Northern Thailand is a region filled with hills and mountains, and towering above them all is Doi Inthanon. At 2,565m (8,415 feet) it’s not snow covered at the peak, but it’s cold for Thailand, and the air is noticeably thinner.

The view from the twin Chedis, not quite to the peak of Doi Inthanon

To get to Doi Inthanon from our home base of Chiang Mai, we decided on a day tour from a tour company. There are many that offer these kinds of packages, and it’s basically the only way for a non motorcycle- or car-owning foreigner to make it up. At about 8:30 am, the tour van picked us up from the corner outside of our apartment and we began the journey up. The ride was about an hour and a half, and made several stops along the way, including a visit to the twin chedis dedicated to the King and Queen of Thailand. The view down was lovely, and it seemed as though the clouds would roll right over us as we walked through the gardens. We could watch clouds forming and swirling in the valley below as the cooler mountain air mixed with the warmer air from the lower altitudes.

The recently restored Chedi dedicated to the beloved King of Thailand

As impressive as the twin chedis were, the view from the peak of Doi Inthanon was nothing short of majestic. The surface of the clouds looked so solid and welcoming, it felt like we could scoop up a clump of fluffy cloud.

The clouds were a still lake as far as we could see at the peak of Doi Inthanon

Pretty breathtaking view. We wanted to dive in.

At the peak there’s a dense forest with a path leading through. Thailand is an unbelievably lush place, everywhere and everything is covered in life. The nearly tropical climate allows incredibly diverse plant growth year round.

Large mosses growing on the forest floor – looks like undersea life

The light shining through the mossy forest near the peak of Doi Inthanon

After visiting the peak, we had a lunch provided with the tour, which was pretty tasty after so much walking (although not as spicy as the Thai food we usually go for). When we finished lunch, we went off to explore the nearby waterfall. Having never seen a waterfall before, it was an awe-inspiring experience for both of us.

Us in front of a gorgeous, misty waterfall on the way back down from the peak

We were also interested to learn that the water that flows down from Doi Inthanon provides irrigation to much of Thailand. Doi Inthanon National Park was established by the King in 1972 to protect the area’s forests from being destroyed, and in turn the trees’ roots help to keep the water flowing down the mountain to the many farms that require irrigation to operate in the dry season.

Dog in the drained rice paddy

Our final stop on the tour was to a Karen village of only 88 people. The Karen people are the largest of the so-called hilltribes in Thailand, and were originally refugees from Myanmar. We were able to walk around their village and watch a woman weaving the traditional Karen fabric by hand, with a large loom that rested on her lap as she worked. We also saw the drained rice paddies, as the rice had been harvested a little over a month prior, and a photogenic little dog we wanted to bring home with us.

The tallest spot in Thailand!

We returned home by about 5:00, but it felt much later. It was a long and interesting day, definitely a worthwhile day trip!