Travel news - Eco tourism and national parks in Thailand

Doi Inthanon is Thailand's highest peak, standing 2,500 metres above sea level. In winter the breeze is cool and refreshing, even cold by standards of city folks more used to the tropical climate of Bangkok. If you are travelling there, don't forget to carry a light jacket with you.

Kew Mae Pan is famous for its red rhododendrons, a rare sight elsewhere in the country, various species of birds, the goral and nature in its purest form.

The air was chilly when we visited there recently, ideal for a trek that wasn't supposed to be that taxing, but one which still left us city slickers panting for breath as we climbed one slope after another on the circuitous trail.

Led by a Hmong guide, we hit the trail early afternoon and not long after we arrived at a spot with a sign reading "Cloud Forest". My friend checked his watch calibrated for altimeter reading: it said 2,179 metres. A thick curtain of rain clouds enveloped the forest. Everywhere there were towering trees from whose trunks hung green fern, moss and lichen. The damp air pregnant with rain felt refreshingly cool.

Our guide pointed to a tree called Ko in Thai that belongs to the same family as oaks, Fagaceae. There are four varieties of Ko trees in Thailand and all of them are found here.

"Ko is a kind of chestnut with hard-shell. Its seed is food for birds and wildlife," explained our guide.

The evergreen forest is a watershed area because of its key role in trapping moisture in the cloud. The forest floor was littered with leaves and organic matter forming a dense layer that would take long to decompose because of the cold climate. This section of the forest was devoid of human activity and therefore in superb condition.

The guide showed us a hole in a tree trunk that was the home of flying squirrel. The trees in the forest supported other plant life such as tendrils and climbers that rely on them for sunlight.

An hour into the trek we arrived at a wind-swept savannah-like landscape next to a ridge. Moss and lichen grew everywhere but on the whole the terrain was rather dry, as evident from the yellow and brown grass, the grazing ground for gorals, although bright yellow blooms of the hypericum plant could be spotted here and there.

The trail then straddled a ridge shaped by two colossal rocks pushed into position ages ago by tectonic activity beneath the earth's surface.

Next up was highlight of the trek, rhododendron trees that thrive on acidic soil at altitudes of 1,800 metres and above sea level. Unfortunately, a few of them had been damaged by wild fire that razed the area months ago. Their skeletal trunks, although leafless, played host to lichens but the ones healthy supported fiery red and pink-white flowers locally called Cha Mayom Doi. We also spotted several birds humming among the trees.

From here, on a clear day you can see all the way to Mae Chaem district. Rain water running down the mountains is clean and clear, the source of Mae Chaem and Mae Ping rivers.

The trail then descends. We walked the damp forest floor under the canopy of towering trees and back to the starting point. The whole trek lasted two hours.

Next we visited Ban Mae Klang Luang, a Karen village that recently opened its doors to tourists. It has rural style houses by a stream and terraced rice fields.

Like other Karen villages, its residents earn their living from farming, mostly rice. Tourists are attracted by its terraced rice fields on their way to the popular Doi Inthanon summit.

Assisted by the Thailand Research Fund and Prof Busaba Sitthikan of Mae Fah Luang University in Chiang Rai, the village is presenting itself as an ecotourism destination by offering homestay in elegant stand-alone lodges, and not in the homes of Karen villagers. It also has an area for campers where they can pitch tents. The idea is improve their income and make ecotourism self sustaining.

Activities on offer include trekking, learning the way of life of Karen people and rice cultivation during planting season. In addition, tourists can buy farm produce and visit a local museum.

Three neighbouring villages - Ban Angka Noi, Ban Nong Lom and Ban Pha Mon - are also part of the ecotourism drive.

We arrived at Ban Klang Luang at dusk. The air carried that distinct chill of winter. Half a dozen lodges lay scattered around terraced rice fields and by a stream. It was well after the harvest season. A simple dinner of vegetables, fish and a spicy Karen dip called Musato was served on a table set by a rice field.

Our guide took us on a lush trail past an orange orchard and Pha Dok Sieo Waterfall. We walked downstream and then crossed to the other side. After about an hour, the trail ran through a small Karen village, an organic vegetable farm and coffee plantation.

We stopped at a house and were served freshly brewed coffee. It was colder now as the sun had slipped below the horizon. The house owner demonstrated how he roasted and ground coffee using nondescript utensils I had never seen before. He brewed coffee in an old-fashioned pot of Italian make. The hot brew was a nice relief.

The next day we went to Mae Chaem. In the old days getting there required a real effort. Due to the rugged terrain, not long ago it used to take a whole day to get from Chiang Mai town to Mae Chaem. Now it can be done in three hours thanks to a shortcut.

"If you want to see Lanna culture, Mae Chaem is probably the only place where it still survives in its entirety," said Dr Sin Sarobon of Thailand Research Fund that is supporting self-sustaining tourism initiatives in Mae Chaem and around Doi Inthanon.

Dotted with temples, Mae Chaem retains old northern ambience. Like others of its kind, Wat Buppharam is reviving the traditional Phao Lua Prachao and Tan Khao Mai religious rites. In winter when cold spell sweeps the region, people converge at the temple and set up a bonfire to keep Lord Buddha warm. They set up a huge pile of wood in the shape of a pyramid a day before the rites.

Before dawn on the appointed day, the abbot torches the pile and the sound of crackling fire is a signal to villagers to wake up and proceed to the temple to make merit. That is when they donate rice from their first harvest of the year.

It was 5am and I saw village women balancing rice baskets on their shoulders proceeding to the chapel. They wore graceful blouses and sarongs, their hair tied in buns behind their heads. They took turns to empty their baskets in the chapel. Some villagers offered food and alms to monks. Then they made their prayers with flowers, candles and incense sticks. By 6:30am the villagers had left and the temple was back to normal: empty.

The rites will be marked again next year.

In the afternoon women at Lao Pa Ko Village set up herbal steam baths at their homes. The baths were made from bamboo-woven sheets with a roof that was a patchwork of rags. Each bath was connected to a big pot of herbal concoctions via a pipe. Clients are allowed 15 minutes at a time. Twin baths are also available for couples.

Initially, I saw visitors hesitate but once they had tried it they didn't hesitate repeating it a second or third time. It was a welcome relief given the cold weather.

The women were also expert at traditional massage, a nice way to add to their income when not working in the fields.

TRAVEL INFO

To get to Kew Mae Pan take the Chiang Mai-Chom Thong Road and turn right into Highway 1009. Mini buses to Doi Inthanon, Kew Mae Pan and Ban Mae Klang Luang are also available from Chom Thong.

Kew Mae Pan trail is at Km 42 on the Chom Thong-Doi Inthanon route. Rhododendrons are in bloom from November to March. The trail is closed June to October. There is no accommodation. Tourist facilities, such as food outlets, car park and toilets are available at the entrance. Call Doi Inthanon National Park (053-268-550) for more details or visit http://www.doiinthanon.com.

Ban Mae Klang Luang is before you reach the office of Doi Inthanon National Park. Important contacts: Mr Somsak Khiriphumthong, (081-960-8856) and Mr Phongsak Vanalainivet (089-952-0983).

Nearby attractions:

Research station of Doi Inthanon Royal Project. It specialises in flowers and farm products that grow in temperate climate. It also raises rainbow trout. The station has a restaurant that serves fresh vegetables grown at the station.

To get to Mae Chaem, drive along the Chom Thong-Doi Inthanon route. At Km 38 is the Mae Chaem checkpoint. Take a left turn there. Buses connect Chom Thong and Mae Chaem from 8am-6pm.

Mae Chaem has several old Lanna temples. Wat Jiang is known for its six-sided pagoda; Wat Buddha En is over 200 years and Wat Pa Daed is famous for its ancient murals.
Bangkok Post