Day 7: Standing on Thailand’s Highest Peak and Onwards to Chiang Mai
Wake to the sounds of rural Thailand; a temple bell flickering in the distance, a morning fruit trader wandering the streets, a dozen evocative sounds floating across the lake. This vacation has taken you deep into the jungle, revealing an intimate and uncovered look at the beauty of Northern Thailand. You’ve seen it all from up-close, and now you admire it from the sky. Doi Inthanon National Park is home to the country’s highest peak and it’s just a short hike from where your driver can park. Ascend to the summit and marvel at the panoramas, a great blanket of green extending in every direction. Valleys roll and swerve into Myanmar, peaks jut above snaking rivers, and all 360 degrees have you pressing the camera shutter.
But Doi Inthanon is not just about a single summit, this ancient park is coated in wonder. Chao Inthawitchayanon built his shrine amidst this carpet of green, the former prince of Chiang Mai bringing a spiritual dose of beauty to this delightful corner of the world. Hike along Michael’s Trail and keep savoring new vistas, or choose to sit back in a cafe and gaze out at the incumbent natural wonder. From here you drive to Chiang Mai, the largest city in Northern Thailand and its cultural heart.