Day trip out from Chiang Mai to Wat Phra That Doi Sutep, Mon Cham and Bua Tong Sticky Waterfall.

11 January 2018

 There are many interesting places to visit outside of Chiang Mai city and the best way to explore these places without joining a group tour is to hire a car with a driver cum guide to bring us to these places.

Our plan for the day is to visit Wat Phra That Doi Sutep (also known as Doi Suthep Temple) in the morning, have lunch at Mon Cham (or Mon Jam as it is sometimes known), relax and enjoy the views and fresh air at Mon Cham, then spend some time at the Bua Thong “Sticky” Waterfall in the afternoon before returning to Chiang Mai. 

Our guide Jack (his full name is Nattawut Areepunth) came to pick us promptly at 7.30 AM from the Movenpick Suriwongse Hotel. It is good to start early to avoid the traffic going up to Doi Suthep (Mount Suthep) and crowds of tour groups that typically swamp this extremely popular temple later in the morning.

We travelled up Doi Suthep in a spacious Toyota Commuter van with driver that Jack hired for the five of us.  For smaller groups , e.g. solo traveller or couple, Jack would drive his own car instead and save us some cost.

Wat Phra That Doi Sutep

Wat Phra That Doi Sutep is a temple built near the top of the Doi Suthep, about 15 kilometers from the city of Chiang Mai. For those who fancy a hike, there is a challenging hiking trail that leads to the temple. To make things easier for pilgrims to visit the temple, a monk named Kruba Siwichai collected funds and built a road to the temple back in 1552. A shrine dedicated to Kruba Siwichai is built at the foot of the mountain.

After the drive up the winding road to the temple’s vicinity, there is still 306 steps up a Naga (serpent) staircase before arriving at the temple.

Alternatively, visitors could take a cable car up, for a small fee.

A group photo before walking the 306 steps up to Wat Phra That Doi Sutep.

The cool but slightly misty morning weather was perfect for a morning workout, so we chose to walk up the steps.

The staircase is flanked by intricately carved mythical Nagas (Serpents) emerging from the mouth of a Makara. Did you see a cobra at the front of the multi-headed Nagas.

After paying the entrance fee of 30 THB per person, we entered the temple. The first place to go is the inner terrace which houses the beautiful golden chedi (pagoda) enshrining the relic of Buddha.

Steps leading to the Inner Terrace.

This part of the temple will get very crowded later in the morning. We had to remove our shoes before entering the inner terrace.

Beautiful golden Chedi (pagoda) enshrining the relic of Buddha.

This place is amazing. In addition to the impressive golden chedi, there are many images of Buddha in different poses, which depict significant moments in the Buddha’s life. There were also many religious happenings to observe. 

It is customary for people to walk three times around the golden chedi in the clockwise direction while chanting prayers and holding a flower. One round for Buddha, one round for Buddha’s teachings and one round for the monks.

 

Images of Reclining Buddha. A devotee could be seen in the background, doing the customary walk around the golden chedi.

Jack showed us the Buddha images corresponding to the seven days of the week. Certain events in the life of the Buddha are thought to have occurred on certain days and hence there are images of Buddha in various poses representing these events, and associated with the days on which they occurred.

Buddha images corresponding to the seven days of the week. There are two for Wednesday, one for morning and one for evening.

 

More Buddha images corresponding to the seven days of the week.

Thais believe that their day of birth reflects their lives and they would pay respect to the Buddha images that corresponds to that day.

The Thais also have their lucky colours based on the day of the birth. Red for Sunday, Yellow for Monday, Pink for Tuesday, Green for Wednesday, Orange for Thursday, Blue for Friday, and Purple for Saturday.

After visiting the Inner Terrace, we put on our shoes again and explored the rest of the temple.

There is a large mural, carved from teak wood, depicting the legend of how the temple was built on Doi Suthep and a statue of a white elephant.

Mural carved from teak wood depicting the legend of how the temple was built on Doi Suthep.

Statue of a white elephant.

There are a few versions of the legend on how the temple was built. A popular version is that a monk was carrying the shoulder bone of Buddha to the Lanna Kingdom when it broke into two pieces. One piece was placed in a temple called Wat Suan Dok, and the other piece was attached to a white elephant. The elephant was allowed to roam as it pleased. The elephant was walking on Doi Suthep when it suddenly trumpeted 3 times and died peacefully. Wat Phra That Doi Sutep was then built at the spot where the white elephant died.

Goddess of the Earth squeezing water from her hair to protect the Buddha. Scene from a Buddhist mythology.

Our guide Jack providing lot of interesting explanations of Buddhism and local cultures.

Although we could have visited Wat Phra That Doi Sutep on our own, I was glad we engaged Jack to be our guide as he provided us with lots of interesting insights into local cultures and Buddhism.

There is a lookout point from the temple but it was misty so we did not get to see the views of Chiang Mai city from the temple.

Misty morning at Doi Suthep temple.

I also could not help noticing the many dogs at Wat Phra That Doi Sutep. Here are some of the doggy photos.

Mon Cham (also known as Mon Jam)

Mon means “hill” in Thai and Mon Cham is a hill ridge located about an hour’s drive northwards from Chiang Mai, in the Mae Rim district.

The Nong Hoi Royal Project has transformed the rural hill top area into farms with flowers, vegetables and fruits. It is off the beaten track and few tour groups know or come to this place. However, this place is popular with locals, including those from Bangkok.

While we passed by strawberry farms and a few cafes offering “food and drinks with a view” on the steep narrow road up, our planned lunch stop is a restaurant located on the top of the ridge with freshest air and best panoramic views. 

This restaurant does not take reservations, so it was important to arrive early in order to secure sittings in one of the few wooden huts overlooking the valley.

It was about 11 AM when we arrived at the already crowded carpark surrounded by stalls selling local produce. Jack led us on a brisk walk uphill to the restaurant as he was concerned that we may not get a hut with a nice view. It would be sickening to drive all the way here for “a lunch with a view” and get no views.

We were the first to arrive and had the pick of the row of empty huts! Shortly afterwards, most of the huts were occupied.

Lunch at one of the huts with views of the mountains and valley below.

Deciding what’s for lunch. English menu is available and includes some western items like pasta and omelette. We obviously chose to eat the Thai food, followed by coffee and cheese cakes.

Mon Cham is an excellent place to come with family or friends, to have a nice casual meal, relax, chit chat and enjoy the cool surroundings. 

Seating on bare wooden planks in the hut was not too comfortable but the views and air at the mountain top more than made up for it.

After lunch, there was still plenty of time to smell the flowers. Literally.  Mon Cham weather was nice, bright and cool. Perfect for flowers.

Shutterbugs and those who like flowers would enjoy Mon Cham. See the flying bee with pollen?

Cherry blossoms in Thailand in January.

Visiting monks to Chiang Mai enjoying an outing to Mon Cham.

We paid 10 THB each to enter a strawberry farm. What was really interesting was the giant yellow sunflowers at the each ends of the rows of strawberries. The bright yellow sunflowers are to attract insects away from the strawberry fruits.

Look at the size of that sunflower!

We were more fascinated by the giant sunflowers than the strawberries.

Farms with terraces for planting cut into the slopes.

This place has strawberry farms only during winter. In summer, the crop would be cabbage which is in huge demand for the mookata (Thai barbeque steamboat).

For those planning to stay in Mon Cham, camping in tents seemed to be the only option at present. Jack showed us a recent photo of Mon Cham on the eve of the New Year. Rows and rows of tents on the mountain side. “Refugee camp” as he called it. He then chuckled as he told us “there is only a few toilets for those thousands of people. Most of them were from Bangkok”.

Camping ground at Mon Cham, with rows of tents on the opposite hill. 

Car park with red and yellow songthaews (taxis adapted from pickup trucks) that brought locals to Mon Cham.

Other activities in Mon Cham includes downhill racing in a hill-tribe go-kart.

Prior to leaving Mon Cham, we bought some fried chicken from a food stall next to the car park for a picnic at our next destination. Our next destination was Bua Thong Waterfall with picnic facilities and the “sticky” waterfall.

Bua Tong “Sticky” Waterfall

When I first heard of the “sticky waterfall” and the fact that we could safely walk or climb up this waterfall, it became one of the “must-go, must-see and must-shoot” place to include in my itinerary. I have always associate waterfalls with slippery and dangerous rocks. It would be cool to climb up a natural waterfall.

Bua Thong Waterfall has been nicknamed 'the sticky waterfall' because the calcium rich water that fed the waterfall had coated the rocks with limestone deposits. It is these deposits that made the rock surfaces not slippery. Hence, it should be very easy to climb up the waterfall. We had to see it, try it to believe it.

Located about 70 km north of Chiang Mai (an hour and a half by car), the national park with Bua Thong Waterfall is mostly unknown to tourists and there’s no public transport going there from Chiang Mai. The best way to go is to arrange for private transport or charter a songthaew. Nevertheless, this place is popular with locals during the weekends and, like us, more and more independent travellers are adding this place to their itinerary. 

From Mon Cham, it took us slightly over an hour to get to the park. There are large fields of green lawn with picnic benches shaded by tall trees that made this place ideal for a picnic.  The picnic had to wait as we were here for the unique waterfall.

The waterfall has 3 or more tiers. The entrance to the park is at the highest tier so we had to walk down a rocky trail with stairs in order to climb the waterfall. We did not go all the way to the bottom, so we only saw the highest 2 tiers of the waterfall.

Standing at the edge of a waterfall. Don’t try this with a normal waterfall!

The safest way to climb the waterfall is with bare feet, so we could feel the friction on the rocks. Although most parts of creamy white limestone covered rocks felt tacky, like walking on rough concrete, there were small bluish green patches covered with algae that were slippery.  And with the water gushing down on our ankles, one could still slip and be hurt real bad.   

Photo shot by our guide Jack as the five of us climbed the top tier of the waterfall.

Some of the steeper parts had safety ropes attached to provide handholds.

I never thought that I would climb up a natural waterfall, but I did. It was good fun and we felt like teenagers again.

Cool off by just sitting under the running water. It is a good idea to bring a towel, swimsuit or extra clothing.

We ended the day with a picnic at the park till almost closing time (5 PM). Then an hour and a half drive back to Chiang Mai.

Travel planning tips:

The best way to visit the remote places like Mon Cham or Bua Thong Waterfall is with private transport. Better still, engage a private tour guide like Jack. He is polite, respectful, knowledgeable about Buddhism (good for temple tours) and caring.

Jack’s email: 

privatetourthailand2015@gmail.com

It is easy and inexpensive to travel to the popular Doi Suthep Temple from Chiang Mai via public transport (songthaew). So it is easy to visit to this temple on your own. However, going with a guide who is knowledgeable in Buddhism and could explain the sights and religious practices made our visit much more enlightening.

Go early to beat the crowds and go on a clear day if you want to see the views of Chiang Mai from the temple.

The best and perfect time to visit Mon Cham is from October to February, preferably on a weekday.

Bua Thong is popular with locals. Go on a weekday, preferably early morning or late afternoon, when there would be less people. Bring a towel, change of clothes or swimwear, and sandals.

For visitors to Chiang Mai, it is good to plan a day trip out of the city to see the attractions that is off the beaten track. These are a few  attractions or activities that could replaced any one of the above places in the itinerary.

1. Beautiful and impressive Wat Ban Den temple is near to Bua Thong Waterfall. Trip report of my visit to Wat Ban Den.

2.  Zip-lining, elephant sanctuary in the Mae Thaeng area. Trip report of my visit to Lanna Kingdom Elephant Sanctuary.

3. River rafting and visit to Karen Long Neck village.

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Cafe hopping at Nimmanhaemin, the hip and chic part of Chiang Mai

12 January 2018

Our trip to Chiang Mai was with old school friends. So we planned a lazy morning in Chiang Mai where we would do little but explore cafes in the Nimmanhaemin area, known to be the chic and trendy part of Chiang Mai.

The Nimman area includes the main Nimmanhaemin Road, which runs south from Maya Shopping Mall on Huay Kaew Road, cutting through the city’s bustling university area towards the airport, plus all the small Soi or side lanes along the Nimmanhaemin Road.

Prior to the trip, we did some research on the best cafes in this area and one stood out. We made this cafe our first stop since it opens pretty early too.

After a light breakfast at the Movenpick Suriwongse Hotel, we took a songthaew to Ristr8to, located at Nimmanheamin Road, Soi (Lane) 3.

The Ristr8to store located at Nimmanheamin Road, Soi (Lane) 3.

This cafe is supposed to be the best coffee shop in Chiang Mai. The owner worked for many years in Australia, won awards for his latte art and brought back the secret skills of good coffee to Chiang Mai.

We later found that there is another Ristr8to store, located nearby along the main Nimmanheamin Road itself. That store seemed more crowded. I actually prefer the one we went to at Lane 3 (called Ristr8to Lab) as it is less crowded and the surroundings were more peaceful, being on a side lane instead of the busy main road.

Coffee roasting machines.

Sample of the signature coffee available at Ristr8to.

Check out the cool latte art works on our Signature coffees at Ristr8to.

With the cool and non humid winter weather, it was great to sit on the terrace, sipping the freshly brewed, carefully blended coffee with old school mates.

After Ristr8to, we wandered up and down the next side lane, and then the next lane, discovering the quirky themed cafes, boutiques and spa/massage places along the way.

Another cool themed cafe at Nimman area.

We saw some cafes that were recommended in internet but now permanently closed. Managing a cafe business in Chiang Mai is not so easy after all.

We made a stop at Rustic and Blue, located at Nimmanhaemin Road, Soi 7.

Sitting under a large mango tree in a courtyard garden, we had specially blended, caffeine-free fruit and flower tea, plus some delicious tacos.

Yes, caffeine-free organic tea. We cannot be drinking coffee the whole morning.

Rustic and Blue served specially blended organic tea that is caffeine free.

Delicious BBQ pork tacos, with spicy roasted chilli sauce, Jalapeno sauce, cheese and corn tortillas for 285 THB.

We ended our morning of cafe hopping at the Kao Soi Nimman, to have Chiang Mai’s signature curry noodle dish called Khao Soi for lunch. This is not a cafe but a restaurant that opens later, in time for the lunch time crowd. Located along Soi 7, it is quite popular and had a number queuing system.

Sitting area at Khao Soi Nimman.

The restaurant serves an extensive range of Thai dishes but we ordered the Chicken and BBQ Pork Khao Soi. The delicious bowls of curry noodles came with small bowls of chopped shallots and pickled vegetables to add on as toppings. The portions are not large and priced around 69 to 79 THB per bowl.

Chicken Khao Soi at Kao Soi Nimman

BBQ Pork Khao Soi at Kao Soi Nimman, with the optional toppings of chopped shallots and pickled vegetables added.

Overall, Kao Soi Nimman is a good place to have lunch or Khao Soi when in the Nimman area.

In one morning, we only had time to check out 3 places in Nimmanhaemin. I am sure there are a lot more interesting and excellent cafes and eating places in this area. The next time we visit Chiang Mai, we will be back here again to explore more.

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An afternoon of fishing at the Bo Sang Fishing Park in Chiang Mai

12 January 2018

After a lazy morning of cafe hopping at the chic Nimmanhaemin area, we went to Bo Sang Fishing Park to burn some calories. This was the second time I did some fishing in Chiang Mai. I came to catch the giant Mekong Catfish back in December 2014 (Trip report). It was so fun that I promised that I will be back to do more fishing if I do visit Chiang Mai again.

Once again, I contacted Big Game Fishing Adventure Tour to arrange for a fishing guide and Elf was our guide this time.

Elf picked our group of 2 guys and 3 ladies up from the Nimmanhaemin area in his car. Only the guys from our group did the fishing. The ladies came along to observe, give encouragement and to enjoy the tranquil surroundings at the park.

Bait and tackle were all provided by Elf, our guide.

The weather was cooler than normal, perfect for an afternoon out in the open. Elf was concerned that the fish may be less active with the lower temperature. His concerned was unfounded as a fish took the bait almost as soon as it was cast into the pond.

First fish on the hook almost instantly.

First Mekong Catfish caught. Not the largest but strong enough to give a decent fight for about 5 minutes.

Elf provided some instruction to my fishing companion. In no time, he was busy in a tug of war with a fish across the line. He took about 10 minutes to land his first catch.

Jiang’s whopper.

All the fish caught was released back into the pond. We took photos of the larger fishes caught. It was not easy to lift the slimy and heavy (approximately 25 to 30 kg) fish up for a photo.

One of the smallest caught.

Last catch for the day. By then, my arms were too tired to lift the fish up for a photo. 

Between the two of us, we caught at least 5 decent size whoppers and many smaller ones. This was more of the bigger fish than my last time here at Bo Sang Fishing Park. By the end of the day, my arms felt like they were made of lead. 

Unlike the last time where I was provided with a gimbal belt to support the rod during the fight with a big fish, this time I had to support the rod using my body. I later discovered a round bruise on my body where I had rested the end of my fishing rod during the fights with the giant catfishes.

That evening, we had dinner at the Green Chilli Thai Restaurant located at 143 Loi Kroh Road, in the Chiang Mai Night Bazaar area. This restaurant is owned and operated by Mr Suvit, the owner of Big Game Fishing Adventure Tour. Elf, our fishing guide, also worked in this restaurant in the evening. The restaurant serves good Thai food at a reasonable price and is ideal for casual dinner out with a group of friends.

We ended our last evening in Chiang Mai with two hours of soothing massage at the Fah Lanna Massage place, along the same Loi Kroh Road.

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Visit to Wat Phra Singh, Fern Forest Cafe and Khao Soi Khun Yai

13 January 2018

We had nothing really planned for our last morning in Chiang Mai before taking the afternoon flight home. Four of us decided to go explore more of the Old City while one decided to spend her morning relaxing in the Movenpick Suriwongse Hotel.

We took the songthaew or “red trucks” to Wat Phra Singh. By now, we were getting good in hailing a songthaew and getting to our destination. The songthaew are shareable public taxis made from converted pickup trucks and are the cheapest option to get around Chiang Mai on four wheels.

Wat Phra Singh is located inside the old city wall, at the western end of Ratchadamnoen Road. Our songthaew alighted us inside the compound of Wat Phra Singh, right in front of the main prayer hall. 

The main prayer hall Viharn Luang of Wat Phra Singh.

Gold and copper image of a seated Buddha inside the main prayer hall of Wat Phra Singh.

This impressive main prayer hall or viharn houses a very highly revered Buddha image named Phra Chao Thong Tip. This gold and copper image of a seated Buddha was cast in 1477.

There were lots of donation boxes, all for different causes inside the prayer hall. There was a prayer in progress and we stood to observe and listen to the chants for a while.

Vegetarian food for after the prayer session.

Leaving the main prayer hall, we turned left and came to a small elaborate building (library) built on a high stone base. The base has many beautiful carvings which have recently been renovated.

This small elaborate Lanna style building next to the prayer hall is the library or scripture repository. It has a stone base to protect precious manuscripts from flooding and pest.

One of the many Buddhist spirit figures at the sides of the base of the library. 

Behind the main prayer hall, there was a large impressive golden chedi, with golden elephants emerging from all four sides. The chedi had been restored and renovated many times to its present glided state.

Large impressive golden chedi, with golden elephants emerging from all four sides.

Another golden chedi at Wat Phra Singh.

We made the mistake of just walking past and not entering the Viharn Lai Kam at Wat Phra Singh. This prayer hall or viharn houses the Phra Singh Buddha or Lion Buddha that gave this temple its name.

From Wat Phra Singh, we headed northwards to continue our exploration of the old city. We stopped and took a look inside the 99 The Gallery Hotel after an antique car at its front caught our attention. This is quite a nice boutique hotel located across from Wat Phra Singh.

Antique car outside the 99 The Gallery Hotel. This car has an antenna for a radio.

Outside of the Fern Forest Cafe, with hanging bird’s nests as part of its decor.

We stumbled upon a cafe set within beautiful surroundings. Called the Fern Forest Cafe, a coffee-break in its “fern forest” was very relaxing.

We sat in the open courtyard although the inside of the cafe is nicely furnished. There is even a pianist playing live music inside.

There is a nice Koi pond outside the building, with quite tame koi that will kiss your hand if you put them into the water.

Our last destination for the day was Khao Soi Khun Yai or Grandma’s Khao Soi, a nondescript roadside curry noodle shop in northern perimeter of the Old Town. Khao Soi is Chiang Mai’s signature dish and visitors to Chiang Mai should try this dish at least once.

I had eaten several Khao Soi during this trip. This place is reputed to have the best Khao Soi in Chiang Mai and so it is a good place for lunch when visiting Chiang Mai.

It is popular with locals and getting very popular with travellers who made a planned lunch stop here, just to taste the best Khao Soi.

Beef Khao Soi at Khao Soi Khun Yai with crispy deep fried noodles as toppings.

A slice of lime, chopped onions and pickled vegetables to add as toppings.

We ordered a bowl of Beef Khao Soi (40 THB) and a bowl of Chicken Khao Soi (35 THB) per couple for sharing. The dark brown curry has a unique flavour that made this Northern Thai dish special. 

I would recommend the Beef Khao Soi if you are only having one bowl. The pieces of beef are nicely cooked, tender and flavourful.

In any case, the portions are small and I could have eaten 2 bowls if I was really hungry.

The stall also sells iced drinks made from dried longan berries that complement the spicy noodles nicely.

Location of Khao Soi Khun Yai:

Located between the temples Wat Rajamontean and Wat Khuan Khamaon, on the inner perimeter of the North moat of the Old City. The stall is under a shed, slightly off the road, next to an open area.

Operating hours: 10 AM – 2 PM, Monday to Saturday.

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