In the big city jungle

Tours to the nearby national park are offered everywhere in Chiang Mai. They usually go like this: Take a shared taxi/minibus up to the temple, then to the royal family's residence, make a detour at the waterfall, and finally go to a village of the hill tribes who put on a show for the tourists (often lacking in tradition). We preferred to rent a scooter for the day. Along the main road, we head out of the city and into the Doi Suthep National Park. After a long mountain pass road, it takes about half an hour to reach the temple in the mountains. From there, if you overlook the tourist masses,

you have a great view over Chiang Mai. On the horizon rise the green mountains of northern Thailand. We go further up. The ride is a bit bumpy as the roads get narrower, curvier, and uneven, but it's very worthwhile due to the pleasant jungle atmosphere. The further we drive, the fewer people we encounter. Eventually, we reach a platform with a wonderful view of the green forests around us. Most cars just pass by here to visit one of the tourist Hmong villages. We skip this attraction. On the way back, we make a detour to a small cave where a monk is supposed to reside (we only found his cushion). There is no one else in the jungle on the way. Then we continue to the Mon Tha Than Waterfall. From there, a circular path leads through dense rainforest. At the park's exit, you will find another small waterfall that is very popular for swimming, especially among locals.

If you visit the park on your own without a planned tour, you will quickly find places where you can enjoy nature undisturbed. You can skip the tourist attractions, such as the residence or the villages.

P.S. I have to mention a little heroic deed: We took a small road that was recommended on the internet. Instead of a great landscape, however, 4 barking dogs came towards us. One of them bared his teeth and ran straight towards us - but Patrick scared the dog away 😃