freezing, so do
not make the mistake of not carrying a warm and waterproof jacket with you. But
I wish you better luck with the weather. It was drizzling during my visit, and the
breath-taking scenery was shrouded in fog. You really want to go to Doi
Inthanon. It’s calm, quiet and peaceful. After all, how many highest summits does
one get to climb? I have climbed one, and here’s your chance!
After
driving for another hour and a half from the Doi Inthanon summit, you will
arrive in the small village of Mae Chaem. Here, you will see ladies weaving
scarves, shawls and beautiful patterns of artwork to go on various kinds of
fabric. The oldest lady, who was actively doing this work, when I was there,
was 77. You will see that some of their weaving will be showcased at a village
souvenir shop. It is one of the many things women do to share responsibility
and contribute to their family’s economy.
You will
have your lunch at a local restaurant by the river in Mae Chaem. Your order can
be customised, whether you want to share and eat like the Thai people do or eat
individually. The lady who runs the restaurant will greet you with a friendly
smile and speak politely. The food will be reasonably priced, if not incredibly
inexpensive, and hygienic as well as delicious. But if you have a rice meal and
a glass of beer, like I did, you will struggle to keep your eyes open on the
post-lunch drive. No matter how much you keep telling yourself that you want to
continue enjoying the scenery, you will end up falling asleep and won’t wake up
until you have arrived in Mae Sariang in the late afternoon!
Mae Sariang
is a district and also a small town in the Mae Hong Son Province. Needless to
say, it has a lot to offer, but if you arrive there late in the afternoon and
need to leave early next morning, there are only a handful of things you can
do. Thrice a week, they have a walking street lined with street vendors selling
food, fruit, vegetable, beverage, clothes and other things. The walking street
is only a short stretch, which extends to a night market after sunset, offering
inexpensive dining options and takeaways. The famous Jong Soong Temple is only
a short distance away and must not be missed when you are in Mae Sariang.
You are sure to enjoy a good night’s sleep after the long road you have travelled and the good food you have eaten. The journey is not over yet, as you have further to go and more to explore.
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