Doi Ang Khang ‘Feel the touch of sweet smell from colorful flowers’
Are you feeling so tired of living in a big city full of pollution? Are you feeling so bored of seeing only concrete buildings all around you everyday? Are you thinking of getting away from all of these? Are you planning to go to some place surrounded with beautiful nature? If so, you’re approaching the right direction! Because. here is a place that you’re going to love it so much!
Today, Doi Ang Khang will be introduced to you.
Doi Ang Khang is a mountain area located in Mae-Ngon District, Fang County, Chiangmai Province. Its height is about 1,400 metres, above the sea level. However, you may wonder where the name ‘Ang Khang’ from. Well, Ang Khang is northern Thai words, which mean a square pond. And that is what Doi Ang Khang look like.
Doi Ang Khang is surrounded with valleys, which are total 5 kilometres long and 3 kilometres wide. Its central part was once a high limestone hill. Therefore it didn’t last long, due to the rain. The rain eroded it and therefore caused it to be collapsed.
You’re gonna love the place for sure if you go. There are millions sqaure metres of area used for agricultural works in research. There are also 6 villages of the mountain people, consisting of Ban Luang, Ban Khum, Ban No Lae, Ban Pang Ma, Ban Pa Ka, and Ban Khob Dong. These village have been developed, so the villagers live peacefully. The villagers consist of 4 different ethnic groups, Shan People, Black Lahu People, Palaung People, and Chin Haw People. Therefore, beside of going sightseeing around the mountain, you will also have your opportunity of learning the lifstyles of these people too. And that is a valuable experience. You will learn new things. You will gain a lot of knowledge.
That’s not the end of that. There are still plenty of zones within Doi Ang Khang. Here are some of them.
- Luang Ang Khang Agricultural Centre : When King Bhumibol, the 9th king of Thailand, visited the villagers of Phak Phai Village in Fang County. He saw many farmers grew opiums, deforested and destroy the river source. He worried that these could cause huge ecological problems for the rest parts of the country Therefore he sacrificed his own money to purchase some parts of the area in Doi Ang Khang. Then he established his own royal project. His project is all about growing and researching winter plants, in order to teach the mountain agriculturists how to grow these plants properly too.
- Suan Somdej : You will see plenty kinds of winter plants in this zone.
- Suan Paedsib : The name was inspired by the occassion that Bhisadej Rajani, the project owner, turned 80. This garden is decorated in English style. So beautiful! You will see various winter plants.
- Chinese Plum Garden : Following its name, of course, this garden is full of Chinese plum trees.
- Kham Doi Garden : This zone consists of flowers from Rhododendron species. Most of them are imported from foreign countries like New Zealand or England.
- Winter Fruits Field : Strawberries, Raspberries, Chinese plums etc. You can find them all in this zone.
- The Sunset-Seeing Spot : If you want to see a romantic sunset in the morning, then go to the spot, which is located on the path to Ban Khob Dong and Ban No Lae. Winter is the best time to go, because the sunset will be most stunning and beautiful.
- The Stair Strawberry Field : This strawberry field is not a one-height ground, but it consists of descending land, which make it looks like a stairway. Go and see how the farmers grow sweet strawberries. You should go in the morning
- Doi Ang Khang Operation Base : This zone is located about 1 kilometres before the Agricultural Centre. It is another great spot for seeing the sunrise.
- No Lae Village : Inhabited by Palaung People, you can see and learn local lifestyles there. You will meet the villagers. Moreover, there are some souvenirs for sale too, for instances, scarfs, bags etc. All of these are hand-made by the villagers. You will want to purchase some.
There are still more. If you want to know what they are, then you have to visit the real place.
One thing you need to be cautious is the climate. The average temparature of Doi Ang Khang is about 17.7 degree Celcius all year round. Its highest temperature is about 32 degree Celcius, which is in April. But, on the contrary, the temperature can be dropped to -3 degree Celcius in January. So, you need to make your own decision. Which kind of climate you like better, hot or cold? Just decide it so that you can arrange your trip in a proper time.
You can spend you night in Doi Ang Khang if you want to. There are many camping spots that you can set up a tent. But, before doing that, you need to contact a ranger first.
How to get there
As you’ve been informed, Doi Ang Khang is located ae-Ngon District, Fang County, Chiang Mai Province.
The first way to go is to drive a car. You can start your strip from Chiang Dao County and use the path along Ban Arunnothai. Keep going until you find your way up to the mountain. Or, another path is to use Chaiprakarn County-Fang County Highway. Be extra careful if you choose this path, because the road is quite curved. Keep driving for about 70 kilometres. Then you will notice Wat Had Samran. Just turn left and keep going for another 25 kilometres. Seriously, be extra careful! This path is not just curved, but also steep.
If you don’t have a car, you can take a public van or a bus. You can find them at transport stations. The service fee will be somewhere around 80-150 Baht, probably less or more.
Nearby Places
Here are some other tourist attractions in Fang County. If you want to explore further, then don’t miss them.
Fang hot springs rates, in Thailand, as one of it’s most famous. The Thai language travel magazine ‘Places and Prices’ recent ‘special issue’ mentions Fang as well as Sankhampaeng, Pong Dued, Thapai Ranong and Jaeson as their top hot springs in the country.
Doi Pha Hom Pok mountain is Thailand’s northernmost national park. It’s mostly covered by dense, wild jungle. Its summit reaches an elevation of 2285, which makes it Thailand’s second highest mountain. It is sparsely visited, especially by foreigners, so it can make an ideal destination for one who seeks to experience the wild in an otherwise crowded with tourists country. Being aware of its existence, and happening to be situated nearby
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