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.

Chiang Mai, Thailand

In Chiang Mai we stayed near the Tha Phae gate. It was walking distance to go to the Sunday market and the night market. These markets were very different from the night markets in Krabi. Rather than selling just food as in Krabi these markets sold primarily souvenirs, crafts, clothing, etc with a few carts selling waffles, etc but with very little options for food that would constitute a meal.

Decorated soaps at the Sunday Market, Chiang Mai, Thailand

 The Sunday market gets CROWDED. Streets are closed down to car traffic multiple blocks up from the Tha Phae gate. Clothing is cheaper here than elsewhere in Thailand. Unfortunately Thai clothing doesn't fit me so well and the stands rarely let you try anything on. Prices are negotiable and walking away will typically get you a lower price if you are nice about it. Say sorry it is to much, I would pay this, thank you and then walk away.  If it is something you really want and it doesn't work then go back for it later. Prices also get lower the later in the night it is. If you go to the market early it might not be as negotiable as right before the stands are closing.

Sunday Market, Chiang Mai, Thailand

I was very sad that the clothing doesn't really fit me since they have such colourful and lovely patterns in their clothing. A basic t-shirt with a design costs about 100TB ($4 CAN) which is equivalent to many of the stores in Chaing Mai. The traditional clothing is a thicker material (more durable but also warmer), costs more but can come with embroidered designs rather than dyed cotton. I didn't spend as much money at the market as I expected. It was nice to walk around and see everything but there was not much I actually wanted.

The city has some parks and green space that do appear to be suitable for reptiles but sadly the only snake I found was dead. The first lizard I found was in the tight grip of a house cat but I managed to save a large skink from its captor.  It just sat in the grass stunned for a while I held the cat. It eventually did get its bearings again and ran into a crack in the nearest wall.

Skink

 It was a great pleasure to finally see the gorgeous Red-whiskered Bulbuls outside of cages. In the south of Thailand these birds were frequently kept in captivity but int he north they are incredibly common and free.

Red-whiskered Bulbul

Just above Chiang Mai in the mountains was Wat Pha Lat. This was my favorite temple yet! It was simple without the bright decorations seen in the cities but rather an ancient beauty and wonder from weathered rock and moss amidst the greenery. Some buildings were new but there was also a lot of older statues and small shrines. The temple had a nice trail going down the mountain towards the city. There might be other trails but the only one I found was a one-way trail. It goes along the small creek at some points and takes you higher on the slopes at others. At least two species of frogs were calling from the water and we found a garden lizard but nothing really new or spectacular. I imagine the area was really in need of rain to liven the mood and make wildlife really active. The forest here is somewhat older but still appears to have been influenced by logging or tee cutting.

Garden Lizard

 From Chiang Mai we went on a tour with Elephant Nature Park. They are regarded as one of the elephant sanctuaries where elephants from logging trade or begging on the streets are taken up to the mountains where they can live in a more relaxed wild setting. This is funded by tourists and volunteers who want to see the elephants.

A tour consists of return transportation from Chiang Mai to the location of your choice (they have multiple locations but the main location books up quickly so you need to reserve far in advance), a vegetarian lunch, feeding the elephants and walking with the elephants up to a mud pit where they get a mud bath and then walking back down to the river where you can swim and splash around with them.

You don't get to ride the elephants Asian Elephant

Asian Elephant

Asian Elephant

You don't get to ride the elephants but they do very much enjoy a snack and frequently ask for food on the walk since you are given a sac of it for them. The tour is very enjoyable and although I can only comment on the one experience, the animals appear to be very well treated. Elephants are incredibly stunning animals and this was a great way to see them and support local efforts for removing these creatures from strenuous and abusive work conditions.

Phang Nga National Park, Thailand

The accommodation at Phang Nga National Park was actually very impressive and way more than I was expecting from a park. We had good wifi, a kettle and fridge. The beds were very very hard but the room was spacious, nicely decorated and clean.

accommodation at Phang Nga National Park

 Our first day in Phang Nga National Park was quite lazy. We all had gotten sick from being on the shuttle with other people who were sick. We just relaxed and walked around the park a bit and then walked into the town of Tha Dan. The national park like so many others doesn't have a mantained trail and the only existing trail actually dead ends where a previously existing bridge over a channel through the mangroves collapsed. The entire trail is maybe about 200m max.

Phang Nga National Park, Thailand

Phang Nga National Park, Thailand

Phang Nga National Park, Thailand

 Food in the national park is good but Hotel Murano in town (Tha Dan) had better prices and more accommodating hours. Portions were smaller but it is still more than enough for a meal.

Tha Dan near Phang Nga National Park, Thialand

Brown Shrike

We weren't expecting to be so late in town so I made a rookie mistake and forgot to bring a flashlight but an owl flew overhead on our way back into the park! I was so disappointed in myself for not being able to find it again due to my silly mistake. Still even on the way in there were lots of birds including a Brown Shrike, Egrets, Swallows and Bulbuls.

The park at night had absolutely nothing. It was very very silent and I didn't find any reptiles, amphibians or owls until I got back to my room and found a treefrog in a little water dish I had set out.

Common Southeast Asian Tree Frog (Polypedates leucomystax)

An island tour is 1500TB for three people (not including park fee of 300TB each). You can negotiate a little on the price or length of time but they are all about the same. The lowest I heard of anyone going was 1300TB for 4 hours. The tour typically includes six sights, some of which you just drive by on the boat and other you stop at.

Phang Nga National Park Islands, Thailand

1. Khao Khien is a site with ancient painting on the cliff face from 3000 years ago. You drive past this is the boat.

Khao Khien, Thailand

2 and 3. Tham Lod and Koh Talu are caves under the karst mountains viewed from the boat. You can rent a kayak to go underneath and around Koh Talu but it is incredibly crowded.

Koh Talu Cave

4. Khao To Poo (James Bond Island) you actually get off the boat and walk around. There is a small trail over to the flowerpot formation and beach from the movie and some stands are set up selling souvenirs.

Khao To Poo (James Bond Island, Thailand

5. Also on the James Bond Island is Khao Ping-kan, a huge rock formation from a crack and sliding of rock at a fault.

Khao Ping-kan, Khao To Poo, Thailand

6. Koh Panyee is a island with a 200 year old muslim fishing village on it. You can get off here and enjoy restaurants and souvenir shops. Feel free to barter for the souvenirs and you can try to ask the guide for extra time to eat lunch  since sometimes they get paid by the restaurants for bringing people in.

Koh Panyee, Thailand

Koh Panyee, Thailand

Koh Panyee, Thailand

Khao Sok, Thailand

Although Khao Sok was still quite touristy it had a much nicer feel than Koh Lanta.  I think the difference comes from the fact that there really isn't much to do in Khao Sok other than ecotourism and two bars that close fairly early. It was a small town but easy enough to get to. From the bus stop our hotel (Green Valley Resort) had a free taxi to the hotel if you already have a booking. Otherwise it is only 50TB to get into town rather than walking a half hour.

Green Valley Resort had very friendly staff and was lovely with small cabins encircling a little garden with pathways. It wasn't a large property but it was full of birds, squirrels, lizards and frogs. Large pots of water with lotus flowers were full of tadpoles and at night breeding tree frogs.

Common Southeast Asian Treefrog (Polypedates leucomystax)

Common Southeast Asian Treefrog (Polypedates leucomystax)

Khao Sok National Park was walking distance from the hotel and pretty much every other hotel in town. The first night we signed up for a night hike. It is 600TB plus a 300TB entrance fee for the park but you can use the entrance fee to go into the park that afternoon you book the nigh hike and the next day. You cannot enter the park at night without a guide. The guide will take you on a walk from 6:30-9:30pm. They don't talk much, which is nice for a night hike to not scare off wildlife, but they show you monkeys, spiders, snakes and frogs (if they are around).  The night I went we saw a Banded Malaysian Coral Snake, Temple Viper (really far up in the trees), Mountain Frog, Bent-toed Gecko, Puhket Pricklenape, Paddy Field Frog, Emma Grays Forest Lizard, Black-striped Frog, Flat-tailed Gecko, Tokay Gecko and so many cool spiders.

Banded Malaysian Coral Snake (Calliophis intestinalis)

spider

Chalcorana eschatia

Night walks just around town you can actually see almost just as much stuff. The creeks had choruses of frogs and tadpoles metamorphosing into tiny froglets. I eventually found a Red-necked Keelback Snake that of course eats frogs.

young Chalcorana eschatia

Chalcorana eschatia recently meta-morphed

Red-necked Keelback (Rhabdophis subminiatus)

A morning walk into the park and you realize that the monkeys are always around the same place and are quite impossible to miss in the morning when they are crashing around and calling to each other. Birds were calling loudly as well but they were at the tops of trees and hidden by foliage so it wasn't easy to see any of them. The birding was actually the most active around 8am so waking up super early for the walk wasn't actually necessary but it did get us further down the trail and ahead of the crowds.

Spotted Forest Skink (Sphenomorphus maculatus)

Flying Lizards (Barred Flying Dragon and Black-barbed Flying Dragon), Turtles and Spotted Forest Skinks were out enjoying the sunshine when we went for an afternoon hike around the loop towards Sip-ed Chum Waterfall. The straight section to the waterfall was closed but the loop was much nicer than the main wide straight trail we had taken that morning. The trail is possibly the most expensive trail I have ever seen with basically a full boardwalk of concrete and metal going into the forest, but it is obvious that this hasn't really been maintained in recent years since the trail is falling apart in many places. I imagine it won't be long before they close this section of the trail too rather than replacing it. This was one sad thing I found about National Parks I visited in Thailand - they lack an extensive trail system so there really isn't to much of the park you can see.

Turtle (Cyclemys)

Barred Flying Dragon (Draco taeniopterus)

 To get a bit further into the park they offer tours of Khao Sok Lake where you can either go up for a day or stay overnight in a floating cabin.  We opted for the day tour since we were told that there aren't really walking trails around the cabins and you can't really go anywhere at night. The tour starts with a drive to the dam followed by a longboat ride to the cabins where you get lunch. The food is very good and included scrumptious sweet chilli fish. Hiking up to the Nam Talu Cave was rushed but we did see gliding lizards on the way. The guide we had didn't know anything about wildlife but was very friendly and made a lot of jokes.

Boat launch at the dam on Khao Sok Lake

Khao Sok Lake cabins

The cave itself was the best cave I have ever been in. A river runs right through the cave but you can walk all the way through it. Bring water shoes or something you don't mind getting wet or you will have to rent some for 50TB. The water does get deep in parts and sometimes people might have to swim if they are shorter. The cave had crickets, giant spiders, a few frogs and many bats. The rock formations were incredibly intricate and sparkled against the headlamp light.

Bats in Nam Talu Cave

Nam Talu Cave

Nam Talu Cave

There was less time for a swim/kayak than they said there would be but from the kayak we ended up getting a good view of Langur (monkeys) and shorebirds.

Striated Heron

 The largest flower in the world, Rafflesia kerii, occurs in an area just outside of Khao Sok, which is famous for having the most famous population of this parasitic species in the world. We booked a tour at one of the shops down the street. Prices are pretty much set on the tours and you might be able to haggle a few dollars or so but it ultimately will not be worth your time. I would always make sure to clarify if the park entrance fee is included or not. Also if you consider how many people these tours actually employ they really are not overpriced. The only open flower we saw was on it's last day of blooming (out of three days that they are open) but many buds were coming up around it. I would have loved to come back in a few days just to see all of these open at once! 

Rafflesia is a symbol of Khao Sok National Park (but it doesn't get quite this big)

Worlds Largest Flower (Rafflesia kerii) on its last day

 In terms of food in Khao Sok the Blue Cafe was quite lovely and the Rasta Bar had lovely drinks for a good price. The Rasta Bar also had a fire show later at night. Thai massages in town are very good and a great price compared to massages in Canada (average for Thailand). Thai massage isn't really the same as what I have had previously and they stretch you in odd ways during the massage.