Trekking Doi Inthanon - Pha Dok Siew

Trekking Doi Inthanon - Pha Dok Siew

Doi Inthanon Pha Dok Siew Trekking Tour Program in Chiang Mai, you will experience the beautiful nature and experience the local way of life in one day. Doi Inthanon trekking tour is highly recommended for natural lovers to explore nature beauty of Chiang Mai National Park.   

Doi Inthanon National Park Trekking Tour in Chiangmai at Pha Dok Siew is a natural trail that’s available three hundred and sixty five 365 days a year. Pha Dok Siew called the roof of Thailand with it been 2565 meters high, let’s take you trekking through the gorgeous forest and visit famous King & Queen Pagoda, then visiting the good Hmong Royal project market, and two beautiful waterfalls, including Pha dok siew and therefore the Wachirathan/ Watchirathan/ or Vachiratarn, Karen village and the rice fields.

Highlight of this Chiang Mai Attraction Tour

Doi Inthanon Summit
At the very top of the mountain to the Doi Inthanon summit, that’s the absolute best point inside the country. To achieve the summit, take a quick brief but magical walk along the Angkha nature path, that permits you to walk along via moss-included bushes and beyond ancient shrines.

Hmong Hill Tribe marketplace
For a glimpse into nearby life, visit the Hmong Hill Tribe Market. Right here you'll locate the locals promoting culmination and greens and various handicrafts. The sparkling produce is harvested from the king’s royal projects, a program that educates hill tribe citizenry in sustainable farming methods so to support their families.

Pha Dok Siew Nature Path
After sitting right down to enjoy a Thai lunch, experience a 2-hour trek alongside the Pha dok siew nature trail. Hike via shady forests and up and down the scenic jungle paths to terraced rice fields and therefore the Pha dok siew waterfall, where you might swim in its natural freshwater plunge pool! Afterwards, continue along the trail to a local Karen hill tribe farm and try a cup of natural coffee.

Itinerary of Doi Inthanon Pha Dok Siew Trekking Tour

07.00 – 07.30 am: Pick up from your hotel or guesthouse in Chiang Mai (Outside middle ring road, additional charges will apply) to Doi Inthanon National Park Trekking Tour with air-conditioned mini-bus. It will take about 1.30 Hrs to  Wachirathan Waterfall
08.30– 10.00 am: Visiting Wachirathan Waterfall
Wachirathan Waterfall is one of the most breathtaking sights in Doi Inthanon National Park. With a total drop of 164 feet (50 m), Wachirathan or Vachiratarn is one of the Doi Inthanon National Park’s most exciting sights, and an excellent place to observe birds that favor rocky, rushing streams.

10.00– 11.00 am: Visiting the highest mountain of Doi Inthanon National Park (Yod Doi Nature Trail, known as the “Forest of the sky” trail in Chiangmai) & Ang Ka Nature Trail.

Along the way you will experience the natural beauty of a forested mountain summit, learn how trees and plants have adapted to cold temperatures and see the elevation marker for the highest point in Thailand. Trekking Chiang Mai at Doi Inthanon, your will also see the highly adaptable “Thalo tree”, the most widespread forest tree in Asia. (See the photo of big Thalo tree and its root below) Look out also for the stupa, covering with mosses, containing relics of Prince Inthavichayanon, the 7th Prince who ruled Chiang Mai.

The trail is an easy of walking around 150m, steep in the early stages but mostly flat thereafter. The weather is cool and comfortable all year round due to the high elevation. The Yod Doi Nature trail at Doi Inthanon National Park is often shrouded in fog in winter while rain showers and chilly winds can arrive at any time in the wet season. Take plenty of pictures to keep your memories and be ready to note down your impressions to about this remarkable cloud forest at the highest point in Thailand.

King Inthanon Memorial Shrine
In March 1915, Chao Dara Rasmi, the royal consort of King Chulalongkorn, went on an excursion to the peak point of Doi Inthanon an ordered to erect here a memorial shrine in which to deposit the ashes of her father, King Inthanon, the 7th ruling prince of Chiang Mai (1870-1897).

In 1975 the Air Force built a little chedi next to the shrine in commemoration and in honor of H.M. the King.  

On 20 May 1986, a group of northern princes and their descendants, monks Air Force personnel and ordinary citizens, jointly built a new replacement shrine over the base bottom of the old shrine which had broken down.

Ang Ka Nature Trail  
At the Ang Ka Nature Trail, you can take a stroll through beautiful cloud forest and some patches of rare swamp forest. The forests of Ang Ka Nature Trail (Ang Ka mountain) are some of the highest forests and watershed areas in Thailand and home to one of the largest species of moss found anywhere in the world.

Along Ang Ka Nature Trail, you might see various kinds of flowers, birds, and plants such as the striking deep-red of Rhododendron flowers or glimpse the unique green-tailed sunbird, found only in Doi Inthanon National Park. Enjoy the timeless atmosphere created by all the small plants and epiphytes that decorate the branches and tree trunks.

This trail is a 340 m looped boardwalk trail and will take 20-30 minutes to walk. It is mostly flat except for around 30 meters of sloped trail near the start and end. In the rainy season it’s advisable to take an umbrella or wear a coat, while during the cool season make sure you have a warm jacket or sweater because the temperature can drop quickly. Rest frequently as you walk the trail because you are now at 2,500 meters above sea level so there is less oxygen for you in each breath you take.

11.00– 12.00 am: Visiting King & Queen Pagoda (the Chedi's of the King & Queen.)

The stupas, Phra Mahathat Naphamethanidon and Naphapholphumisiri are Buddhist places of worship containing the Lord Buddha’s relics from many original. The Royal Thai Air Force constructed the stupas in commemoration of Their Majesties the King’s and Queen’s Sixtieth Birthday Anniversaries in 1987 and 1992, respectively. Visitors should remain respectful at all times and follow the following regulations:
1. Dress property.
2. Refrain from making loud noise, uttering rude words and blowing car horn.
3. Observe appropriate conducts.
4. No food and /or alcoholic drinks are allowed in the parking area as well as the areas surrounding the stupas.
5. Keep off the grass and flowers.
6. Proper disposal of garbage.
7. Prior permission required for performance of religious rites and filming.
8. No pets are allowed in the area of the stupas.
9. The stupas are constructed on the highest peak of Doi Inthanon height 2,146 meters above sea level.
10. According to air density, please walk up and down slowly, especially elderly and children because they may refrain from running.
11. The stupas open 08.30 hours and close 17.00 hours.

12.00– 13.00 am: Have Thai lunch (not too spicy)

13.30– 16.00 am: Trekking Nature Trail through Pha Dok Siew (about 2 hours walking distance).
Pha Dok Siew Cliff: Pha Dok Siew derives its name from the special features of the cliff and the blooming of Mountain Ebony (Bauhinia variegate L.) in January and February. Mountain Ebony is a native plant; its petals are white, pink and purple.
•    Visit Pha dok siew waterfall
Pha Dok Siew Waterfall has 10 levels. Level 6th – 10th are visible, and the 7th, 20-metres high, is the most beautiful one. The name ‘Pha Dok Siew’ derives from the Purple Bauhinia tree, which is an endemic species in the area. There is a bamboo bridge across the stream for you to closely experience the beauty of the waterfall.
•    Hmong hilltribe market
•    Karen Village
•    Rice Fields
•    Strawberry Fields

16.30– 18.00 am: Return to your hotel in Chiang Mai

Remark:
•    For visiting the Chedi's of the King & Queen, you must honor the place by dressing in casual dress code (or better). No flipper shoes (sneakers, sport shoes or cut shoes are OK) , No tank top (T-Shirt is OK), No short pants (long pair of jeans is OK).
•    You might swim in its natural freshwater at Pha Dok Siew Waterfall. Please prepare your swimming suit and prepare some dress to get change.  

Included:
• Transportation with air-conditioned mini-bus
• Entry Tickets
• Thai Lunch
• English Speaking Tour Guide - knowledgeable, friendly and certified by TAT (the Tourism Authority of Thailand).
• Accident insurance.
• Foreigner national park fee (300 THB).

Excluded: Personal expense

Duration: 8-9 hours

What to bring:
• Warm Jacket
• Rain Coat
• Towel
• Swimming suit
• Water
• Snack
• Sun cream
• Insect spray
• Small bag

What To Expect & Additional Info

Doi Inthanon Nature Trail: Designer of the Cloud Forest.
Although overhead foliage is rather thick, at ground level the forest is quite spacious and easy to walk through. The floor is covered with a carpet of green and the branches are adorned with mosses, ferns, lichens and orchids. The gusty winds have shaped the canopy and sometimes brought down whole trees to create open spaces. It seems that the forest was planned and decorated by a virtuoso designer, who carefully selected species of plants and trees that would grown well in the cool temperatures, high moisture, acidic soils and dim light.
In fact, the forest is nothing more than a response to the local climate an elevation. Only a few tree species can with stand the severe conditions near the mountain summit including Thalo, Schima Wallichii Choisy, Syzygium Angkae, Quercus Vestita Griff and Heliciopsis terminalis Sleum.  This contrasts with more than 200 tree species found in the much more forgiving conditions lower down at the mid-section of Doi Inthanon.  
 
Sphagnum Moss – Living Carpet
Sphagnum Moss is a collection of small plants that grown very close to each other, forming a thick carpet on the ground. In the dry season this carpet fades and desiccates into a crusty layer but will return to its soft green majesty just as soon as the mist and dew come back. Remarkably, during dry periods mosses will desiccate completely but do not die; they will begin absorbing moisture when its available and restore normal growth processes.
 
Dead Sphagnum moss absorbs 20 times its own dry weight of water, which helps the immediate area stay moist during dry periods. The moss can regenerate locally by budding out from the shoot and extending horizontally across the ground like a spreading living carpet. To regenerate over a distance it produces lightweight spores which are carried by winds up into the moister and cooler areas.
 
Rhododendron – At Home in Cold Winds and Fog
Rhododendron “Kham Daeng” is a highly-adapted small tree, growing across a range of climatic zones from the Himalayan foothills to the elevated areas in the Tennasserim mountain range in Thailand. It can also adjust to various soil conditions, while its bush-like shape, irregular shaped branches and thick hard leaves allow it to withstand strong winds and Rhododendron’s dark green leaves allow it to photosynthesize in minimum light.

Rhododendron (“Kham Daeng”) color their flowers a deep crimson and lace them with sweet nectar to entice birds and insects in. While entering and exiting flowers, those birds and insect unwittingly participate in pollination, allowing the tree to produce its lightweight seeds with small wings that can “fly” out from the mother tree.

 Source of this image: https://www.facebook.com/chairut.aman

Cool Comfort for Mountain Birds
Upper areas of mountains are usually home to fewer species of plants and animals in comparison with their foothills Also, in elevated forests there tend to be mostly insect-eating creatures rather than species that eat fruit and drink nectar. The same pattern is evident here on Doi Angkha where no more than 15 different plant species can endure the cold climate and insect-eating birds, both domestic and migratory, are frequently seen. In shrubs, we find snowy-browed flycatcher, ashy-throated leaf warbler and rufous-winged fulvetta gleaning insects while silver-eared laughingthrush and white-browed shortwing scour the forest floor for bugs and invertebrates.

If you come to view the Rhododendron flowers in the cool season you will likely see gatherings of green-tailed sunbird, a bird unique to the Doi Inthanon area. Also notable is Gould’s sunbird, which stop over during their seasonal migration to drink nectar and feed on tree-borne insects.

YouTube Video of Trekking Doi Inthanon - Pha Dok Siew Tours in Chiang Mai: Join tour

Map of Doi Inthanon - Pha Dok Siew in Chiang Mai Thailand

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