Hiking at Doi Luang Chiang Dao ‘The sky-high nature-seeing trip’

Speaking of your holiday, surely you must be so bored of staying at home without anything exciting to do. In that case, why don’t you just gather your money, pack your things and travel directly to this place…

Let’s fly to Chiang Mai and go hiking at Doi Luang Chiang Dao, instead of sitting lonely in your house. Go in hiking is a kind of exercise, which makes you become healthy. At the same time, you will feel happy with seeing all greenery surroundings.

Doi Luang Chiang Dao is the third highest mountain of Thailand, with 2,275-metred height above the sea level. It has been originated mainly from limestones. It  is believed that Doi Luang Chiang Dao was once a sea area. Yeah, you heard it right! A sea area! After the creatures like corals and shells died, their ashes started to gather each other. As time went by, the ashes has been transformed into a mountain, without any water source at all, but various kinds of greeneries.

In fact, Doi Luang Chiang Dao consists of many other mountains, all of which have more than 2000-metred heights, for instances, Doi Kew Lom…2,140 metres above the sea level, Doi Pyramid…2,175 metres above the sea level, Doi Nhok…2,000 metres above the sea level, or Doi Sam Phee Nong…2,150 metres above the sea level.

Among these mountains, there are only two mountaintops accessible for tourists to go sightseeing, Doi Kew Lom Mountaintop and Doi Luang Chiang Dao Mountaintop. Doi Kew Lom is suitable for you if you wish to see the morning sunrise and fog. Doi Luang Chiang Dao will be best if you’re looking forward to the sunset.

However, Doi Luang Chiang Dao is not avaiable for tourism all year round, but only from 1st November to 31rd March of every year.

There are two path of hiking at Doi Luang Chiang Dao.

1. Den Yah Chad-Ang Saloong Path : This is the most comfortable and popular path, but you need to rent a vehicle to deliver you to the walking spot, becauee it is quite far away. The path between your starting point and the mountaintop is about 8.5 kilometres. If you think you’re gonna get exhausted for sure, don’t worry. There is a night-sepnding spot for tourists during the path.
2. Pang Wua-Ang Saloong Path : With about 6.5 kilometres, some parts of it will be a little bit steep. However, there is a night-spending spot between the starting point at Dong Phai Hok and the ending point at Ang Saloong. You can spend your night there if you don’t mind. If you have a car, you can just park it at Chiang Dao County Office.

These two paths will meet each other at a junction. The joint path will continue to Ang Saloong, which is an area that you can set up your tent.

If you don’t have a car that will help you go up, you can require a service of a truck instead. The prices are different from each other, depending on how rough the road you go is.

In order to trek at Doi Luang Chiang Dao happily, don’t forget to follow these advices.

• Just make your trip comfortable. Don’t rush anything. Doi Luang Chiang Dao is an enourmous area. You can’t just tour all parts of it in one day. No! That’s impossible. You should plan your trip carefully. Just think about what you want to do in one day. You should spend the night if you plan for a long trip. Three days and two nights will be best. With this, you won’t get too tired.
• If you have never been hiking at Doi Luang Chiang Dao before, it will be safer if you have a tour guide with you, so that you won’t get lost. But if you do know your way around, feel free to explore the mountain by yourself.
• The authorities allow only 150 tourists for each round of hiking on Doi Luang Chiang Dao. Therefore, if you want to go, you have to contact the authorities at least 15 days ahead. Just inform your purpose (Why do you want to go to the mountain?), the amount and names of people in your tour group. Lastly, don’t forget to attach the date of your trip for the authorities. If your request is approved, the authorities will give you a license.
• The fees are: Admission fee = 20 Baht per one person, Car-included admission fee = 30 Baht per one car, Tent Setup Fee = 30 Baht per one day , Trash  Deposit = 600 Baht per one tour group (Tourists are able to trade their trash with the money later.)
• The only spot on Doi Luang Chiang Dao that is available for camping is around Ang Saloon.
• Tourists must prepare all necessary items for theirselves. Remember, there aren’t any convenient equipments on the mountain, including food, water, clothes, tent, blanket and flashlight. You have to stay naturally, sleeping in the middle of the trees.
• There aren’t any water sources on Doi Luang Chiang Dao. Therefore, water is the most important thing that you have to prepare, if you don’t want to get too thirsty. However, you can hire an employee to bring water into the camping area for you. But, still, you have to consume the water consciously, because one employee carries only 20 litres of water.

• Don’t get out of the defined way, just for your own safety.
• Don’t set up your camp outside the allowed area.
• Don’t drop you trash on the ground.
• Don’t set your trash on fire.
• Don’t destroy the natural environment.
• Don’t make a loud noise, or you will annoy other tourist friends.

How to get there

In case you have a personal car, just follow the Highway No.107 for about 72 kilometres. After reaching the junction to Ban Tham Chiang Dao and keep going for another 7 kilometres, you will find a parking spot. Just park your car there and hire a truck to deliver you to Doi Luang Chiang Dao’s treking spot.

Nearby Places

• Chiang Dao Cave

Tham Chiang Dao is part of the 2,100-metre-high Doi Chiang Dao mountain range, the third highest peak in Thailand formed by pushed up sea floors some 230-250 million years ago. For the most part, the cave is well lit, but as you progress further in, even a powerful flashlight is useless. The best way to go about exploring the cave is to hire a guide, who is well-equipped with a kerosene lantern and know his way around.

• Mae Ngad Somboon Chol Dam

The Mae Ngat Somboon Chol Dam floating houses have been one of the most fun and off-the-beaten-path places we’ve been to in Northern Thailand. There is nothing like getting a group of friends together and taking a trip out for a night or two on a freshwater lake in Thai-style floating bungalows!

• Mae Tang Elephant Kingdom

Just beyond Mae Taeng village is the “Mae Taeng river valley“,  here are many elephant parks located almost next to each other. The first elephant parks are in a narrow valley; but after driving through a narrow road the valley suddenly opens up into a broad valley surrounded by mountains through which the Mae Taeng river slowly meanders in a large “S” shape.

• Chiang Dao Elephant Camp

Chiang Dao Elephant Training Center is one of the first elephant camps in Chiang Mai. Offering the most beautiful natural setting, the center is surrounded by small hills, natural forest and the Ping River where all 32 elephants feel like home.