A short trip was born out of a desire to avoid staying home during the previous Chinese New Year. Leaving home, I looked for tickets to Chiang Rai and ended up with a ticket from Somphot Tour. We travel so often that the staff on the bus already recognize us.

I fell asleep as soon as I got on the bus and woke up in Sing Buri. I dozed on and off until I reached the Mae Suree restaurant rest stop in Phitsanulok province. The bus was standard, so I got a standard meal, one bowl.

It was time to go back to sleep. When I woke up, I was already at my mother's house. The car had its lights and music on, and we had a long drive to the new bus station outside the city, arriving at 6 am. I took a shared taxi from the second bus station to the first bus station in the city for 15 baht. The wind was blowing, and I was shivering with cold. It didn't take long to arrive. Then I found out that the tourist season was over, and there was only one bus left at 1 pm. (The uncle who drove the car was from the same company as the van that we would take to Phu Chi Fa. He told me that usually, there are only two buses a day in December and January.)

There was only one bus left to Phu Chi Fa at 1 pm. My plan was to buy a ticket first and then go to see the lilies and tulips. The round-trip van fare was 300 baht. After buying the ticket, I left my luggage at the ticket booth and walked to the lantern and umbrella garden. I walked around the flower show. When I arrived at the tulips, there were very few left. The tulip field had become a lily field with tulips interspersed. I was lucky to have come to see it at its most beautiful time.

We walked around the school fence to go to the municipal market and came across Wat Klang Wiang. We stopped here first. It was very peaceful in the early morning.

We continued walking, with Wat Phra Singh as our next destination. However, the Phra Singh Hall was closed today (we have already had the opportunity to pay respects to the Phra Buddha Sihing in Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, and Nakhon Si Thammarat).

Next, visit the Temple of the Emerald Buddha, located nearby. Pay respects to the Phra Kaew Morakot, the principal Buddha image enshrined in the ordination hall.

Pass through the ordination hall to the pagoda behind the ordination hall.

Continue walking behind the Emerald Buddha Hall.

Descending from the Jade Pagoda, one encounters a row of bells surrounding a pond.

This time, we did not enter the royal palace. Due to limited time, we chose to continue walking to Wat Doi Ngam Mueang. The principal Buddha image of Wat Doi Ngam Mueang is currently undergoing restoration due to cracks around its neck caused by the earthquake in Chiang Rai.

The side of the church will be the pavilion of King Mangrai.

Explore the temple grounds before moving on to other destinations.

After descending from the temple, we turned left and continued walking until we saw a sign for the house of Field Marshal Plaek Phibunsongkhram. We decided to stop by for a visit.

I love coming across large trees like this.

Continuing on to Wat Phra That Doi Chom Thong, this time the church has been renovated.

The temple is the site of the Chiang Rai City Pillar.

Walk back into town through the municipal market to the Chalermprakiet Clock Tower.

We continued walking to Wat Chedi Luang, which was not far from Khao Soi Pokomai. The walk was straightforward, with no need to turn.

It's time to pick up our luggage and wait for the car. There are almost as many people as there are seats. Luckily, we are the only ones who can sit comfortably in the front. The driver drives slowly and doesn't seem to be in a hurry. We almost fell asleep the whole way.

The minivan driver parked at Phu Sang National Park. We went to take photos. The coffee shop vendor told us that the waterfall was warm. She challenged us to go down to the rocks where the water falls. We ran down and waded into the water, which was freezing cold. But when we reached the waterfall itself, it was actually warm! The vendor explained that there is a natural hot spring above the waterfall, which makes the water warm.

After Uncle Paul finished his meal, they continued their journey. The view from the front seat on the way up to Phu Chi Fa was truly fortunate.

We spoke with someone on the van who told us that the accommodation they had booked was near the transfer point for the climb to Phu Chi Fa. We decided to stay there too. We got a price of 500 baht instead of the usual 600 baht. The owner told us that they were giving us a special price because we were traveling alone. The accommodation is called Phu Chi Fa New Resort.

Upon entering the room, we quickly showered and changed clothes before heading out to find a spot for some photos. We ended up losing some time chatting with the van driver, so we only managed to walk halfway. The first stop was the checkpoint at the base of Phu Chi Fa, where we snapped a few pictures with the sign.

Continue walking along the uphill path.

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Continue walking until you find the dok phaya sua krong flowers (we are still hunting for the dok phaya sua krong flowers).

Lost in the beauty of the Dok Phaya Sua Krong flowers, we didn't realize the sun had already set. We quickly stopped looking for photo spots and headed back to the central tent area. It was a decent hike (I consoled myself, though I really wanted to reach the summit T_T).

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It's time to descend. The light is fading. Take photos along the way as needed.

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Take a stroll along the Phu Chi Fa Walking Street (they have a check-in point too). Most of the items for sale are clothes, hats, and other Phu Chi Fa-related items. There are also roti vendors. After walking until we were tired, we stopped by our accommodation first. When we came out again, our accommodation had already closed its kitchen. So we walked back down and ate at the restaurant with the most people. We ordered simple dishes: stir-fried basil with fried egg and tofu and minced pork soup. It was delicious, but we had to eat quickly because it was very cold, much colder than we expected. The wind was also very strong.

I returned to my bedroom and snuggled under the covers, feeling content. However, I couldn't shake the sensation of a constant breeze flowing through the room. Upon further inspection, I realized I had neglected to close the bathroom door. I had been sleeping in the cold for quite some time. I need to get some rest tonight, as I have to wake up exceptionally early tomorrow. I've set my alarm for 4:30 AM, a time I've never been able to wake up for work.

The next day, we woke up early and got ready to go to Phu Chi Fa. When we checked the temperature, we were shocked to see that it was only 4 degrees Celsius. We only had two windbreakers with us, but we were determined to make the most of our trip.

We woke up at 5:00 AM and waited for the others. The driver told us to meet at 5:30 AM. We went back to our room to find Ai-Uan. When everyone was ready, we went out again. There were four of us in the car. Three of them were a group who had come by van and recommended that we stay here. The drive was short. We had brought a flashlight, and they told us to lead the way. We walked ahead and got carried away, walking on without waiting for them (we felt a little guilty). When we reached the popular photo spot, we stopped to sit and watch. But after sitting for a while, we felt that we had to go up higher. We wouldn't be able to see the sunrise and the sea of fog from this spot. We walked up to find a spot we liked and stood in the cold for a while longer until the light started to come.

Let's move to another spot for a bit. It seems like many people want to take photos from the same angle we were using. Let's give up our spot and move on.

The sunrise (the yolk has arrived) was beautiful and well worth the early morning wake-up to sit and shiver on the peak of Phu Chi Fa.

Returning to take a picture of Phu Chi Fa sign, there were many people vying for a good spot. We saw one person sitting and guarding the kilometer marker since before sunrise. Even when we were leaving, they were still sitting there, leaning against it and not caring about letting others take pictures. We decided to take our picture from our own angle.

Continuing on to capture the popular angle, seeing everyone taking photos, I also took some.

After a short walk down the hillside, we stopped to take a few more photos of the sea of mist.

It was already 7:30 am, and I felt bad for making the three people wait for me. We went to eat grilled pork together. After arriving at the accommodation, I immediately took a shower and packed my things to prepare for my return to Chiang Rai. The van driver had scheduled our departure for 8:45 am. On the way back, I sat in the same seat, but this time someone was sitting next to me. It took us until 11:30 am to arrive, and I almost got my hand crushed by the door when an old man tried to close it on me. I should blame the person who was sitting next to me for making it difficult for me to get out.

The bus driver drove slowly, taking 40 minutes to cover 8 kilometers. We realized we wouldn't make it to our 1:00 PM destination in time. The driver then admitted that we wouldn't make it on time and started driving faster. We got off at the Mae Jan bus stop, where we boarded a shared taxi to Mae Salong. The taxi was packed, but the driver asked the locals to make room for us since we had a lot of luggage and were going all the way to Mae Salong. The taxi stopped at Giw Sa Tai for almost an hour, allowing the driver to rest and the passengers to enjoy the view.

After waking up, the two remaining members continued their journey. The path consisted of continuous ascents and descents, revealing increasingly barren hillsides. Evidence of slash-and-burn agriculture for crop planting was observed, indicating preparations for the upcoming smoke season. (Apologies for the limited footage due to the winding curves.)

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After a long bus ride, we arrived at the tea market, the final stop on our journey. The fare was 60 baht. We had planned to stay at Little Home based on online reviews, but unfortunately, it was fully booked due to the Chinese New Year holiday. We then walked to Shin Sane Guesthouse & Bungalow, where they had one last room available with a shared bathroom. The price was 100 baht, which we were happy with. Surprisingly, many people thought we wouldn't be comfortable sleeping in this type of room, but it was spacious and had two beds.

After packing and paying, it's time to explore the city.

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Looking at the steep road, we realized it was a good decision to walk. Renting a motorbike would have been a burden. As we walked, we came across plum blossoms.

Continuing on, we came across a viewpoint next to a villager's house. The area was completely bare, as they were preparing to plant tea.

Walk a little further to the Mae Salong Police Station ramp, and we can also hunt for tiger lilies.

Continuing on to the tea plantation on the opposite side, I captured a scenic view of the tea fields.

This location also features a Chinese archway.

The residents of Doi Mae Salong are 99% of Chinese descent. Today, all the restaurants, tea shops, coffee shops, and grocery stores are closed. We continued walking until we reached Santikiree School, where we saw more tiger lilies.

Continuing past the school curve, there was nothing left, so we turned back. On the way back, we stopped to take a picture of a beautiful coffee shop. The view behind the shop was stunning, but it was closed today. We peeked inside.

Walk back to the tea market, only 1.5 kilometers away (but it's uphill and downhill). Along the way, take pictures of the scenery from the villagers' houses.

Continuing on, just before reaching the market, you will encounter a stall selling goods from the hill tribes.

Continue walking to the main tea market at Kilometre 1.

I walked into the flea market and walked around, but there were very few things for sale. I continued walking to the front of the school. Hey... it's the same school as the one below. Why did I walk around? T_T Then I walked back to the flea market and bought 10 skewers of 2 baht mini pork balls to fill my stomach. Then I walked on and found NONG AIM RESTAURANT. I ordered fresh tea leaf salad and stir-fried sweet melon bud, but they said the melon bud was out of stock. Could I have snow pea bud instead? Well, that's fine.

The fresh tea leaves here are not fragrant, and they come with twigs and leaves. The Karen chili is so spicy that it makes you cry. The stir-fried pigeon pea shoots are just okay. The total cost of this meal is 200 baht.

After we were full, we walked back and came across Baan See See. Seeing the sign for fresh coffee, we immediately stopped by. This place also offers accommodation. The view from the coffee shop is

After finishing our meal, we hurried back to take a shower. We really like this place; the gas-powered water heater provides wonderfully hot water. We fell asleep quickly that night due to the cold and exhaustion.

The next morning, I woke up to a very cold day, with the temperature at 7 degrees Celsius.

Stepping out of the accommodation, you'll find yourself at the morning market. This is a great place to try dried fish, a simple yet effective method of food preservation.

The morning market is inexpensive. We had three pieces of youtiao and a cup of coffee for 20 baht. The atmosphere of the morning market is great.

He then walked to take a picture of the sunrise, but it was already high in the sky.

We hurriedly packed our bags and rushed to catch the bus, but we had misremembered the time and missed the 7:00 departure.

We took the 8 am bus to Kew Mae Pan.

Upon arrival, a Mae Chan car was conveniently waiting. However, there was still a 30-minute wait before departure. The car was once again full, creating a warm atmosphere. When we reached the Mae Chan market, the Mae Sai car arrived just in time. The bus fare was 25 baht. Upon reaching the Mae Sai bus station, we took a shared taxi to the checkpoint for 15 baht.

We missed the opportunity to record information about crossing the Myanmar border by land. If we had crossed by land, we would have needed to apply for a visa or obtain a border pass at Mae Sai district. This would have required us to backtrack, so we decided not to return to Chiang Rai. Upon arriving in Chiang Rai, we saw that the earliest bus to Chiang Mai was the same as the one returning to Bangkok. There were no buses to Lampang, so we would have had to continue to Chiang Mai or Phrae. We decided to return to Bangkok instead. We bought a ticket from Somboon Tour and stopped by Auntie Heang's Jade Noodle Restaurant across from the old bus station to try their beef noodles.

We then went to Central Chiang Rai to wait for our return home. We are grateful for the opportunity to change into comfortable clothes before heading back. We arrived at the new bus station and waited for the bus to depart. The bus departed on time.

After finishing the movie, we fell asleep and woke up at the Mae Suri rest stop in Phitsanulok. This time, we got a VIP dining room, and the food was much more delicious than the food outside.

The journey continued as the car departed, and upon waking, the destination of Nuan Khor had been reached. The trip concluded with contentment, having arrived at the desired location and experiencing a satisfyingly chilly climate.

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