Huai Tueng Thao

Huai Tueng Thao

Riding around mountains

CHIANG MAI PROVINCE : Navigating the city’s morass of gentle lanes on cool summer nights can make this one of urban Thailand’s most enjoyable riding experiences. The route has been chosen from an interminable range of others for its flexibility to both novices and experts and its extremely convenient location just outside of Chang Mai, at the crack between Huai Tueng Thao and Doi Suthep National Park. The route itself makes for a gloriously amiable shotgun-wedding between the area’s mountainous forests and lychee fields, and a number of more urbane amenities and activities with which to fill itinerary and stomach.

A bit further down the road

Starting from one of the bike rental shops on Sam Lan Road which runs past Wat Phra Sing,leave the city walls from the west, following the northbound quadrant of the moat up until the intersection at its comer before turning left down Huai Kaeo Road Pass Chiang Mai’s oldest shopping mall and keep going until the second large intersection, there take a northward rightum. 1 km in, you can get off the main road and follow the dirt path running along the parallel canal, following the signs for the 700-year Stadium, where you turn left at after 5 km. Huai Tueng Thao, actually a reservoir, is just a bit further down the road.

But instead of heading straight there, make for the trails and go behind the Stadium, crossing the dam wall into the forest. Follow the lovely, blue and red-marked mixed terrain routes that leave you at Huai Tueng Tueng Thao after 10 km. Otherwise, circling the lake is fulfilling in itself and either way you can reward yourself at one of the many cheap and breezy lakeside restaurants before returning to Chiang Mai.

Ray-Ban

Doi Phu Kha

Doi  Phu  Kha

Botanist’s paradise

NAN PROVINCE. Doi Phu Kha National Park is a great destination for those wanting to combine laid-back relaxation with moderate exploration of nature. Visitors will notice that the landscape has been groomed and altered to receive guests. That said, it does not mean they will not get a high dose of nature within the Park.

      Beginning with the journey up the mountain from Pua district, visitors will see that large patches of forest on the slope of the hills have been turned into fruit orchards, namely for lychee. The sight may not be the best introduction, but on arrival in the Park area, it is a relief to find that most of its forest remains intact.

      Take time to view the exhibition in the Visitor Centre. Here, guests will learn that besides the star attraction, Chomphu Phu Kha flowers, there is also a chance to see a living fossil, Cayota gigas. Also known as Hahn ex Hodel, or Tao Rang Yak in Thai, this giant palm has a height of 40 m  and is endemic to the area. 

      The Park also offers the possibility of spotting a myriad of wild animals, ranging from rare birds ( the most remarkable one being Sitta fomosa ) deer, and and gibbons to bears, wild elephants, or even tigers.

Something for Everyone

        For those content with lovely strolls through the woods, there are two nature trails near the Park headquarters to enjoy. The small trail is 2 km long; the longer one is 4 km, both winding through a forest of kesiya, or three-needled, pine, whose fallen needles provide a soft brown carpet over the paths as they lead to Chomphu Phu Kha and Tao Rang Yak groves. 

        The trails are sufficiently well-defined, but the Park recommends visitors be accompanied by a ranger. Trekking should be avoided during the rainy season, as leeches are quite brutal.

Doi Phu Kha offers other activities the whole year round. 

         From August to December, the river Nam Wa, with its 20 rapids, provides good rafting ( contact the Visitor Centre to arrange a tip ). Bird and butterfly lovers should visit between November and June. During February and March, the forest will be tinted with the pink blossoms of Chomphu Phu Kha, 

         There also a number of caves and waterfalls that can be explored from October to May.

For more sedentary travelers, the Park provides comfortable and aesthetically pleasing accommodation. The smallest options are made from old carts and bamboo, with thatched roofs view of the mountain range. 

         Alternatively, a tent can be pitched in the campground to enjoy stargazing. To wrap up the day, the Park also provides a pavilion to observe the sunset over the hill-lined horizon.

Rany-Ban

Flight of the Gibbon

Flight of the Gibbon

Swaying over the treetops

CHING MAI PROVINE.  Despite the name, visitors do not exactly brachiate down 2-km long zip lines hanging some 30-m over the canopy of a tropical forest must produce a similar feeling to that enjoyed by a swinging primate.

          The trip begins with a 50-minute ride from Chiang Mai, with the last leg up the serpentine road of the Mae Kampong hills. There is a choice between going early in the morning, at noon, or during the late afternoon. The whole excursion takes about three hours. The temperature suddenly drops on entering the densely vegetated area, and the fun begins there.

          After gearing up with straps and helmet, visitors are taken to the first of 15 stations—wooden platforms built on the tree top, and briefed on safety procedures. A sample first flight follows, on a short zip line, to acquaint customers with the equipment and motion. Of course, an adrenaline surge is the main aim of zip-lining, but equally wonderful is the sight of the diverse shades of green and mountain-lined horizon seen while waiting to whizz from station to station. The deeper one goes inside the forest, the more impressive the size and formation of the trees. The flight concludes with a drop from a gigantic tree, in which one can choose to fall head or feet first.

Fun with Benefits

          What is greatly appreciated about this adventure is how the company is conscious about community and environmental issues. Before signing the disclaimer form, the staff make sure that visitors go through the recommendations. In the area around the office, signs give information about the vital roles of the tropical rainforest ecosystem. The company also claims that 10% of its profits go to conservation projects.

          Before being driven back to the city, visitors are served lunch, with a stroll at the Mae Kampong Waterfall as dessert. The Waterfall is it takes about 15 minute to climb to the top. At the entrance to the waterfall, a number of trees with saffron-coloured strips of cloth tied around the trunks may be seen. These trees are ‘ordained’ and become sacred, so that no poacher would have the heart or dare to cut them down- a perfect example of utilizing folk wisdom as a conservation strategy.