Top Sights in Doi Inthanon National Park: Waterfalls, King and Queen Pagodas, and the Summit of Thailand

Doi Inthanon National Park is really a must-see destination if you're visiting Chiang Mai. I really enjoyed the tour we did, which included visiting an ethical elephant sanctuary, as I described in my last post, hiking through a rice paddy, swimming under a waterfall, visiting two gorgeous Pagodas, and reaching the highest point in Thailand.

Pha Dok Siew Waterfall & Mae Klang Waterfall

After the elephant sanctuary, we drove up to the trailhead for the Pha Dok Sieo Nature Trail, where we hiked into the mountains to see the many waterfalls of the Mae Klang River. This was a really pretty hike. Aside from the many stairs at the start of the hike, I really enjoyed the bridges and the views of the cascading waterfalls.

Mae Klang Luang Rice Terraces

Our hike was about two miles total, by my calculations. After this second waterfall, the trail opened up into a nice overlook which turned out to be a rice paddy. We weren't visiting quite in the right season to enjoy it: the paddy was dried up, as it usually is from January through April before it is reseeded in May for the next season.

Despite this, I still really enjoyed seeing the terraces and the little cavities at each one, where the raised lip keeps the water in. I also liked the structures we saw. If you recall my post from Baker, Nevada, you will know I like the bucolic farmland scenery in my landscape photography. Finally, there were a few trees on the edge of the rice terraces showering us in little snowflakes of seeds (see middle photo below), which felt like polyester and, I was told, is often used for pillows and bedding. How cool!

Mae Klang River Swimming Hole

We wandered down through the rice terraces before reuniting with the Mae Klang River in the most picturesque swimming hole. There was a small waterfall and a rocky little beach. The water in the shade was the perfect thing to cool us down after walking through the rice paddy in the blazing sun. To illustrate how hot it was, we brought a small towel to dry off after the dip, and between that and the sun, my bathing suit was dry within an hour.

Visiting the Karen tribe's village, Ban Mae Klang Luang

From here, we continued through the forest before arriving at the top of Ban Mae Klang Luang. This is a traditional village of the indigenous Karen tribe, which I mentioned being the elephant handlers in my first post. We were treated to fresh locally sourced coffee at a charming little cafe before walking down to lunch in a little restaurant, which featured a private feast of local Thai dishes.

Doi Inthanon's King & Queen Pagoda

From here, we drove toward the Summit of Thailand to see the iconic King and Queen Pagodas. You have to park a bit up the mountain and take a shuttle to the actual pagodas, since there is no parking here. Then, each is at the top of its own set of stairs, although luckily there are escalators (up only) for both.

First up, the Queen Pagoda (on the left above and all photos below) is a beautiful purple color with a rounded dome and a gold top. Both are surrounded by really nicely landscaped gardens, although much of the Queen Pagoda's garden (including a reflecting pool and bridge that I was really keen to see) has been ripped out to accommodate a third Pagoda for the son and current King of Thailand.

Next, the King Pagoda is a little more angular with a brown top and dark gray base. It also has a very nice garden, and the pagoda itself is surrounded by really cool stone-carved walls that depict scenes from the life of Buddha. Because of the way the two pagodas are shaped, you can get very good views of the Queen Pagoda from the garden of the King Pagoda. Presumably the same long view of the King Pagoda will be available again once the new pagoda's construction is done and the Queen Pagoda garden is re-opened.

The King Pagoda garden also overlooks the surrounding mountains, theoretically offering amazing views. Unfortunately, we visited in what I've learned is Chiang Mai's burning season. Once the crop season is over, the rice terraces are burned, as is the traditional agricultural practice. This is done for a few reasons: it's fast and cheap, it is thought to kill pests, and the ash from the burning is thought to add nutrients back to the soil. As a result, Chiang Mai has severe smog problems in March and April, which creates an eerie atmosphere below in the city and a tragically restricted view above in the mountains. I mean, it's still a nice view, but the beautiful rolling lush green hills are clearly obscured.

Visiting the Highest Point in Thailand

From the King and Queen Pagodas, it is a short ten-minute drive up to the actual summit of Thailand. You technically could hike it: the two are about 5 kilometers apart, but there are also a couple short hikes you can do once you reach the summit, so you may not want to tire yourself out getting there. This is the peak for which the park is named: Doi Inthanon. It tops out at 8,415 feet above sea level. Being the smoky season as I noted above, there weren't great views to be had. However, I feel like it was worth going to since we were right next to it, and it fit in the schedule. Where the King and Queen Pagodas are very ornate and grand, the actual summit of Thailand is quite understated. There's a small shrine, a sign, and at the very tip-top of the country, just an unassuming concrete plinth (photo on the far right).

Doi Inthanon's Super Popular Wachirathan Waterfall

Finally, our last stop of the day before driving back to Chiang Mai was Wachirathan Waterfall. This is an 80-meter (260 ft) waterfall that cascades down a beautiful granite rockface. The water source here is still the Mae Klang River, although about ten miles earlier in its journey than the first two waterfalls we saw.

I thought the waterfall was really pretty, and it is easy to see why it's so popular: it is right along the tour route to get to the other parts of Doi Inthanon National Park, and it is easily accessible from a giant parking lot. That said, I did like the first two waterfalls better, specifically because they were more in nature and created more of an atmosphere.

Wachirathan Waterfall definitely felt like more of a tourist attraction. It was pretty busy and, being visible from the parking lot, didn't offer that wow factor of hiking into the jungle for a view. Still, it is definitely worth a stop at the end of your day. Not only is it cool to see, but the destination has been built out a bit for tourists, and you can find souvenirs, snacks, and smoothies to pick up before the ride back to Chiang Mai.

Summary

In conclusion, this was a super long and extremely rewarding day. I think it was my favorite of the whole trip. There was such diversity in the things we saw, from elephants to waterfalls to pagodas. Doi Inthanon National Park is really a stunning and action-packed attraction outside of Chiang Mai, and I highly recommend it to anyone heading to Thailand!