November 21 Friday : Doi Suthep-Pui park, Wat Phra Lat, Wat Phra That Doi Suthep, Montha Than Waterfall, Mae Sa waterfall, Tad Mok waterfall

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

Doi Suthep-Pui National Park is named after two mountains within the park; Doi Suthep and Doi Pui. Doi Suthep is where the hermit Sudeva lived on for many years.The mountains in the park are within the Thanon Thong Chai Range, most of its bedrock is granite.

Two of the highest peaks in the park are Doi Pui which is the highest in the park at 1,685 meters asl and Doi Buak Ha.

The park is situated in Chiang Mai Province, only a few kilometers northwest of Chiang Mai City covering 265 km2.

The park is separated into two areas not bordering each other; In south Doi Suthep and Doi Pui area where most of the major attractions and the headquarters are

OUR PLAN

https://maps.app.goo.gl/9mNsTj3evNUcnob26 197km, 5 hr loop doi suthep pui from our apt ,

Wat Pha Lat

lit. 'the monastery at the sloping rock'), also known as Wat Sakadagami, is a Buddhist temple located on the slopes of Doi Suthep, above Chiang Mai. Founded by King Kuena of Lanna in the 14th century, Wat Pha Lat served originally as a resting place for pilgrims making the journey up to the Wat Phra That Doi Suthep

Wat Pha Lat was established in 1355 under the reign of King Kue Na of Lanna (1355–1385) to honor a sacred white elephant. The elephant is said to have stopped to rest at the temple's future location before continuing up Wat Phra That Doi Suthep, where it eventually died. In response, the king had temples built at both sites, with Wat Pha Lat becoming a hidden retreat and rest stop for monks.

The temple was restored in the early 20th century by Mong Panyo, a Burmese businessman and teak trader associated with the Bombay Burmah Trading Corporation. A road was built in the mid-20th century, connecting Wat Pha Lat to Wat Phra That Doi Suthep

We could have gone on to the grounds, but forgot and saw only this shrine.

Wat Phra That Doi Suthep

We drove on and arrived at Phra That Doi Suthep, one of northern Thailand's most sacred temple. 30baht entry, 50 THB for the funicular cable 5am-9pm summer

The wát is a beautiful example of northern Thai architecture, reached via a 306-step staircase flanked by naga (mythical sea serpents). The climb is intended to help devotees accrue Buddhist merit.

The monastery was established in 1383 by King Keu Naone to enshrine a piece of bone said to be from the shoulder of the historical Buddha. The bone shard was brought to Lanna by a wandering monk from Sukhothai and it broke into two pieces at the base of the mountain, with one piece being enshrined at Wat Suan Dok. The second fragment was mounted onto a sacred white elephant that wandered the jungle until it died, in the process selecting the spot where the monastery was later founded.

Generally referred as Doi Suthep Temple, it is a Theravada Buddhist temple with holy shrines, pagodas, statues and murals around. The temple is built near the peak of Doi Suthep mountain at 1055 meters above the sea level, 14.5 km from Chiang Mai City Center (Old City).

The first chedi is said to have been founded in the 14th century as a Buddist monastery and still is a

working monastery. It is one of the most sacred sites in the region [sage-shoulder bone relic displaying

magical powers: it glowed, it was able to vanish, it could move and replicate itself-sukhothai king

dhammaraj returned it, lanna king receives, replicates, white elephant. ]. Aspects of the temple draw from both Buddhism and Hinduism. A model of the Emerald Buddha and a statue of the Hindu God

Ganesha can be found in the temple site

The temple can be reached from the main road through the national park, accessible by walking 309 steps steep up or by tram for 50B. The way up is flanked by trees and Naga snake figures.

All visitors must take off their shoes and dress appropriately to enter the temple terrace. No shorts allowed and shoulders must be covered

The terrace at the top of the steps is dotted with breadfruit trees, small shrines, rock gardens and monuments, including a statue of the white elephant that carried the Buddha relic to its current resting place. Before entering the inner courtyard, children pay their respects to a lizard-like guardian dragon statue known as 'Mom'.

Steps lead up to the inner terrace, where a walkway circumnavigates the gleaming golden chedi enshrining the relic. The crowning five-tiered umbrella marks the city's independence from Burma and its union with Thailand. Pilgrims queue to leave lotus blossoms and other offerings at the shrines surrounding the chedi, which are studded with Buddha statues in an amazing variety of poses and materials.

Montha Than Waterfall

Waterfall. A popular and quite often busy nine-tiered waterfall 3 km into the national park. Entering the park less than 1.5 kilometers, a side road on the right side will lead to this waterfall. Just a bit into this sideroad a checkpoint is seen. short easy hike on a 1.6 km loop trail. There is a waterfall at the beginning and another one a couple hundred meters up the trail. The first half of the trail features many steep concrete steps.

Here we had to pay a fee of 330thb.

Mae Sa waterfall

A 100 Baht entrance fee for adults and 30 Baht for car.

A popular 10-tiered cascading waterfall along a nearly 2.5 km trail into the forest. The waterfall is located 5 km west of Mae Rim, about 600 meters off from highway-1096. There are few food vendors at the car park area.

there are 10 different areas to choose from. Water is refreshing not freezing cold, also pools aren't deep

If you want to walk and get to know the whole place leave your vehicle in parking #1, if not go straight to parking #3 it's short walk to area #4 Starting from area #4

you'll find 3 beautiful small waterfalls in a row. It's worth it going all the way to area #10 (around

15 minute walk from area #4)