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| Wat Phra That Doi Tung |
Waking up early on my 2nd full day in Chiang Rai I went to Doi Tung. It is a mountain reserve about 48-km from downtown Chiang Rai. Tourists go to Doi Tung for basically 4 attractions, (1) Wat Phra That Doi Tung, (2) Doi Tung Royal Villa, (3) Mae Fah Luang Gardens and (4) Mae Fah Louang Arboretum.
It must be noted that Doi Tung forms a natural border between Myanmar and Thailand.
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| Vista of Myanmar from Doi Tung |
Wat Phra That Doi Tung is an important Buddhist pilgrimage site in Thailand. This temple houses twin chedis which is thought to contain fragments of the left collarbone of the Buddha.
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| Selfie with the Main Hall of the Wat |
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| The twin chedis of Wat Phra That Doi Tung believed to contain the left collarbone of the Buddha. |
Doi Tung Royal Villa
Built by HRH Princess Srinagarindra, the Princess Mother (mother of the late King Rama IX Bhumibol Adulyadej), this cabin is a curious cross between Swiss Chalet and Lanna architecture. It is said that the Princess Mother in one of her visits to the hill tribes here in Doi Tung the thought came to her to reforest the mountain. Over a few years she established the Doi Tung Royal Development Project which oversaw the rehabilitation of the mountain. To effectively manage the project, the Princess Mother established a residence, thus the Royal Villa. She first used the facility in 1988, and used it 5 more times over the next few years whenever she needed to personally oversee the royal project.
The villa is open to the public, curiously though, this is still a functioning residence as members of the Thai royal family still visits Doi Tung to oversee Princess Srinagarindra's projects.
Mae Fah Luang Garden
Just below the Royal Villa, the Princess Mother with her great love for flowers, established the temperate garden. She thought of bringing in temperate flowering plants here, for the Thai people to see, especially those who could not afford to travel to temperate countries.
Mae Fah Luang is a title the Princess Mother got over the years she constantly visited the hill tribes in Doi Tung. Mae Fah Luang means, Royal Mother from the Sky, because in the past when the roads in the North of Thailand were not yet fully developed, the Princess Mother always arrived via helicopter bringing with her food, clothing and medicine for the people.
How to get to Doi Tung
Many tourists will arrive Doi Tung via packaged tours either from Chiang Mai or from Chiang Rai. But for the independent tourist, it is quite accessible. Here's how I got there.
1. At Chiang Rai Arcade Bus Station look for any bus going to Mae Sai
2. Take the Bus and be sure to tell the driver to drop you off at Ban Huay Khrai, at the junction going to Doi Tung. The ride costs 35B
3. At the junction there are bike drivers who are willing to take you to any of the 4 attractions of Doi Tung. The going rate is 75 B per person (the bike is good for 2 passengers). Since I was solo, I had to pay the price of 2 persons, so 150 B. The driver will offer a return ride by giving you his mobile phone number, when you are done with your visit at the attractions, you will phone him, and he'll take you back to the junction, with the same rate. In other words, for the entire visit to Doi Tung, I paid him 300 B.
4. From the junction, you can either choose to go back to Chiang Rai, or continue to Mae Sai to see the Thai-Myanmar Border there, or from there go further to Sop Ruak (Golden Triangle).
Attraction Fees Information
Wat Phra That Doi Tung - FREE
Royal Villa - 90 B
Mae Fah Luang Garden - 90 B
Hall of Inspiration - FREE
Mae Fah Luang Arboretum - 90 B
Doi Tung Package (Royal Villa, Garden and Arboretum) - 220 B
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