Thailand Vacation - Part Two

A Little Car Trip ...

To Doi Inthanon, then South to Sukothai

December 22, 2018

A spirit of adventure and a desire for independent exploration propelled the decision to do a self-drive in northern Thailand for a few days. Friends advised against this, urging us to hire a car with a local driver. I spent some time doing online research on self-driving in Thailand only to find a dearth of information. Most self-drive experiences were posted by Asian residents from nearby countries who were used to driving on the left on poor roads inhabited by aggressive drivers. But it wasn't hard to find information on high road fatality rates and unpredictable road behavior.

Much to our relief, the drive to our first destination, Doi Inthananon, a national park in the mountains 60 km out of Chiang Mai, was pretty straightforward on well maintained paved roads. Traffic thinned out as we left the city, and the modern four lane highway transitioned into two lanes. Road signs were mostly in Thai script so Google maps were essential. We drove past villages and paddy fields, with uninhabited pristine landscape in between. 

Our day in the mountains was not your typical day in the wilderness experience. Sure, we saw plenty of nature's splendor. Starting with a cascading waterfall that we were gawking at minutes after entering the park. And as we drove further up through jungle we caught blissful views of valleys and mountains through periodic openings.

Waterfall at Doi Inthanon National Park

It was when we headed to our lunch destination, the Royal Project, that things turned unusual. This national park is actually home to hill tribes, notably the Hmong. The Royal Project, an agricultural organization situated in a Hmong Village, trains and educates locals in sustainable farming practices. At the project's entrance there were strawberry fields and fruit stands run by Hmong people. 

We saw a lot of strawberry fields at Doi Inthanon. The produce stand was run by Hmong locals

We had to pay an entry fee of $2.00 each to enter the grounds of the Royal Project. Their restaurant was recommended by Kevin, the owner of our homestay where we'd be spending the night. We'd met him in the morning before entering the park when we went to check out our evening digs. Kevin had also warned us that Doi Inthanon was a favorite weekend escape for Bangkok visitors. 
So the crowded restaurant was not a surprise when we hopped around for a suitable table. Lunch was a buffet of traditional Thai dishes, some western options and an excellent salad bar for just $5. None of the cooked food was vegetarian, though! But we managed to assemble a satisfying salad from a selection of succulent produce - different types of crisp lettuces, carrots, bell peppers, cucumbers, tomatoes.

Royal Project Restaurant

The forest setting itself guaranteed an enjoyable meal at this restaurant. An adjacent coffee shop made espresso drinks from locally grown coffee beans. They also offered two surprising desserts - banoffee pie and strawberry panna cotta! So, of course we sampled the banoffee pie. Wow! Easily tastier than most of the ones we’ve had in England. See what I mean about not your typical day in the wilderness?

Continuing our drive higher up the mountain we came upon a series of colorful Hmong markets along the main road. We pulled over for a browse. Every stall, run by patient, polite, smiling Hmong vendors, carried the same stuff. Clothes, bags and scarves with traditional designs (not done by hand!). Specialty food products were displayed too, as well as irresistible fresh produce. Plump, bright yellow Cape gooseberries, unusual citrus, passion fruit, almonds, macadamias, and coffee beans. 

Our next stop was the park's most popular attraction close to the summit. Two towering stupas built in the early 20^thcentury to honor the king and queen. We strolled through the formal gardens surrounding them, along with the hordes of boisterous Bangkok visitors taking selfies. Our enthusiasm level was marginal. We were in the mountains and craved natural beauty. Back down to the street we went across and there a treat awaited us: a breathtaking panorama of valleys and mountains.

Doi Inthanon - view across street from the two famous stupas

We drove up to the summit, an elevation of 2,500 meters. The temperature was deliciously mild. Not the breezy, cool weather we'd expected. Thai people, we were told, came up here in January to see frost.

While we enjoyed the Doi Inthanon excursion, with its atypical wilderness offerings, we were disappointed to discover a lack of hiking trails. Apart from a 3km guided trail through jungle leaving at scheduled times, all other park attractions required driving.

Before exiting the park we saw another jaw-dropping waterfall. A short detour off the main road, followed by a brief hike on a paved pathway led to a viewpoint from where we could marvel at the wide, thundering sheets of water. How poetic to start and end the visit the same way!

To get to Suan Sook, our homestay, a few miles from the park's entrance, we drove through a sleepy village set among brilliant paddy fields. We arrived in the last minutes of daylight. On their upstairs balcony we sipped a welcome drink of icy fruit juice, relishing the tranquility in which we were immersed.

Back garden of our homestay outside Doi Inthanon

Our eyes feasted on the changing light over glimmering rice paddy pools fringed by mature mango trees, and framed by the Doi Inthanon Mountains. 

The owners, a Thai/New Zealand couple, are professional photographers. Their artistic talents are seen in the design of their contemporary styled house. Sleek cement and tile surfaces, with big windows and glass sliding doors.

For dinner they served us a home cooked meal of black rice, a Thai omelette, and stir-fried mushrooms, bell peppers, and soft tofu. Healthy, with a good balance of pronounced Thai flavors in each mouthful. Our drink was some mixture containing rum and honey.

The morning light over the mountains and paddy fields was a magical start to a new day. Over a healthy breakfast of muesli, home made bread and poached eggs on the terrace, Kevin chatted to us about living in the area as an ex-pat from New Zealand. They'd recently moved out of Chiang Mai into this bucolic village, living the life they'd always dreamed of.

We appreciated the very pleasant start to a day involving a four and a half hour drive to our next destination, Sukhothai, 250 km south of us. We had some anxiety about the road and traffic conditions. But it turned out to be surprisingly unchallenging. The roads were of high quality with little traffic. True, local drivers ignored speed limits. Bikers on the slow lane zipped past us. And when the occasional passing lane existed, it disappeared without warning. But, overall, nothing hair-raising!
Interestingly, the scenery on this drive was more dramatic than at Doi Inthanon. The road took us past several nature parks and along two mountain passes. The first one began with a steep climb involving numerous switchbacks and hairpin bends, followed by a steep descent. Much of the lush landscape was forested and unpopulated. Karsts, draped in thick vegetation, appeared frequently.

We kept seeing these black pots beside the road as we drove through villages

We drove past low-key villages where we saw modest homes and people engaged in various chores. We didn't see the grinding poverty typical of the developing world.

Around midday, after two hours of driving, we arrived at a particularly scenic area, characterized by a series of limestone cliffs called karsts, with shapely tops and draped in thick vegetation. A number of resorts lined the road. We searched in vain for a restaurant. Luckily, fruit purchases from the Hmong market the previous day saved us. We pulled off the road into a gap from where we could gawp at the karsts while gobbling Cape gooseberries and passion fruit.

Sukhothai

Sawasdee Sukhothai Resort, a mile outside the old town, was surrounded by lush countryside. Luxury was evident in the immaculate landscaping, an inviting pool area, and the lavish interior of our room.

Each room is an individual bungalow at Sawasdee Sukothai Resort

Our bungalow, right at the end, gave us the advantage of enjoying a large natural pond fringed by trees on the other side of the hotel property.

My morning view when I stepped out onto the porch of our bungalow

We were in Sukothai to see a UNESCO World Heritage site not easily accessible without a car. Due to the unbearable heat in this part of Thailand we waited until late in the day to visit the site. Sukhothai is a sprawling complex of the remains of an ancient kingdom dating back to the 13th century. It's surrounded by a moat and a wall in the shape of a rectangle. Within the walls, in a park like setting, there are ruins of palaces, temples and other structures.

Wat Mahathat, the park's centerpiece, was the largest temple of the Sukhothai kingdom. Its main chedi has a lotus bud shape, and is surrounded by eight smaller pagodas. Two rows of crumbling columns lead to a standing Buddha image.

Majestic trees, centuries old, among the ruins, competed for attention.

The many ancient trees all over the grounds were jaw dropping, not just in their beauty, but in so many other ways. Towering, with interesting trunks and shapely branches, they emitted an overwhelming sense of power.

I'm proud of this silhouette I managed to capture

As the sun sank lower and lower  behind the distant mountains, the ruins took on incredible hues. We wandered around enormous bell shaped stupas, Buddha statues and columns and it all felt unexpectedly peaceful and relaxing. It ought to be overrun by tourists and someday that may be the case.
In the park there's also a recent monument, built in 1975. It's a bronze statue of King Ramkhamheang the Great sitting on a throne. A head scratcher!

Sunday Night Market at Sukothai

It was Sunday. A night market was setting up beside the large central pond. A row of food stalls, a few crafts stalls, and music livened up the place. Twilight shadows on the water and the mountains silhouetted against an orange sky heightened the atmosphere. Wandering from stall to stall we watched how pad thai and other street food is made. Everything looked clean and fresh. But fish, chicken or other meat products went into every dish. So no street food for us. Darn! It was quite the perfect setting. In lieu of picnic tables two long, narrow picnic mats were spread on the grass beside the pond.

We nipped across the park to a nearby restaurant where we were served a delicious spicy noodle dish full of fresh, crunchy vegetables. We also tried out the local Sukhothai soup, a gingery broth with thin rice noodles and vegetables. A Chang beer, icy and refreshing, washed it all down.

It was Christmas Eve the next morning when we lapped up a feast of a breakfast in the sheltered outdoor dining area of Sawasdee. A view of fields and natural vegetation boosted our moods. Annoying Christmas music was playing. We'd traveled a long way to escape this! But the buffet spread more than made up for it. Pancakes, eggs, fried rice, stuffed sticky rice wrapped in banana leaves, fresh fruit (bananas, papaya, watermelon), cereals, toast, jams, real maple syrup. Strong coffee. I ignored my superego and tried a bit of everything. No regrets since it was all of stellar quality. As we were leaving the dining area we were given a beautiful gift box containing shortbread cookies.

What a shame to have to leave behind all this pampering!

Before heading out of Sukothai we visited more archeological ruins outside the walled section in the east and north zones. Wat Si Chum in the East Zone is famous for a giant Buddha image. On the approach through rows of ruined columns the image is visible through a vertical gap. Its enormity didn't hit me though until I got closer.

Wat Si Chum

Staggering, at 15 meters high and 11 meters wide!
The northern zone was a disappointment. Just piles of ruins spread out over a few acres. There wasn't much to see except for the first structure where a Khmer style temple design could be discerned.
A car made our Sukothai visit possible. Most visitors cycle to the zones outside the central part, but the heat is intense and the distances aren't short.
I should mention that a car also allowed us to drive to a 7 Eleven (they're all over Thailand) for good, strong take-out coffee.

Phitsanulok 

December 24

The spacious lobby of our hotel, the Grand Riverside, looked like a scene from a 1970's movie. But our 7th floor room was spacious, with a comfortable bed, and we had nice river views. We were spending the night in Phitsanulok because of its convenient train connection to Bangkok, where we were heading in the morning. This mid sized Thai town tends not to be on the usual tourist circuit. Most of the afternoon we hid from the heat in our air-conditioned room. But close to sunset we stepped out for a stroll along the river. The town was surprisingly full of life and activity.

The river in Phitsanulok at dusk

A paved cycle and pedestrian path runs along the river bank below street level, and it was full of joggers and walkers. The night bazaar and markets were setting up on the roads along the river. An alcohol free street food market operated from a line of attractive, newly built wooden sheds. It created a great atmosphere on our side of the river. Hoping to enjoy the setting with a drink we asked for a menu at one of the stalls. The beverages were all milk based! When daylight disappeared festive lights strung across the bridges and around the river illuminated the area.

For dinner we selected TripAdvisor 's number 2 restaurant, Krua Nannum, which was 500 meters from our hotel. The short walk turned out to be a challenging one. Heavy traffic made crossing streets close to impossible. Then, there was an empty lot along the river close to the restaurant occupied by a depressing number of stray dogs fouling up the air. As we past them one of them growled menacingly. I was sure it was about to attack us. But we marched on and minutes later arrived safely.
And what an incredibly attractive outdoor dining area! Tables were arranged along a colorfully tiled rectangular pool sporting a classical Greek sculpture fountain. Dense green shrubbery and vines draped the walls for a jungle theme. The place was full of locals but conversation was subdued. A talented singer with an appealing voice entertained us with familiar pop music from the late 60's and early 70's. In that ambience even a mediocre meal would've worked. It wasn't, though. Traditional Thai dishes here were divine. We loved the whole experience, especially because it was Christmas Eve and we were far, far away from the hype.