Phu Soi Dao is not a “World heritage site” , it doesn’t need such label from Unesco. This majestic mountain of Uttaradit Province has a secure place in the hearts of the Kingdom’s nature lovers. Every rainy season. the time of year when many mountains of the North see very few travelers because of the wet weather.
Thousands visit, or revisit, or revisit, the national park which straddles the Thai-Lao border. Rain or shine, they hike up the 6.5 kilometres trail to the pine meadow on the mountain top, 1,633 metres above mean sea level, to witness the grand flower show offered by Mother Nature.
When virtually every corner of the 1,000 rai highland meadow brightens up with the delightful blooms of ngon nak (Murdannia giganteum) and a variety of other wild flowers, the hike-which takes from three to five hours depending on your fitness level – is such a small price to pay. The porter service, provided by the park and the villagers, make life a lot easier for the vistors.
Apart from the natural floral fest. the rainy season also brings to life waterfalls which add to the attraction of the national park.
That also means plenty of water supply for visitors who use only a section of the stream that runs near the mountaintop camping ground for consumption and other purposes. Thanks to the fact that most tourists to Phu Soi Dao are nature lovers with an eye for conservation, the park is doing well in keeping the natural environment here in a good state.
The best time to visit Phu Soi Dao is between mid August and early October. Later than the flowers will be gone. The mountain top meadow is closed to visitors from January 15 to June 31 to allow nature to recover and get ready for a new flower season.
As a candidate of the Bangkok Post’s Thailand’s Top Destinations Vote Campaign, Phu Soi Dao, at the time of writing. is on the 5th place. But the voting still has six and a half months to go. And you, not the Unesco, has the power to lift Phu Soi Dao to an even higher position.