"Doi Luang Chiang Dao" is under the supervision of Chiang Dao Wildlife Sanctuary, Chiang Mai. Doi Luang Chiang Dao is the highest peak with the height of 2,225 m above sea level. It is the third highest peak in Thailand after Doi Inthanon and Doi Pha Hom Pok, making many people, especially me, dreamed of conquering it once in a life time. It is a very popular destination for those who love to explore the nature along the natural trail. The trail here is about 8.5 km long. From Khun Huai Mae Kok Forest Protection Unit (Den Ya khat), it looks far and quite exhausting.

The Wildlife Sanctuary is not usually open for tourism. However certain area is allowed for tourists to enjoy ecological tourism and learn about nature. Therefore, we must strictly follow the rule set by the sanctuary. If you are ready, let's go!!!

We set it as a 3 days 2 nights trip, so we get to travel around more and won't get too exhausted. You guys can also take our trip as an example when making a travel plan.

(These photos are taken from November on our first trip and January upon our second visit.)

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Day 01 : The Wildlife Sanctuary - Khun Huai Mae Kok Forest Protection Unit (Den Ya Khat) - Ang Salung Tenting Area - Enjoying the Sunset at Doi Luang Chiang Dao Peak

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We start off our journey by going to Den Ya Khat, where we will start hiking, with a rented truck which we have contacted earlier. It takes about 1.30-2 hours from the sanctuary to the Den Ya Khat Unit. After that, we prepare our stuff and start to walk up to Ang Salung Tenting area. It is a 8.5 km distance which takes about 5-6 hours. Once we are ready, we can start our journey. If we reach the tenting area early, we could go to enjoy the sunset at Doi Luang Chiang Dao peak too (but if you are too tired, you can simply take a rest and go up the second day).

Here is the place where we will start the hiking, at Khun Huai Mae Kok Forest Protection Unit (Den Ya Khat).

It's quite an easy walk. We could rest whenever we want. And there's this beautiful and shady view along the way for us to enjoy and rest.

This beautiful view of mountains is to be seen along the route.

When we hike up to a certain height, we will see “parrot flower”. It is a rare species of flower which is only found here. We can find them under the shade tree in evergreen forest or limestone area in highland, about 1,500-1,800 m above the sea level. The flower is blossoming from October to November.

We reach the tenting area at around 4 p.m. We quickly find a place for tenting and go up to enjoy the sunset at the peak which takes about 30-45 minutes.

To be able to enjoy the view and the wind from Doi Luang Chiang Dao peak is just so amazing, it totally eases out our exhaustion.

The weather here keeps changing every month. You could be seeing clouds, rain or sunshine. So it is hard to say when is the most beautiful time of the year and let's say this is the nature!

If we are lucky, we could see the cloud sea at the sunset time like this also.

Do not forget to bring a flashlight and warm jacket as well because the weather gets really cold after the sunset.

It's time to go back to our camp, eat, and get to know our co-trip friends a bit before resting. The next morning, we are going for the first light and beautiful sea mist at Kiw Lom Tai. Tonight, let's fall sleep while enjoying these beautiful shining stars.

Millions stars and the so cold night with a single digit Celsius temperature.

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Day 02 : Ang Salung Tenting Area – Enjoying the first light and sea mist at Kiw Lom Tai - Appreciating the second sunset at Doi Luang Chiang Dao Peak

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What we must not miss traveling to Doi Luang Chiang Dao is to enjoy the first light and the beautiful endless sea mist at Kiw Lom Tai. It will take about 45-60 minutes on foot from Ang Salung Tenting area. We must be very careful here because the road is a gradual slope and a bit slippery. We should also have a flashlight and bring water, snack, noodle cup, and coffee as we could be real hungry before we could be back to our tenting area again.

I'm so grateful for this reward given to me by the nature for allowing me seeing this spectacular endless sea mist right in front of me.

The clearer the sky, the more apparent the sea mist while the stars start to fade away.

Looking back to the Ang Salung Tenting area, we can see our camp.

(Here is the photo taken in November.)

Here is the one from January.

In addition to the beautiful sea mist sunbathing the magnificent golden sun, there's a lot of beautiful different rare species of plant for us to enjoy, especially in November.

"Fong Hin Luang"

Sedum susanae Hamet is found on the rock from the way up to rainforest before reaching Ang Salung.

"Kraduk Kainoi"

Scientific Name : Acanthaceae Justicia diffusa Wild

"Saeng Daeng"

Coliquhounia coccinea Wall. var. mollis Prain
This type of flower is found at Doi Luang Chiang Dao peak and Kiw Lom from November to February.

"Dat Kham"

Scientific Name : Desmodium oblongum

Family: FABACEAE

"Chompoo Chiang Dao"

Pedicularis siamensis Tsoong is found on Doi Luang Chiang Dao peak and Kiw Lom from October to January.

"Muk Mangkon"

"Thian Chiang Dao"

Impatiens chiangdaoensis T.Shimizu

"Forget Me Nots or Scorpion Grasses"

"Ya Dok Lai"

Swertia striata Coll. & Hemsl.
It is found on Doi Luang Chiang Dao peak and Kiw Lom from November to February.

After that, we go back to tenting area, eat, talk with our co-trip friends to exchange our experiences and fun, and also take some rest in order to go up for the sunset again, haha. Well, we just like going to see it again and again because I'm sure that the nature offers us the unique and exciting things everyday. Yay, and that is the nature.

Good night ^_^

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Day 03 : Ang Salung Tenging Area – Enjoying the first light and the sea mist at Doi Luang Chiang Dao Peak with a 360 degree view - Going back home

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For the last day of this trip, I think we still have some energy left so we decided to enjoy our first light at Doi Luang Chiang Dao peak instead. Well, now, we have come up here 3 times already for this trip. Do not do this unless you guys are well prepared, otherwise, let's save the energy for walking down insted. But if you are fit and strong, it's quite amazing to see this 360 degree morning view at Doi Luang Chiang Dao peak. If you are ready, please follow me.

I'm speechless, once in a life time, I'm standing at the peak of Doi Luang Chiang Dao, the third highest peak in Thailand. It's so magnificent and breath taking.

:::Preparation and Live on Doi Luang Chiang Dao:::

- Water : For drinking and doing other activities as water is not available up there.

- Warm Jacket and Raincoat : It's very important because the weather up there is quite unpredictable, we probably experience the extreme cold and rain (socks, hats, scarves, raincoats and sweaters).

- Dry and wet tissues : Due to the large number of tourists, even just dropping one piece of tissue, but it could turn into many pieces by many people. More importantly, it could be destructive to ecological system and harmful to wildlife if they eat it. Everyone should carry a plastic bag to keep it back down.

- Gloves : We could use it along the way as we might need it while holding onto a walking stick or stones and grass while walking up. At night, we could use it for warmth as well.

- Shoes : It should cover our heels with rubber underneath to prevent us from slippery road.

- Glass and Rice Box : This is as a means to use less foam and plastic bag. we should take all our trash down in order to help sustain this abundant ecological nature.

:::Notes:::

- The Wildlife Sanctuary allows the tourists for nature study only on Fridays and Saturdays (coming back on Sunday) and holidays. For 2017, it opens from November 3rd 2017 to February 11th, 2018.

- Trash deposit is 1,000 THB per group. To book the trip, please contact the sanctuary at the Facebook page "เขตรักษาพันธุ์สัตว์ป่าเชียงดาว" https://www.facebook.com/%E0%B9%80%E0%B8%82%E0%B8%...

- The fee: Thai adult is 20 THB, foreign adult is 200 THB. Thai kid is 10 THB and foreign kid is 100 THB. The car parking fee is 30 THB. The tenting fee is 30 THB per person per night. Look Hap (a person helping us carry our stuff) is 500 THB per day. The truck taking us to Den Ya Khat is 1,200 THB.

I can only present my journey through photos, the beauty and the actual atmosphere of the place could not be well captured by the story I share. I really want you guys to see these photos and felt inspired to experience it yourself. Then, you will truly realize how worthy it is to go out, win over exhaustion, see this amazingly beautiful Thailand and come back to tell more people of how great Thailand is and there's still much more things waiting for us to explore.

"New experiences won't be found without going out" Life is a journey.

And here I have a small page, please follow us, who is passionate for traveling.

https://www.facebook.com/travelwithphotographer/

If you have a fun trip, please do not forget to invite me too, please please please ^^