Chiang Mai (Northern Thailand) Tourist Guide


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Living with nature:
Galyani Vadhana District

Text & Images: Mario

The chances are that you are not familiar with the beautiful Galyani Vadhana District. The name is new but the place is not. Galyani Vadhana District is in fact the new name of the old Baan Wat Chan District. Formerly a sub-district in Mae Cham district, Baan Wat Chan was successfully proposed to be upgraded as a district in 2005 and approved in 2008. And on July 7, 2009, King Bhumibol Adulyadej officially bestowed the name Galyani Vadhana (after his beloved sister) on the new district.

Galyani Vadhana District is located some 70 kms to the west of Chiang Mai city and remains untouched by most of the modern sights and sounds of urban life, surrounded by a forested countryside that is refreshingly pure and fertile. The district is well known for its stands of pine forest, more extensive than those remaining in the rest of Thailand. The pine forest draws an increasing number of tourists every year looking for an unspoiled countryside, agreeable weather, and dreamlike scenery, not to speak of a meeting with the Pakeryaw hill people, who welcome tourists warmly.

Not far from the Galyani Vadhana District Centre, is a place that can offer you a memorable experience of living in touch with local village life. The Karen Hill Tribe Lodge is just a few minutes’ drive from the District Centre, passing the villages of Baan Na Kled Hoi and Baan Mae Lob; and arriving there may give you the impression of having arrived in a hidden paradise. The Lodge is very simple in design, without showy decoration or expensive services. All you get are simple home comforts, food, and private time. There are 11 houses belonging to the Pakeryaw hill tribe in the area that you can walk around, taking the chance to get to know the people or join in some of their activities, such as trekking, riding elephants and finding food in the forest. There are plenty of fruits and vegetables to be collected in the locality and especially in the rainy season, the villagers love to go mushroom-collecting. When trekking you get to see many lovely wild orchids and have the chance to rest at a waterfall. And then back at the village you’ll see the villagers making clothes, planting, cooking, feeding their cows and chickens and going fishing for dinner. You can join in every activity and learn the way the Pakeryaw hill people live their customary life. Because the forest is very fertile, if you move carefully and quietly you may see - or at least hear - gibbons and other wild creatures, particularly in the twilight hours, morning and evening. In other words, Karen Hill Tribal Lodge is ideal for those who need a quiet place to relax and find themselves, do some writing, take some good pictures, or do some painting. It’s a wonderfully unique experience and one that you’re unlikely to see approached by any other hotel or resort.

Getting there:

From downtown Chiang Mai to the Karen Hill Tribe Lodge, you can choose between three main routes.

The first follows the road to Pai. Drive to Mae Rim and Mae Tang district; turn left onto Highway 1095, and five kms. from Amphoe Pai itself, left again onto Highway 1265 (165 kms from Chiang Mai). On this road you will pass Baan Wat Chan and Baan Na Kled Hoi on the way to Baan Huay Yatai. This route takes about four hours. The road is convenient but has lots of curves. Prepare to get dizzy and car sick!

The second route goes to Mae Rim - Samoeng District (Highway 1269). You will pass Baan Borkeaw. This takes three and a half hours. The view along both sides is very nice but the road’s unsurfaced and best covered in an SUV or at least 4-wheel drive vehicle.

The last route goes to Chomthong district, south of Chiang Mai city. You turn west onto Highway 1013 at San Patong and pass the villages of Baan Mae Hae Nue and Baan Borkeaw. This route has some excitingly steep stretches and sharp curves and takes around four hours.