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Mae Ngao - Mae Chaem From Ban Mae Salit Luang, the gateway to Mae Moei National Park where we ended last week's journey, we're now continuing northwards along Highway 105. Our first stop today, Mae Ngao National Park, is 73 kilometres from Ban Mae Salit Luang and 14 kilometres or so before Sop Moei, the next town. From Sop Moei, drive on along the 105 for almost 13 kilometres and you'll find a side road on the left-hand side with a large sign saying that it leads to Ban Mae Sam Laep. Follow that road. After only a kilometre and a half, you'll arrive at a small T-intersection at Ban Huai Sing. Turn left. Now you're on Highway 1194 and Ban Mae Sam Laep is 30 kilometres down the road. From Ban Mae Sam Laep, drive back to Ban Huai Sing and stay on the 1194. About a couple of kilometres before the 1194 reaches Mae Sariang town, you'll see the minor road to Salween National Park on your left. Then from Mae Sariang, take Highway 108 northwards to Mae La Noi. About 30 kilometres up the beautiful, tree-lined highway you'll find Mae La Noi Hospital and the minor road to Kaew Komol Cave Forest Park. To get to the Karen village of Ban Huai Hom, drive back south along the 108 for just a few hundred metres to the intersection in front of Mae La Noi's post office and turn left onto Highway 1266. About 24 kilometres along the partly-paved 1266, you'll get to Ban La-oop, a big village of the Lua hilltribe. From there, the 1266 is all dirt. Five kilometres along the dusty trail there's a surprisingly well-paved road on the left-hand side - that's the two-kilometre road to Ban Huai Hom, our Point E. After visiting Ban Huai Hom, get back on the rough 1266. From here, there'll be several small intersections and there may be nobody along the way you can ask for direction. But, don't worry, the following instruction will help you through. Well, about six kilometres up the road, not far from a village called Ban Dulaper, you'll find yourself at a Y-intersection. Go left. Follow the electricity poles. A couple of kilometres from that point the road forks again. This time turn right. After another three kilometres, you'll get to a T-intersection. Turn left. Two and a half kilometres further, you'll find another intersection. Turn right. About six kilometres down the trail, there's yet another T-intersection. Turn right, follow the dirt road for two kilometres and you'll finally find asphalt, Rural Highway 4024. Go left. (By the way, you're now in Chiang Mai Province.) After 16 kilometres of smooth ride along the 4024, you'll get to Ban Thung Ya. At the T-intersection here, take a right turn, continue for 22 kilometres and you'll reach Mae Chaem from where you can drive on to Doi Inthanon, Thailand's tallest peak. |