Doi Ang Khang, Chiang Mai province, Thailand

Doi Ang Khang – The Views

Today I will write about my favourite place in Thailand (so far) – Doi Ang Khang. I personally love mountains, and Doi Ang Khang is the coldest place in Thailand. It is not the highest mountain in the country (1928 MSL) but it’s here where they observed negative temperatures (-2, -3 degrees Celsius). Doi Ang Khang is located in Chiang Mai province, about 3 hours drive from both Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai city (so one can start the trip from either city). It is possible to get there using public transport (it is time-consuming and inconvenient) but it is much better to hire your own wheels. It is not too popular, especially among foreigners – it seems that only local tourists (mostly from the northern parts of the country) come here. Another important factor is the fact that the road to Doi Ang Khang is the most dangerous in all of Thailand. Only the last 10 km to the summit are so dangerous (especially the very last 2 km – road is extremely steep). Buses can not go there – the road is so windy (180 degrees serpentines!) that regular buses haven’t got enough space to make the turn. Even passenger cars get tired on the way (it is not uncommon to smell hot engine oil on the way) – it is much better to use 4WD. I have come here three times – twice on my faithful motorbike (125cc) and once with a car. Making this trip on a motorbike is truly unforgettable – and I prefer this kind of transport.

Upon arrival, there are at least two camping grounds – one is located at the small army base, and this is the one that I recommend. The reason for that is quite simple: soldiers have the best view at Doi Ang Khang (renting a tent starts at 400 baht for 2-people tent, about 9 euro). Those more picky can stay at resorts and hotels at the village next to Royal Agricultural Station – but in the season (December until February) it may be very hard to get a room without prior reservation.

First day I recommend to spend enjoying the view and climate around the summit as well as visiting the village. The village is quite interesting – the locals who live there come from various hill tribes and countries (Chinese, Burmese, Thais) and therefore it offers diversified cuisine.

In the evening I climbed up to the top of Doi Ang Khang to capture the sunset. At dawn, again I went all the way there (not very far from camping ground though) to see the sunrise. Afterwards, I continued towards Royal Agricultural Station. But I will cover it in the next post.

One last thing to keep in mind – the photos in the gallery come from all three different trips to Doi Ang Khang. Some of them were taken with my previous camera (non-SLR) and on top of things, I used to have long hair. Well then, enjoy the photos!

Surroundings of Doi Ang Khang (A – army base and camp ground, B – Royal Agricultural Station, C – Nor Lae village at the border with Burma/Myanmar)

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