Chiang Mai (Northern Thailand) Tourist Guide


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MAN ABOUT TOWN
Goes House-boating
(lucky fellow)

Text & Images: Colin Hinshelwood

Anchors aweigh

Finding Chiang Mai too hot and noisy? Need a few days away from it all in harmony with nature? In less than an hour you could be sunbathing on a floating houseboat on a beautiful lake enjoying the peace and tranquility of Sri Lanna National Park

Chiang Mai may have a reputation as a tranquil mountain retreat, but ask anyone who lives here and you'll quickly find out that this city, often dubbed "The Rose of the North," has grown substantially over the last decade. The city is often hot and polluted - the ring of mountains surrounding it entrapping the heat and preventing any breeze from carrying off the pollution.

The good news is that you don't have to go too far out of Chiang Mai to find fresh air, sunshine you can bask and not swelter in, a natural environment, seclusion and the cool breeze of the mountains.

Introducing Mae Ngat Dam, situated less than one hour's drive north of the city - a little slice of paradise where the silence echoes off the mountains and the daily worries of life in the city are forgotten.

The commissioning of a hydroelectric dam in 1985 meant the relocation of villages built in the valley along the Ngat River. The resulting lake is up to 50 metres deep, with high green mountains rising to the sky off each bank and the occasional treetop jabbing above the lake's surface.

The dam is the prefect spot for fishing, swimming, sunbathing and relaxing. Incorporated into the Sri Lanna National Park, the local authorities permitted a certain number of houseboats to be moored on the lake as fish farms Abundant in freshwater fish, the fish farms soon started receiving requests from tourists and fishermen to stay overnight and most began catering to the demand.

Nowadays there are about 20 houseboats where you can stay. All offer a limited menu and drinks. Many have basic accommodation for just 100 baht per night. Thai families usually arrive with picnics and beers and while away the day Thai-style, with a guitar and a singsong.

Kicking back

Realizing the potential of attracting foreign visitors, Englishman Tom Delaney and his Thai wife, Kitty, bought a large houseboat on the lake in 2003. They spent some six weeks modifying the houseboat into a fully-functional floating guest house, complete with rooms, a restaurant, a cocktail bar and a floating platform for sunbathing and relaxing.

"We try to be as environmentally-friendly as possible," says Tom. "Particularly on the houseboat, but also with our vegetarian restaurant and our organic farm, which is located near the dam and supplies most of our vegetables."

Tom organizes transportation to and from his houseboat for visitors who wish to chill out on the houseboat for a day or three. The drive from Chiang Mai takes no more than 40 minutes, followed by a long-tail boat ride 20 minutes across the lake to the quiet spot - beyond all the other houseboats - where the TK houseboat is anchored.

Your first impression is of a bamboo hut that should be standing on stilts in the Thai jungle. The raft itself is supported by bamboo and the two standing houses are decked in flowers and banana plants. The hosts have thoughtfully installed an eco-friendly Western toilet that, thankfully, does not pollute the lake. At the back of the houseboat are several netted fish farms, teeming with tabtim (Red Tilapia) fish and catfish. So no points in guessing what's for dinner!

Now that you have explored the houseboat, your next question may well be: "So what the heck are we going to do all weekend?"

Well, there are a few options: you might want to pull up a cushion and sit back and read a book. Followed by another book. Then another with no phone calls, no football on TV, no video games and no appointments to keep, there's not really anything to disturb you out on the lake.

Kick back! It's actually quite easy after the first few hours.

Waiting for you

Did you bring any games? Could you wallow away the day playing chess or scrabble or poker? Make sure you bring these things with you -the Monopoly or Risk game that has been lying at the back of your cupboard for years getting dusty. Make sure you tell Tom and Kitty what kind of beers, whisky, wine or soft drinks you are likely to enjoy, always bearing in mind that the days last forever and being at sea can give you a grand thirst.

The other thing to do, of course, is swim. The water is cool and refreshingly clean (no chlorine to contend with). So get your bikini out - the one you haven't had a chance to don since Phuket 2006 - and cool off in the lake. With the clear air and the fresh breeze that Mae Ngat enjoys, this is an opportunity to top up your tan. Take Sunblock. You'll need it if you like swimming and sun worshipping.

And, despite the fact that you will be having fresh fish (baked in lemon and ginger or barbecued to perfection) for lunch and dinner, you still might want to try your hand at casting a line and catching your own dinner. The houseboat provides fishing equipment - but again, try to tell your hosts before if you might like to fish, so they can provide bait and anything else you might need.

And, if lying around in the sun all day, whiling away the hours with a fishing rod and basking in the water with a cocktail in hand still don't do it for you, then you can always gather your troops and go exploring one of the natural wonders nearby.

Arrange with the boatman to visit the Bat Cave and the waterfalls. Be prepared for an energetic half-day's activity. The boat will let you off on the far side of the dam where you have to follow a beaten track around the other side of the mountain and two-thirds of the way up. It's a marvelous hour's trekking and nothing like a standard tour. You are unlikely to encounter another soul either on the jungle path or at the cave or waterfall. It's just you and nature… and the bats.

Mae Ngat Dam is around 15km long west to east and 1km in width. The houseboats hug the north bank of the lake, allowing you to witness a glorious sunrise over the southern mountains and cooling down significantly in the evenings just before dusk as the sun sets behind you, often illuminating the landscape and the sky with hues of pink and orange. Take a pullover, because it can be quite chilly at night.

It always strikes visitors that a place can be so close to Chiang Mai yet feel so far away from everything. If you want to get away from it all - even just for a day - this could well be your place.

Contact Tom and Kitty to arrange transport, long-tail boat, food, drink, accommodation, etc:

The Cottage Cafe: 1/1 Thapae Road, (Behind Mahawan Temple), Soi 4, Chiang Mai.

Phone: 053-233944

Mobile: (Thai/ English) 081-7249900

Email: tkhouseboat@hotmail.com

www.floating-cottage.com