Heading East - Looking for Mae Kampong
If you went looking for the steepest road in Thailand you probably need venture no further than 40kms east of Chiang Mai to the small eco-tourism village of Mae Kampong, located on the side of the Doi Mon Larn range. While most visitors to Chiang Mai instinctively head for the obvious massif of Doi Pui to the west, there is an equally arresting range across the broad valley and it’s well worth a day trip or overnight stay. Hotsprings, an enormous cave, quaint mountain hideaway lodges and some lofty waterfalls are just some of the attractions in this area to the east of Chiang Mai.
Mae Kampong village is a favourite with Thailand’s prime minister and since his visit in 2003 the area has steadily been increasing in popularity as a Northern Thailand tourist destination. But perhaps it’s biggest attraction is that it offers an uncrowded glimpse into the quiet life of a prospering mountain village, free of tourist buses, must-see temples or popular national parks. Here you can feel part of the village, making use of the homestays and wandering among this elongated village that has squashed itself into a steep sided lush valley.
Although the hills to the east of Chiang Mai appear dry and featureless, the road into the mountains soon climbs into a perennial forest and meanders alongside a gently tumbling stream. First signs that you are in a nature conservation area is the park headquarters of the Mae Takrai National Park, just beyond the village of Huay Kaew. With songkran having just passed, mischievous children were still lining the road with buckets of water. Despite the April heat, I discovered the climate here is distinctinctly cooler and the vegetation quite different from the dry dusty Ping river valley below. Before we’ve even reached Mae Kompong we are compelled to stop several times; first at the lovely Tharntong lodge - a perfect overnight escape from Chiang Mai with its pretty location beside a stream and teak forest; and a little further up the road we witnessed first hand the success of the Royal Project’s Teen Tok community which has prospered through the cultivation of coffee, dragon fruit, flowers and vegetables.
Khun Tim, one of the rangers at Teen Tok, insists we should make a diversion to Mae Lai waterfall – the first of three you can see in the area – and so we follow a side road for three kilometers through the village of Pang Soong. The reason he has directed us here is not entirely the waterfall, but an unusual local crop for which the area is famous: Miang. This chewable leaf is actually a tea variety which has been cultivated here for over a century and is now enjoying a resurgence thanks to the Mae Kompong’s steady rise in prominence. Khun Tim explains the traditional method of harvesting and preparing the miang, demonstrating the nimble thumb and second finger action of snatching a clump of leaves from the branches then quickly binding it with a strip of bamboo bark, before tossing into a wicker basket. What follows is a complicated processing in which the bound leaves are steamed in earthern pots, carefully stacked under stones and submerged in water to ferment for 30 days. After all this effort you would expect a delicacy, but in fact the raw miang is bitter and sappy, and unless you have developed a local ‘taste’ for it, a sweet syrup dip is suggested to avoid insulting the locals with any unsavoury reactions! None-the-less the folk in these parts are quite addicted to chewing miang, but it can also be brewed as a beverage.
With my mouth still reeling from the bitterness we went looking for the waterfall and discovered a pretty pool and water plunge. What really catches your attention though is the unusual Mae Lai Rock Chedi – which took 52 villagers three years to build using a patient method of each person setting aside their respective Buddhist holy day (week day of birth) to collect rocks and pebble-stones in order to complete the nine-storey structure.
The village of Mae Kampong itself is located 10kms from Huay Kaew village, and comprises a pretty collection of teak houses raised on stilts either side of lovely stream. There is a visitors’ centre at the village entrance and the locals, in keeping with the ‘one tambon one product’ campaign, produce herbal pillows and variety of creative uses for their miang, including a spicy miang salad. You won’t find any souvenir shops or tourist services here, which is part of its appeal, and its possible to find a a handful of homestays and simple noodle shops. The best place to stay however is John’s Place, a gorgeous log cabin with lovely large deck that overlooks the surrounding canopy. Owned by John Bell and his wife Mam, the lodge wouldn’t look out of place in the American Rockies and includes lovely teak floors, fluffy carpets, a stone fireplace and eclectic mix of Thai art. John, a native of Newcastle in England, has done much to improve the lot of the villages, supporting the school and promoting the the area with brochures. His lodge is a perfect hideaway, complete with a tree house and the ever-present gurgling sound of the stream that bisects his property.
Back in the village we come across a delightful wooden temple, more reminiscent of an old American prairies church than the gilded places of worship typically found in Thailand. The clapboard walls and faded filigree give it a lovely antique character.
Two kilometres beyond the village is the Mae Kampong waterfall, from where a view point offers a good perspective of the village. Although the pretty base of this multi-tiered waterfall looks low-key, there is an exhausting trek up several flights of steep stairs to each of the successive four lofty wisps of water. Until now you might be wondering where those steep roads are, hold your breath and check your brakes. The sealed road that continues up and over the crest of the 1600m Doi Mon Larn was only recently completed and now links the area with Lampang province and the lovely Jae Sorn National Park. It is a rollercoaster ride of switchbacks and ascents/descents, demanding a strong vehicle and careful driving which leaves your brakes reeking of burnt carbon. But the views are exceptional, particularly when you crest the summit and chance upon the manifold range of hills that make up Northeastern Lampang province. Thankfully the road is seldom used and can even be closed in the rainy season. In December the Sakura ‘cherry blossoms’ splash the area with a pink and white veneer and if you keep your eyes peeled you can spot the ‘dok seow’, a native orchid which blends in with the sakura and is actually eaten, deep-fried, by the locals.
As you descend into bamboo forest you pass through the village of Pa Miang, and it’s worth the effort of driving the additional 45 minutes from Mae Kampong to reach Jae Sorn National park, which boasts delightful waterfalls and a bubbling stream. The park entrance from this direction is not marked in English so be sure to bear left at the first main intersection. Not-surprisingly, the park is a popular playground for the residents of Lampang and can get crowded on weekends with loads of food vendors, picknicking families, and a busy car park. When you find your way to the waterfall you understand why, for the river not only plunges over four levels - ranging in height from 30 to 50 feet - but also presents a delightful mile long stream for kids and adults alike to frolick in and cool off. In addition to the waterfall there are nature trails and a large grassy picnicking area, as well as a camping ground and ablution blocks.
There are two additional attraction along this route, which we had left for the return journey and they are found much closer to Chiang Mai. Mae On cave is just off the main road east of San Khampaeng and clearly marked, but the entrance itself lies inconspicuously among a stoney hillside, leaving you to wonder how on earth someone every found it (notwithstanding the pun!). Today the entrance is reached by an exhausting 187 step, naga-lined, staircase which is rather frustrating once you realise that you then have to descend 133 steps inside to reach the main chamber of the this cavernous illuminated interior. It occupies three storeys so that you experience mild vertigo as the stairs zigzag down the side of this enormous cavity. At its base are seated and reclining Buddhas as well as a magnificent chedi-like white calcified staligmite.
Nearby is the Samkhaempeng hotsprings, signposted from the main road a few kilometres northeast down a pretty country road. There are two resorts here and a landscaped park with several geysers, a pretty stream, heated pool and hot bathes.
Although the eastern districts of Chiang Mai valley get neglected by visitors they still offer a refreshing alternatives, with more than enough to interest visitors keen to escape the city and tourists for a night. On the way home you may want to stop in the famous umbrella village of Borsang for a little souvenir shopping, but that’s another story.
Getting there:
Follow the main San Khampaeng road east for roughly 20kms looking out for the signs to the hotsprings that direct you onto highway 1317. Continue for a further 10kms beyond the hotsprings turnoff and bear left at the only fork in the road, at Huay Kaew village, to reach Mae Kampong. Note that the road over the mountain to Jae Sorn may not yet be indicated on some maps.
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