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Hiking Doi Inthanon National Park in Chiang Mai, Thailand, home of country’s highest peak and a waterfall wonderland
- Doi Inthanon is not only Thailand’s highest mountain but is also home to ethnic minority villages, hidden waterfalls and royal burial grounds
- A two-day trek through the national park can include a night with a family from the local Karen tribe
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Our guide from the local Karen village hops in front of my two American friends and I, pointing to a rickety bridge consisting of a few tree branches tied together that is our only way across the river. When I signed up for a two-day, one-night trek in Doi Inthanon National Park, this isn’t quite what I expected.
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That said, it has been an adventure crossing rivers, chasing waterfalls and learning about the local Karen people, an ethnic minority originating from Myanmar.
At 2,565 metres (8,415 feet), Doi Inthanon is the highest peak in Thailand. To reach the summit is as easy as driving up and taking a short walk. At the top is the shrine and burial ground for King Inthawichayanon, the last king ruler of Chiang Mai under the historic northern kingdom of Lanna.
Nearby are the king and queen pagodas built by the more recent King Rama IX and his wife to commemorate their birthdays, as well numerous waterfalls. Many visitors only explore this part of the national park, which is also included in the morning of our hiking tour.
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In the afternoon, when the weather had cooled down a little, we head to the village of Mae Klang Luang along the Pha Dok Siew trail. As we set off into the jungle, to our right we see rows of shade houses, structures lined with fabric that protects vegetation from sunlight.
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