Chiang Mai (Northern Thailand) Tourist Guide


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A Hike in the Forest

Text: Arthit Boonsing
Images: Assada

Do you often wake up with a hangover or headache? Or maybe you can't wake up at all? Many of us work long, tiring days, and then unwind at night by going out drinking and partying with friends. This cycle of work-party-work-party wreaks havoc on our bodies. To counter such unhealthy behavior, a couple of weeks back some friends and I escaped to the rainforest.

It took about 90 minutes to drive to our destination, Mae Win, a small sub-district to the southwest of Chiang Mai. As we neared our destination, the road led straight up the mountain, passing bamboo homes and some forest on both sides. It was the middle of rainy season, so the trees' leaves were deep, vibrant green. The forest looked rich with life.

We soon arrived at the foot of Mae Tien Waterfall and noticed the water level was lower than in the beginning of the rainy season. The trees appeared to have their pores open, welcoming in the rain. Some of our friends - who came from different countries and spoke a variety of languages - took their shoes off and relaxed by the rocks. Cool water flowing down the mountain made us feel fresh and alive.

After the waterfall, we visited Samnak Song Wipassana Wat Phra That Sri Buddhiwong, known locally as Wat Phra That Huay Tong. It is believed that this temple was built during the reign of King Tilokarat and later renovated under Kru Ba Sriwichai, one of Lanna's most famous monks of the last century. As we climbed the rather steep staircase up to the Wat, we admired the bas-reliefs of the Buddha's face and the story of Buddhism.

Later in the afternoon, as the cool wind replaced the midday sun, we began hiking the name mountain from Huay Kieng Village. But seemingly out of nowhere, the rain began to pour down. We smelled the earth and enjoyed the trek, yet the rain grew heavier and heavier. It was cold, but this was just the beginning. There were more attractions further ahead on the trail that we refused to miss. We put on our raincoats and continued hiking. Our sandals sloshed about in the red mud - we were experiencing a tropical country's version of hiking in the snow. We walked slowly, fearful we might fall on the slippery trail.

Finally, the rain stopped. It left droplets on the leaves and a sense of freshness in the air, energizing us to hike further. The trail became steeper as we walked around creeks and past rice fields. We enjoyed seeing the various kinds of wild flora and birds, which our guide, Pee Tan, named and explained to us. Pee Tan said he has been a guide for six years and takes friends and foreigners to the forest twice a week. He provides information on the plants as well as on how to spend time in the forest without disrupting its natural balance.

"Foreigners love to see the forest and to be here in the middle of the rainy season to watch the environmental changes. The forest, the trek, and the way they spend their time in Thailand are totally different than in their home countries," he said.

Pee Tan pointed out the Ton La Hung plants, and our group puffed on the seeds, blowing them into the wind. He told us how useful the forest is: Ton Jik is used to make dry rubber, Ton Chom Cheun is edible, and some vines provide drinking water.

We walked along a gulch running up, down, and back up the mountains. We passed many different types of forest, such as deciduous forests where mid-size and coniferous trees mix, and hill evergreen forests, which are 1,000 meters above sea level. In Thailand, there are two species of coniferous trees: at higher elevation, the three-needled Pinus khasya with furrowed bark, and at lower elevation, the two-needled Pinus merkusii with orange-red, scaly bark.

At about 6pm the last bit of daylight faded away and the night came. We reached our destination, Huay Yao village. As we opened the door of the thatch-roof home, we saw blankets, pillows, and mosquito nets prepared for our visit.

That night we made a campfire to keep us warm from the mountain breezes. Some went to sleep, while others stayed up talking. Our different languages posed no barrier, and friendships grew. One of the foreigners played songs throughout the night on Pee Tan's friend's guitar.

We woke up the next morning a bit drowsy. Perhaps it was because of the noisy wind attacking the thatch roof, or because of our snoring friends. The sky was still coated with clouds. Streams of mist covered the forested mountains. We drank our morning coffee, which tasted better here, surrounded by nature.

We left our village behind and took a journey heading south, walking along the mountain range and along a creek. The sun's rays began to brighten the day. We stopped at Huay Yao Waterfall, the village's local attraction. The cool river stream refreshed us.

Then we walked to Baan Mae Sapog Neu, our nature trip's last destination, to go rafting. It was at kilometer 22 on San Patong-Mae Wang Road near the Mae Win Forestry Unit. The rafts were made of bamboo stems tied together tightly, with seats in the middle and easy-to-handle oars at the front and rear. Broken up into small groups, we floated along the water in calm silence. We listened to the sound of the bamboo oars hitting the water, splashing us with cool water.

After our rafting trip, we went to a nearby elephant camp. We rode - each elephant holding two visitors plus a mahout to steer - for about 20 minutes. At one point, a member of our group exclaimed: "The last elephant doesn't have a mahout!" One of us had to learn how to be a mahout, and fast.

Eventually all of the elephants walked in an orderly line and we calmed down. Except, that is, for the apprentice mahout. Having no experience steering an elephant, he straddled its neck and tried to adjust to the rhythm of the elephant's walk without falling off.

The band of elephants walked down to a brook and up through the picturesque jungle. As the sun was setting, we admired the twilight from the elephants' backs. The gentle winds hit us, bringing with them the natural smells of earth and grass after rainfall. The weekend was complete. It successfully relaxed us - we were ready to return to work and parties in the concrete forest.