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[meatloaf]

Apart from hiring a taxi or a private car+guide, is there any other way i can get to Doi Ithanon?

Is it possible to stay overnight there? If yes, any recommendations for mid-range accommodation?

Are there clearly marked hiking trails there open to the public?

[Tywais]

How to get there - Song Taos (red trucks) is possible.

More info.

It's about one hour from Chiang Mai. They have rentals such as A-frame bungalows which is what I have used.

[KhunDave]

Doi Sureya is a great place to stay. I believe (someone might correct me on this) that it is the highest-elevation privately owned accomodation in the park. They have camping or bungalows; the bungalows are comfortable with great views and the prices are reasonable. Website is in Thai only:

Doi Sureya

Google translate does a resaonable job on the prices and details of the accomodation.

Edited January 19, 2011 by KhunDave

[meatloaf]

thank you for the information.

I asked for a quote from a travel company for a 2D1N trip to Doi Ithanon - the price was quite shocking and I am glad to learn of alternatives.

[jkfkr]

Be a farang ting tong and rent a scooter if you ride at all. The roads are really interesting, and not too hard technically. Much easier than, say, riding to Pai.

A friend of mine and I just did a round trip first to Mae Chaem, where we spent the night, via Hot, then the next day up on Doi Inthanon and then home. We did it on a Honda Scoopy and a Honda Click. Easy peasy and way fun.

Here's a map:

[harrry]

thank you for the information.

I asked for a quote from a travel company for a 2D1N trip to Doi Ithanon - the price was quite shocking and I am glad to learn of alternatives.

Maybe because of the outrageously high farang pricing with the bungaloes in the national park and the entry fees which operate a dual pricing system.

[wolf5370]

I took my parents last summer when they visited. I hired a car for it (1000B) and drove. Its really easy to get to and you can stop at the bottom of the waterfall too (the ticket counts for both the waterfall and the mountain). I paid Thai prices for me and the kids and farang for my mum and dad. If you go to the temples, they put you in a song taew to drive all of about 200 yards for 20B (its a millitary van) - we paid it going and walked back. All in all a lovely day out and very cheap (ignoring the car rental cost) - we did it in a day, so no overnight stay.

[NancyL]

Is there anything close to a three-star (or better) lodging within a reasonable distance of the park? We went to Doi Inthanon a couple weeks ago with a group that was predominantly Thai people and stayed at a room in the park. It was a bit primative for my taste; but my idea of "roughing it" is to stay in a hotel without 24-hr room service. I know part of the idea is to "experience the wild", but I just don't want "the wild" in my room. I'd really like to return to do more hiking, but it's nice to be able to relax in a three-star setting after a hard day of hiking around looking at waterfalls. Any ideas?

Edited January 19, 2011 by NancyL

[meatloaf]

@ KhunDave - i have google translated the Doi Sureya site. It seems to state that only telephone reservations are possible and not online reservations. I wonder about this.

Also the site shows little cabins but the translation for one which i looked at states it has 1 bedroom, 1 bed, 1 bathroom but can sleep 2-3 people?? The photo shows a single bed!

@NancyL - do have a look at Doi Sureya website esp if you can read Thai; there seems to be a range of accommodation and the most expensive ones look ok to me. Since you have been to Doi Ithanon, can you tell me if there are marked hiking trails there? How much is the entrance fee to the park? Any information will be appreciated.

[KhunDave]

@ KhunDave - i have google translated the Doi Sureya site. It seems to state that only telephone reservations are possible and not online reservations. I wonder about this.

Also the site shows little cabins but the translation for one which i looked at states it has 1 bedroom, 1 bed, 1 bathroom but can sleep 2-3 people?? The photo shows a single bed!

@NancyL - do have a look at Doi Sureya website esp if you can read Thai; there seems to be a range of accommodation and the most expensive ones look ok to me. Since you have been to Doi Ithanon, can you tell me if there are marked hiking trails there? How much is the entrance fee to the park? Any information will be appreciated.

Google translate only gets you so far...a very rough idea of what to expect. In all candour I'd say you need a native Thai or a fluent Thai-speaking foreigner to organise things at Doi Sureya. I really can't boast - my partner is Thai and she organised everything

However - the Google translation of rooms and beds refers to living rooms and bedrooms as far as I can see: I stayed in Unit 14 and that had a large communal area and two separate bedrooms. Nancy - I'm not sure I could give it 3 stars in the western context, but it was clean, the beds were soft and the bathroom had hot water. There was free high-speed wifi too - my fondest memory of the place was sitting out on the front porch at 7am, cupping a mug of hot coffee to keep the chill out and watching BBC World on Livestation on my netbook. It doesn't get much better than that IMHO.

[Tywais]

my fondest memory of the place was sitting out on the front porch at 7am, cupping a mug of hot coffee to keep the chill out

Mine had a fireplace in it and we picnicked in front of it with lots of food and beer drinks. The fireplace was very welcome as it was quite nippy and raining the last time I was there. A lot of fun if you're in a group.

[NancyL]

Yes, I can read Thai somewhat. I looked at the Doi Sureya website and the pictures really say everything. Yes, the rooms look clean and the beds have western-style mattress, but I don't see any place to hang clothes, no refrigerator or coffee-making facilities and the bathrooms don't have any counters/shelves to put your stuff and besides you have to remove everything from the bathroom when you shower because there's no shower curtain.

You might as well stay in one of the cabins right at the park.

I'm sorry I can't address cost of entry to the park. We went with a group of Thai people who arranged everything and were charged a price for the entire weekend. Our price was the same as the Thai people, so I think we got Thai entry prices into the park. Maybe you don't have to pay entry fee when you stay at the park lodge. Maybe you can use your Thai drivers license and long-term O-A retirement visa to get Thai pricing. I'm sorry, I don't know.

[CMMCB]

I think it's still 200 baht/farang entry to the park, if you don't have a work permit or driving licence to show. One pretty short marked trail is just across the road from the visitor centre, right before the car park at the top of the mountain. Another, longer trail (2-3hrs at a slow pace) which you must hire a "guide" for, even though he'll speak no English and possibly little Thai. That trail starts and finishes just above the two famous pagodas, a couple of kms before the top. Food stalls in the car park there too. Don't think there's any 3-star accommodation nearer that CM city.

CMMCB

Edited January 20, 2011 by CMMCB

[Firelily]

there are a bunch of small hotel-like establishments before you enter the national park, but I doubt they are 3-star quality.

Doi Sureya seems to be packed on weekends but was totally empty on a weekday when we got there at sunset to find a place to stay.

Thai driving licence does get you the Thai price.

ticket is said to be valid for the next day only if you have a receipt of having spent the night in the park. e.g. if you descend after spending the night at Doi Sureya and want to go to Mae Ya waterfall, which involves leaving and then reentering the park, obviously they will want to see the tickets again (date stamped the day before). they did not ask for our receipt after I told the official in Thai that we spent the night up the mountain but one never knows.

Edited January 20, 2011 by Firelily