|
Chiang Dao means "City of Stars" in the Thai language,
and this very pretty small city is located in Chiang
Mai Province, Northern Thailand. Surrounded by intense
natural beauty, this is a good area to go trekking
and bird watching.
For many, top of the list is Chiang Dao National
Park, which covers over 1000 square kilometres and
features bamboo forests, sparkling mountain streams
and waterfalls. Also in the park is the mighty mountain
of Doi Chiang Dao, which is a colossal 2225 metres
high and is said to be Thailand's highest mountain
and offers incredible views over the area from the
top. Scattered around the park are a large number
of many Lisu and Karen hill tribe villages, and a
good way to see them and to really appreciate the
lush nature of the park is to go trekking and stay
overnight.
Another popular attraction is Tham Chiang Dao - Chiang
Dao Cave. The extremely beautiful cave complex is
cool and inviting and stretches for an impressive
12 kilometres, filled with sparkling stalactites.
It is a good idea to hire a guide with a lantern for
the chance to explore the caves fully.
Experienced hikers can embark on a two day mountain
trip up Doi Luang Chiang Dao, which is a great way
to see the area. Another good way to explore is to
visit the Elephant Training Centre Chiang Dao and
go on an elephant trek through the forest. The treks
can last from between 30 minutes to half a day an
offer an interesting view point of the beautiful scenery,
seen at a leisurely pace.
Chiang Dao is also popular for river rafting, and
many people chose to visit the area in order to shoot
the rapids, whilst others choose to hire a motorbike
and discover all that the area has to offer by themselves.
If you are looking to get in touch with your spiritual
side, visit Samnak Song Tham Pha Plong, which is also
known as the Tham Pha Plong Monastic Centre. Many
monks travel to this very special area to meditate,
and visitors can climb a long flight of steps, which
lead up the mountain past limestone cliffs and forest
to a large chedi. The view from the top of the steps
and the general vibe of the area more than makes up
for any hardship encountered on the climb.
The extremely vibrant Tuesday morning market is a
good place to buy local produce and see the hilltribe
people, who come to the market in order to trade their
wares. The
|
