Tag Archives: Ang Khang

Doi Ang Khang – Nor Lae village

My last post about Doi Ang Khang is dedicated to Nor Lae village, located at the border with Burma (Myanmar). The road to the village is rather steep (going up and down…). There is a small army base with a viewpoint in the village. The viewpoint allows us to see the beautiful mountainous scenery, as well as Burmese military outposts. Locals sell hand-made products, kids sometimes pose for photos. There is another quite dangerous road going along the border – you should ask soldiers for permission before using it.

Nor Lae village is only few kilometres apart from Doi Ang Khang Royal Project. In the surroundings of the Project there is also a “hidden” Ang Khang pagoda – there are no signs pointing you there, but if you only take a small side-way road out of curiosity, you can find it pretty quickly.

So we finish our journey in the coldest place in Thailand, we ride down the same most dangerous road in the country in the direction of the next mountain – Doi Phahompok. For some time Doi Ang Khang is included now as a part of Doi Phahompok National Park. We move on to see that “mountain with a flat summit”. I will describe it in the next post.

One last thing to keep in mind (same as with the other Doi Ang Khang posts) – 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).

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)

Doi Ang Khang – Royal Project

I recommend to spend the second day at Doi Ang Khang on visiting the Royal Project – actually Royal Agricultural Station. The Royal Project is really interesting! Since the temperatures are much lower than in the rest of the country (please remember that the temperature can drop below zero in December and January), at the Project you can find fruits that are non-existent in other parts of the country – like strawberries (the tastiest in all of Thailand!), kiwi, pears or peaches. There is also a wide variety of vegetables, herbs, flowers, even tea and coffee. The entrance fee is 50 baht per person (about 1 euro). There are many interesting and beautiful gardens on the grounds of Royal Project – shaded moist garden, flower gardens – Garden 80 (named to celebrate 80. birthday or HM the King of Thailand), English roses garden, rhododendrons, scented garden, bonsai tree garden, natural rock garden… There is a lot of things to admire indeed. The variety of gardens guarantees great views at any time of the year. Let’s not forget to mention rare birds (including endangered and endemic species – together over 1,000 species) that attract both ornithologists and photographers alike.

It is possible to rent a room inside the Project (but don’t forget to book ahead in the high season – usually months ahead!), you can take a peek at the house for Royal Family (rather modest and seems unused for years), finally you can try out local specialities in a very nice and cheap restaurant. Plus there are some nature trails, hill tribe villages, mule riding (not common to see those animals around!). If you still have time after visiting the Project, I recommend to continue forward to Nor Lae village, located at the border with Myanmar (Burma) – I will cover it in the next post.

One last thing to keep in mind (same as with the other Doi Ang Khang posts) – 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).

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)

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)