November 20 Thursday: Wat Phra That Lampangluang, drive to Chiang Mai, Doi Inthanon national park Mae Ya Waterfall

STAY: Modern Style 1BR / Large balcony at Nimman, Chiang Mai,

Enjoyed Lampung River Lodge, Checked out

Drove to Chiang Mai

Wat Phra That Lampangluang

The temple complex is one of the most authentic and best-preserved examples of Lanna architecture in Northern Thailand. It showcases the elegance of ancient craftsmanship

Wat Phra That Lampang Luang was founded in the 15th century.

In 1732, Chiang Mai and Lamphun cities were take over by Burmese armies. The Burmese king turned his attention to Lampang. He ordered his armies to occupy the city, which was a deserted and had no ruler at that time. Wat Phra That Lampang Luang got taken and turned into an enemy camp, but not expecting an attack from the defenders. Phraya Chaisongkhram, formerly known as Thipchang (Divine Elephant), gathered his men and sneaked into the temple ready for surprise attack. As a result of this raid, he shot the king, who commanded the Burmese army, resulting in the defeat of the enemy.

Today, a statue of Thipchang, who became a hero, can be seen in the temple complex. Moreover, bullet marks visible on the walls are evidence of these turbulent events

Thipchang became the ruler of Lampang and started the Chet Ton dynasty, or officially Thippachak.

Buddha once passed through this area. The indigenous Lawa people offered him honey, in a wooden tube. The Buddha then discarded the wooden tube and threw it away. After that, he announced that this place would in the future become known as Lampakappa Nakhon. According to the story, he also gave the people a single hair from his head. They decided to put the hair in a gold casket and buried the casket in an underground tunnel with other valuables.

The chedi of Wat Phat That Lampang Luang was later built over this spot. This relic of the Buddha is believed by devotees to still be at the base of the chedi together with ashes from the Buddha’s right forehead and neckenshrine a relic of the Buddha. Such relics are typically bones and ashes believed to be gathered after the Buddha's cremation. The relic is installed in the main chedi of the temple

Drive to Chiang Mai

Checked in to our apt, as said, we had had to stay in Lampang the previous day because of rain. We had already texted this apt mgr about arriving only the next day and they gave us clear instructions

Modern Style 1BR / Large balcony at Nimman, Chiang Mai

Excellent well equipped apt, smooth checkin

12:10 noon on the clock...

Doi Inthanon National Park

known as "The Roof of Thailand", Thailand's highest peak at 2,565 meters (8,415 feet). Doi Inthanon National Park covers an area of 482 km2 in Chiang Mai province north of Thailand. The park is part of the Himalayan mountain range with elevations ranging between 800 and 2,565 meters asl.

It is famous for its waterfalls, few trails, remote villages, viewpoints, sunrise/sunset watching,

birdwatching and the all year round cold weather on higher elevations. The main park entrance is

about 70 km southwest from Chiang Mai city center.

Mae Ya Waterfalls, Doi Inthanon National Park, Chiang Mai

A cascading waterfall plunging from several tiers over 250 meters. The main accessible tier is 40 to 50 meters tall and around 100 meters wide, no doubt one of the most impressive falls in the country.

Mae Ya is located in the southern parts of the park, around 17 km southwest from the main

checkpoint into the park. Mae Ya has its own checkpoint where the national park entrance fee must

be paid for entry. Same entrance fee is valid for the entire national park.

2-hour drive from Chiang Mai city, and there’s an easy 500-meter walk from the car park to the falls 280 m height waterfalls. . The path is simple, and the view is totally worth it.

The waterfall is absolutely magnificent!