Doi Inthanon: The Highest Mountain in Thailand
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When I travel to a new place, my favorite thing to do is to explore the hidden gems of a city–like I did with Chiang Mai Canyon and monk chats–but I think it’s also important to stop by the touristy places if there’s time. Luckily, we had 6 days in Chiang Mai, so we were able to stop by Doi Inthanon, the highest mountain in Chiang Mai.
The first stop on the way to Doi Inthanon was a beautiful, huge waterfall. I looove waterfalls, so this stop was a lot of fun for me. We actually ended up jumping the fence and walking down so close that we were splashed with the water from the falls. It was awesome! Next up was a little market with lots of treats for purchase. We got some really tasty nuts and my sister got some dried fruit. It was great!
We continued to climb Doi Inthanon (by car). At the first stop, we got to see the altars of King Inthawichayanon and his daughter, which were very vibrant and pretty. Finally, we arrived at the peak of the mountain. It was stunning. So many beautiful flowers filled the grounds surrounding two towers, or chedis, at the top of the Doi Inthanon.
According to Wikipedia, “these temples were built to honor the 60th birthday anniversary of King Bhumibol Adulyadej in 1987, and the 60th birthday anniversary of Queen Sirikit in 1992, respectively.” I definitely liked the one built in honor of the queen better. It was a pretty purple while the king’s temple was a little dull in comparison. They were both incredible beautiful though!
My favorite part was definitely the flowers. It was so nice and peaceful to walk through the gardens. I lost everyone for a little bit and I was so happy to just enjoy being in the moment with the flowers. Since we visited Thailand during the low season, there weren’t too many tourists there so it was perfect.
May 13, 2016 @ 7:50 am
It looks beautiful! My family is planning on going to Thailand next year and I have been doing tons of research. I was looking at going to Doi Inthanon from Chiang Mai, but isn’t it like a 1.5 hour drive? How did you get there? Did you have a guide?
May 13, 2016 @ 8:53 am
We got a guide and went on a group tour. We booked through the hostel my friend was staying at, Diva Guesthouse. It was a full day tour with quite a few stops. Pretty cool, I would recommend it! How long are you staying in Chiang Mai? It was my favorite place in Thailand! And you HAVE to get khao soi soup while you’re there!! I crave it every day now! I’ll be posting a full Thailand guide soon so stay tuned!
May 17, 2016 @ 7:55 pm
Wow, this is so cool!! I’d love to visit someday!
http://www.maggiealamode.com
May 23, 2016 @ 7:40 am
It was amazing! I can’t recommend it enough.
May 20, 2016 @ 2:55 pm
Your pictures are absolutely stunning and I can only imagine how it was being there in person! Such a beautiful culture :).
Allison / Joy and Ivy
http://www.joyandivy.com
May 23, 2016 @ 7:39 am
Thank you! It was seriously incredible. I can’t wait to go back one day! 🙂
June 1, 2016 @ 3:01 am
What a great pictures. It is so beautiful.
June 6, 2016 @ 8:20 am
Thank you! It truly was!