6D5N Pai and Chiang Mai : Chiang Mai (Part 1/2)

Day 3 (8/10/2017) : Chiang Mai Arcade Bus Terminal – Hotel Arch 39 – Chiang Mai Sunday Walking Street Night Market – Fong Fei Fei Pig Trotter Rice

<<< continued from our 3 days adventure in Pai

Arrival in Chiang Mai

After another 3 hours ride on the same winding mountain road, we reached Chiang Mai Arcade Terminal at 5pm. There were plenty of tuk tuk drivers approaching us at the station, offering to take us to our hotel, but after checking to uber rate, we decided to go for the latter one which is much cheaper. Our uber ride to hotel costs only 70 Baht (18 Baht per person / SGD 0.72 / RM 2.23) wheres a tuk tuk quoted us for around 200 Baht (if my memory served me right).

Hotel Arch 39

Our first night’s stay in Chiang Mai is Hotel Arch 39, which only costs us 1820 Baht a night (455 Baht per person / SGD 18.63 / RM 57.88). It is located at the center of the city, and the hotel even provides shuttle songthaew to the Sunday Walking Street Night Market.



That means good news to us as we could save on our transport budget. After checking in and freshening up, we boarded the songthaew to the Night Market. 

Address: Maneenopparat Soi 2, Thesaban Nakhon Chiang Mai, Amphoe Mueang Chiang Mai, Chang Wat Chiang Mai 50200, Thailand

Phone: +66 91 879 5989

Rate: 1820 Baht a night (455 Baht per person / SGD 18.63 / RM 57.88), without breakfast (however, coffee and tea provided for free at pantry, along with some biscuits)

Chiang Mai Sunday Night Market

The Sunday Night Market is only 7 minutes away by car and about half an hour away on foot. The Sunday Market is a large market located right in the centre of the old walled city area of Chiang Mai. The songthaew dropped us at Tha Phae Gate (East Gate), where the whole stretch of night market begins. The Sunday Market extends for roughly 1km down the full length of Ratchadamnoen Road. The road is always closed to traffic while the Sunday Market is open. 

Though there are many other night market to be found in Chiang Mai, this is by far the biggest and most popular. It is growing bigger every year and has now started to spread down many of the side streets off the main road, as well as the big open area around the Tha Phae Gate itself.


The big open area near Tha Phae Gate is where we had our dinner for the night, as it was full of local Thai street food. Do expect long queue at some of the stalls during dinner hours.




Walk further down the street and you will find many stalls selling handicraft products which are perfect as gifts or home decor. There are also clothes, shoes, jewellery and bags.



One item I never missed buying in Thailand night market is their handmade passport cover. My first purchase was in 2015 when I visited Bangkok. After 3 years, it was finally time to change a new one and this time around I opt for a classy red colour. For personalised name and a free charm, the passport covert only costs 100 Baht.

If the local street food isn’t enough to satisfy you, there are also plenty of restaurants, cafe and bars in the area where you can opt out of the crowd and sit and enjoy a meal or a drink and watch the ebb and flow of shoppers. If you get sore feet wandering around, you can even have a foot massage for about 70 Baht for 30 minutes. If visiting temples is your thing, you may also visit two main temples in the Night Market area, which are the Wat Phra Singh and Wat Chedi Luang. 

In total, we spent 498 Baht (125 Baht per person / SGD 5.10 / RM 15.84) for dinner in the Night Market that night, where we had Khao Soi, Pad Thai, and other local delicacies.

Address: Rachadamnoen Rd, Tambon Si Phum, Amphoe Mueang Chiang Mai, Chang Wat Chiang Mai 50200, Thailand

Operating hours: 5pm till midnight, every Sunday

Admission: Free

Feng Fei Fei Pig Trotter Rice (Khao Ka Moo)

Khao Ka Moo, or “Pig Trotter Rice” is another delicious cuisine of Thailand. Here in Chiang Mai, the most notable one is none other than the Fong Fei Fei Pig Trotter Rice. Located just across the street of Chang Phueak, Chiang Mai’s North Gate, it’s a good addition to your food-hunting night after ending your Sunday Night Market walk. Just exit via the North Gate, and walk a little further. Google map will be your best companion. 

The owner wears a cowboy’s hat which sort of resembles the singer, Fong Fei Fei’s style, hence the name of the stall “Fong Fei Fei Pig Trotter Rice”. The pork trotters has a good mix of fats and lean meat and some other pig parts. The queue here is never-ending due to its popularity. It’s not mind-blowing tasty, but quite good overall, with a hint of cinnamon and star anise flavours. 

Each plate of pork trotters rice costs about 30Baht. We ordered only one plate since we have had our dinner at the Night Market earlier, but the glutton in me decided to order another plate of pig trotter.



All in all, our bill came up to 100 Baht (25 Baht per person / SGD 1.02 / RM 3.18), with beer and coconut drinks. And that was how we ended our first night in Chiang Mai, as we walked back to the hotel with our bloated stomach.

Address: Thanon Manee Nop Parat, Amphoe Mueang, Chiang Mai, Thailand

Opening Hours: 5pm to 2am daily.

Day 4 (9/10/2017) : Chom Thong Restaurant – Doi Inthanon – Mae Pan Waterfall – Baan Pa Pong Piang – Mookata – Mona Boutique Hotel

Breakfast in hotel 

The room we booked didn’t come with complimentary breakfast, but we had our leftover (from Pai) instant cup noodle that morning, coupled with free biscuits, coffee and tea from the pantry.

Renting a car

The plan for the day was to visit Doi Inthanon, Pa Chor and Ban Pa Pong Piang. But first, we would need to rent a car. Most hotels in Chiang Mai has car renting service, and so does Arch 39.



After much consideration, we settled for Toyota Vios for 2 days which costs us 2400 Baht (600 Baht per person / SGD 24.57 / RM 76.32). We would also need to pay a deposit of 3000 Baht, which is refundable upon return.



It took some time for the car to arrive, and after inspection, it was already almost 10.30pm. In a rush to cover our itinerary, we quickly checked out, threw our luggage into the car boot, and drove off directly to Doi Inthanon. Knowing we don’t have enough time to spare, we also scrapped Pha Chor off our list.

Lunch at Chom Thong Restaurant

The drive from Chiang Mai to Doi Inthanon took us about 2 hours, and on the way, we stopped at Chom Thong Restaurant for lunch.  Our lunch which consists of Moo Yang (grilled pork neck), stir-fry pork with basil, seafood tomyum soup, stir-fry mixed vegetables and fried chicken wings set us back for 865 Baht (216 Baht per person / SGD 8.86 / RM 27.51). It was surprisingly not cheap (though it wasn’t too expensive either). Thankfully, the food was great.

Address: Highway 1009, Tambon Khuang Pao, Amphoe Chom Thong, Chang Wat Chiang Mai 50160, Thailand

Opening Hours: Unknown

Doi Inthanon

We continued our journey to Doi Inthanon, reaching the place around 2pm in the afternoon. Once arrived at the National Park, we would need to pay both the entrance fee of 1200 Baht (300 Baht per person / SGD 12.28 / RM 38.16) and vehicle parking fee of 30 Baht (7.50 Baht per person / SGD 12.59 / RM 39.11). Although the entrance fee is 300 THB for foreigners (children 150 THB), it is only 50 THB for local tourists (children 20 THB).

About Doi Inthanon

Also known as "The Roof of Thailand", Doi Inthanon National Park is part of the Himalayan mountain range, elevation ranges between 800 and 2565 meters with the highest peak at Doi Inthanon, the highest mountain in Thailand. Due to the high altitude, the park has high humidity and cold weather all year round. The average daily temperatures are normally around 10-12 °C.

Doi Inthanon is named in honour of the king Inthawichayanon, who was concerned about the forests in the north of Thailand and wanted to preserve it. His remains was placed in the park after his death, and the forest was renamed Doi Inthanon.

Kew Mae Pan Trail

The main highlight of Doi Inthanon is the scenic Kew Mae Pan Nature Trail. The hike is only 2.78km but requires 2-3 hours to finished. It is rated as a moderately easy hike and suitable for beginner level hikers, although not recommended for those who can’t climb stairs. The trail sits at 2,200 meters above sea level, just a few hundred meters below Thailand’s highest peak (2,565 meters).



The is no admission fee charged for the hike but due to the delicate thick forest, it is compulsory to hire a guide at as cost of 200 baht for a group of visitors (not more than 10 people). The trail is open at 6.00am and closes at 4.00pm (for the last visitor to get in).

The trail also offers an incredible view where about two-thirds way through the trek, it opens up to a clearing on a hillside just opposite of the Royal Twin Pagodas. These Royal Twin Pagodas, known as Naphamethinidon and Naphaphonphumisiri, are two Buddhist structures that contain important relics. The mirrored structures were built to honour The King and Queen of Thailand. A separate ticket at a price of 40 baht per person is required to enter the pagodas.

Doi Inthanon National Park is opened all year round but Kew Mae Pan Nature Trail is closed from June to October, during the raining season.

Ang Ka Luang Nature Trail

Since the Kew Mae Pan trail is closed during our visit in October, we took the Ang Ka Luang Nature Trail instead.

This trail is a wooden boardwalk which it approximately 366 meters in length. It takes about 30 minutes to complete the trail. Ang Ka, which means Crow’s Pond in Thai could be considered as the highest natural water body in Thailand.





At an elevation of over 2500m above sea level, the weather here is pretty mild throughout the year and the forest is often misty. The trees in this mossy forest is covered in ferns and other epiphytes, and sphagnum moss covers many of the trunks in a mossy wrapping. Full of various flora and fauna, this place is popular among bird watchers as well.

As the trail is a wooden boardwalk, it’s a very easy hike which is also suitable for the elderly and young children. We completed the trek after an hour since we took plenty of photos here.





For serious hikers I would highly recommend the Kew Mae Pan trail, while for those who only wanted to check out the place and snap beautiful photos, Ang Ka trail should satisfy you. Alternatively do both and let me know which you prefer. I wished I could hike Kew Mae Pan, but I guess I’ll have to wait for another time.

Address: 2 Ban Luang, Chom Thong District, Chang Wat Chiang Mai 50160, Thailand

Operating hours: 6am to 4.30pm, daily

Admission: is 300 THB for foreigners (children 150 THB), it is only 50 THB for local tourists (children 20 THB), separate fees applies for Kew Mae Pan trail and pagoda entrance 

Mae Pan Waterfall

After spending more than an hour for Doi Inthanon, we decided to head to our next destination – Baan Pa Pong Piang. Following the signboard on the road, we drove towards Baan Pa Pong Piang, and along the way, we passed by a sign which directs us to Mae Pan Waterfall.  

Mae Pan is a 100 meters high waterfall in Doi Inthanon National Park, situated at the end of 2 km dirt road from Mae Chaem Road. It is also the highest non-cascading waterfall in the park. Setting your GPS to Mae Pan waterfall will guide you to the place. It’s only a short half an hour drive away from Doi Inthanon, and you will reach the campsite of Mae Pan waterfall. From there, it is only assessible on foot by another 20 to 30 minutes. Knowing very well that the Kew Mae Pan trail was closed, none of us were dressed appropriately in hiking attire that day. Luckily, the trek is easy albeit a little slippery. 

In my opinion the waterfall was the least interesting thing we saw that day, so I would suggest choosing another waterfall instead. On photo, the cascading Mae Ya Waterfall which plunge from several tiers over 250 meters looks more attractive.

Address: Mae Pan, Mae Chaem District, Chiang Mai 50270, Thailand

Operating hours: Unknown

Admission: Free, in the Doi Inthanon National Park (admission to National Park required)

Baan Pa Pong Piang

Following the signboard at Mae Pan waterfall, there is a road to Baan Pa Pong Piang. However, the only problem is that the road is not an asphalt road but unsealed road.


It’s only several kilometres away but the road is not meant to be travelled by the Vios we rented but a proper 4x4. We tried our luck for the first km but the got stuck and we almost had to call for tow. Eventually we gave up in order to not have to spend the night there waiting for rescue. We went back to where we came and reached the following intersection:

Photo from Thailandee,com

On the left is the road to Mae Chaem and if you are traveling on a normal sedan, this is where you should go. The right one goes to Mae Pan waterfall and Baan Pa Pong Piang, but through unsealed road. Wanting to try our luck one last time, we turned on google map and took the left one towards Mae Chaem, in hopes to reach Baan Pa Pong Piang. 

Eventually, we did reached our destination, but was a little too late. The sun has set, and we missed our chance to see these beautiful views:

Photo from Thailandee,com

Photo from Thailandee,com

Photo from Thailandee,com

Tip: Avoid coming to Baan Pa Pong Piang during the weekend or public holiday as it’s usually crowded (it’s popular among the locals). The best period to visit is during September and October, the harvesting months. If you come after the harvesting, all you see would be empty rice terrace. Guesthouses are available there starting from 500 Baht per head, with basic amenities. The guesthouse will provide pick up service from the intersection mentioned above. 

Address: Chang Khoeng Subdistrict, Mae Chaem 50270, Thailand

Operating hours: Unknown

Admission: Free (accommodation rate applies if you were to stay there)

Dinner at a Mookata Restaurant

Feeling dejected for missing a beautiful attraction, we drove back to Chiang Mai in the dark. On our way back to Chiang Mai city, we once again dropped by Chom Thong District for dinner, as we remembered seeing several restaurants along the highway, just opposite Chom Thong Restaurant. To my delight, the restaurant we picked (name in Thai : ร้านเอเอหมูกะทะ) ended up being a mookata buffet restaurant. Hurray! And it’s only 150 Baht per person for unlimited mookata buffet!  

 
There is a wide selection of seafood, pork, beef and chicken, as well as grilled skewers, ice creams and fruits. Our total bill came out to 806 Baht (201.50 Baht per person / SGD 8.25 / RM 25.63), including 206 Baht for drinks.

Address: Khuang Pao, Chom Thong District, Chiang Mai 50160, Thailand

Opening Hours: Unknown

Price: 150 Baht per person (mookate buffet)

Mona Boutique Hotel

Following our dinner, we continued for another hour to our next hotel – Mona Boutique Hotel. It was hidden among residential houses and we had a hard time finding the place as google map kept directing us via small lanes and alleyway. Thankfully, we still managed to find our way and checked in for two nights stay. 

This is the cheapest hotel we booked during our entire trip, as it is only about half the price of the rest - 1820 Baht for 2 nights (sharing 4 pax = 455 baht / SGD 18.63 / RM 57.88), excluding breakfast. Room is spacious, but in terms of the interior design and location, I’d prefer Arch 39.

Address: Chang Klan, Mueang, Chiang Mai 50100, Thailand

Phone: +66 95 789 5196

Rate: 1820 Baht for 2 nights (sharing 4 pax = 455 baht / SGD 18.63 / RM 57.88), excluding breakfast

… and our adventure continues in Chiang Mai >>>

Epilogue

Unlike Pai, Chiang Mai is a big city to be explored, even by car. By the end of the day, I started regretting allocating only 3 days for Pai, which doesn't seem to be enough. The outskirt of Chiang Mai in particular have so much to offer, ranging from the Doi Inthanon National Park, Pa Chor, Pa Singh Liao and Doi Ang Khang. Pha Singh Liao and Doi Ang Kang is a little too far away for us (about 3 hours downsouth and 3 hours upnorth) so it doesn't seem feasible to slot into our itinerary. Pha Chor would have been a great addition to Doi Inthanon, it's just a pity we dragged our time causing this to be scrapped off our agenda. Chiang Mai oh Chiang Mai, hopefully I'll be back!

Related entries:

➣Summary itinerary
➣Pai (Part 1/2)

➣Pai (Part 2/2)

➣Chiang Mai (Part 2/2)