Chiang Dao Tour: Tribes, Caves and Waterfalls

Day 1: Chiang Mai – Chiang Dao

Doi Luang Chiang Dao, Thailand’s third-highest mountain

This is a private tour. Your guide and driver will meet you at the hotel at 0800 for your Chiang Dao Tour. Our destination today is the charming town of Chiang Dao, north of Chiang Mai. Along the way we will stop at Mae Malai, an attractive local market where we will do some shopping for our lunch. You can join your guide or wander around this friendly market on your own. After this we will continue our drive to Chiang Dao. This small town is known for Doi Luang Chiang Dao, an enormous limestone mountain that dominates the landscape and the town. It is Thailand’s third-highest mountain, which UNESCO approved as a Biosphere Reserve in 2021.

Trekking through the forest

We will continue to the Palong village of Pang Daen Nai, where we will start our morning hike. We will trek through the protected community forest. It is a comfortable and relaxing hike through mixed deciduous and bamboo forests. The trail is not flat, but everyone in reasonable shape can do this. We will walk mainly in the shade until we reach the first plantations and agricultural fields of the tribal communities in this area. We will pass through fruit plantations, cornfields, and patches of forest. In the distance, we can see the mountains of the Sri Lanna National Park.

Cooking with the Palong people

Mae Chon is a village of the Dara-ang (Silver Palong) people. After short introductions, we will show you the traditional rice pounder that Green Trails donated to the village. Then it is time to prepare lunch in the kitchen of Lung Bun, the house’s owner. If you wish, you can help your guide prepare lunch in a wok on a wood fire. He will teach you some of his cooking skills. Over lunch, we will try to teach you some words in the Palong language. After lunch, you can practice your newly acquired language skills with some villagers. It is fun! Then we will meet the weavers of the village. It will allow your guide to show you the beautiful traditional dress of this ethnic group.

After this, we will hike to the village of Huay Pong, where Palong and Red Lahu people live harmoniously. It is an excellent and easy walk of about one hour with lovely views of the surrounding fields and mountains. At the village, we will visit a unique Lahu spirit temple. Then we will drive to Chiang Dao, where we will stay in the Marisa Resort, set in a lush forest. Enjoy the swimming pool before you can have dinner on your own in the restaurant at the resort.

Day 2: Chiang Dao – Chiang Mai

The beautiful Sri Sangwang waterfalls

We’ll enjoy an early breakfast after having been woken up by the sounds of the village. Enjoy the morning view of the forest with a cup of coffee. Then we will continue our Chiang Dao Tour. We head for the Sri Sangwang waterfalls in Pha Daeng National Park. The Sri Sangwang Falls are “sticky” because the limestone surface is not slippery. At this lovely spot, we will spend some time swimming and relaxing. These waterfalls are much less visited than the famous Buatong Waterfall aka the “Sticky Waterfalls”. Nearby are the Hot Springs, which we also will visit. Not far from the waterfalls is a remarkable temple, which we will visit next.

Chiang Dao’s Golden Rock

Perched on a small hill is Wat Phra That Doi Mon Ching, a Shan (Tai Yai) temple. From here we have a great view of the majestic Doi Luang Chiang Dao, the third-highest mountain in Thailand (2175m). The famous Golden Rock in Mon State, Myanmar, inspired the design of this temple. A couple of monks are living at this small temple. Then it is time for a delicious Thai lunch at one of our favorite restaurants. Also from this location you have a lovely view of Doi Luang Chiang Dao and the surrounding countryside.

The sacred Chiang Dao Cave Temple

The Chiang Dao Cave Temple has been a sacred place for Thai people for hundreds of years. This limestone cave in the slopes of Doi Luang Chiang Dao is associated with legends, stories, and holy men. We explore the main cavern as well as one of the connected caves. A local guide from the community will accompany us with a gas lamp. Around the cave, there are many other things to see, such as pavilions with statues of monks, the assembly hall of the monk-engineer Kruba Srivichai and the Buddhist shrines of the Tai Yai hermit U Kanta. In the past we have funded the maintenance of these shrines.

The Cave Temple of Phra Ajaan Mun

The last place we will visit today is Wat Tham Pla Pong, a cave temple carved into the mountain. We walk up many steps to this highly revered sanctuary from where we have a nice view of the surrounding countryside. The monk Luang Poo Sim Phuthajaro established this cave temple in 1967. He was a follower of the forest monk Phra Ajaan Mun Bhuridatta Mahathera. A temple at Wat Chedi Luang in Chiang Mai is dedicated to this famous monk. Then it is time to drive back to Chiang Mai. We hope you enjoyed our Chiang Dao Tour.