Chiang Dao, Thailand

Chiang Dao is a very small village with very beautiful temples set into the mountains, including a cave temple. Coming to the end of the three week trip in Thailand I was very tired but the birding was so fantastic here that I was still waking up early to get out at sunrise. But that also meant less herping at night. Chiang Dao Nest is a very nice accommodation and there are a lot of birds just on the property at Chiang Dao Nest 1. Chiang Dao Nest 2 has better food though but it is just a short walk down there for dinner.  I heard that Malee's Nature Lovers Bungalows right beside the Nest are also very good and cheaper/more likely to have rooms.

Little Spiderhunter

Many Spotted Skink

The day we arrived we went to the cave temple. They had natural health remedies for sale outside the temple grounds fresh or in liquid form.

The temple entrance is quite built up with donation boxes everywhere. The pond before the cave entrance is said to contain sacred fish and had a statue of Phra Mae Thorani (mother earth)at the entrance. In legend mother earth wrung water out of her hair to drown the demon Mara, who was trying to tempt Buddha.

Phra Mae Thorani (mother earth) statue at Chaing Dao Cave

The temple itself is free to walk around and the cave temple has no entry fee to access the section of it that is lit up and paved, however if you want to go deeper into the cave where there are no lights you have to pay a guide. The cave is very expansive and they have no route markings to show you were to go so they do force you to pay for a guide. The guides don't speak much English but they point out a few rock formations for you and take you around a set loop. The tour is quite short and there is so much more to the cave that they don't show you.

Statues inside Chiang Dao Cave

 It is probably for the best that they don't allow you to enter all of the sections of the cave since even the sections on the tour had a lot of wildlife including bats, spiders and insects that would be more disturbed by tourists wandering aimlessly and for longer periods of time.

Bat in Chiang Dao Cave

 A trail exists from Chiang Dao Cave (Wat Tham Chiang Dao) to the temple in the mountains (Wat Tham Pha Plong). From the Chiang Dao Cave you go to the left of this golden buddha statue that is higher up and the to right of the cave entrance and built up temple grounds.  The trail is difficult and not very well maintained but it is a very clear path and you won't get lost. If it had been wet the slopes going up the mountain from the cave side would have been impossible to climb. I wouldn't recommend it as a leisurely trail but it was a very lovely hike that takes you through somewhat young forest (appears to have been a fire some time ago).

Trail head from Chiang Dao Cave to the temple

Trail from Chiang Dao Cave to the temple

Trail from Chiang Dao Cave to the temple

 The birding along the trail was very good with many of the typical bulbuls we frequently have seen around town but also with some new species and one of my favorite birds that I have seen in Thailand.

Black-headed Bulbul

Scarlet Minivet

Puff-throated Babler

Wat Tham Pha Plong is set in serene mountains surrounded by forest and accessible by a long staircase. The steps are not hard to climb even though there are many steps they are not high ones. Birding along the staircase is fabulous and you can see so much just by walking slowly along the path. My favorite were a Sultan Tit, Grey-backed Shrike, Crested Serpent Eagle and some of the blue flycatchers.

Grey-backed Shrike

Crested Serpent Eagle

Great Myna

Coppersmith Barbet

Sultan Tit

Eventually you are treated to a scenic view of the temple. It is very spectacular and stands out brightly against the forest. There is a little place to rest here as a midway point of the 510 steps.

Wat Tham Pha Plong

 The temple is simply but still intricately decorated. It doesn't have the bright flashy mosiacs and pagodas as in Bangkok but the staircases have carved dragons and the top spire is gold. All of the rocks and statues in the temple are scrubbed down so they don't have any lichens or moss growing on them and I am sure it looks deceivingly newer than it is. At the top you have a view of Chiang Dao National Park, which lies behind the temple.

Wat Tham Pha Plong with Chiang Dao National Park behind

Peaks in Chiang Dao National Park viewed from Wat Tham Pha Plong

 I really loved Chiang Dao. It is a very scenic, quiet and relaxing place. In contrast to the rest of Thailand is was actually a bit chilly at night and regular temperatures during the day. I do regret that when I visited Chiang Dao the National Park was closed because of a fire and that I didn't have as much time as I would have liked to enjoy this place and really relax here.