Trip Report - Chiang Dao Caves

[David48]

Recently I had the opportunity to travel to Chiang Rai and then down to Chiang Mai and was looking for something different to occupy my time and something that I hadn't personally seen before.

So ... Chiang Dao Caves it was.

I did a quick search to see if this topic had been covered before and there are two others which mention the caves which can be found here (archived) and here (open). Actually, this trip report is a follow-on to one from the Chiang Rai Forum which villagefarang started.

The two aforementioned threads have some interesting commentary, but a bit light on with the media ... so hopefully a few photos might entice you on a day/overnight trip there.

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[David48]

So, it was me, the gf (Thai) and burdened with only the possible future outlaws, no maps and a vague sense of direction where to go ... off we set in the hire car.

Chiang Mai seemed to take for ever to exit away from the built-up area. I was hankering for some of that scenery on offer between Chiang Rai and Mai ... all we viewed for what seemed like ages were the usual grey structures slowly decaying, enveloped in their entropy.

The most interesting thing we saw during the road of Chiang Mai

I was particularly impressed by the thoughtfulness of the driver

to display the red warning flag ...

Thanks to these guys

Probably wasn't till we were past Mae Taeng that things became more scenic and you started looking through the side windows and not focused on the brake lights in the distance.

By the time you have passed Ban Thap Dua (from the Map above) ... it gets really interesting and scenic and, in parts, a gorge road with the river/stream below.

As said, no map, just a sense of direction, the Thai crew were in disbelief when we came to a Police/Immigration checkpoint and I requested directions. The uniform was ever so polite, smiled, shook my hand and confirmed our route.

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[David48]

Once we arrived there, my heart sank ... heaps of Tourists buses, meaning 5 or 6 of the coach style buses and a smattering of private cars.

We wandered around the entry to the caves where a very helpful gentleman guided us in the right direction. He was, of course a tout of the group photo type, but pleasant, not pushy and no cuss words when we declined his generous offer of a paid photo.

Once inside the caves you are greeted by this ...

Temple inside the cave system near the entrance ...

Now, once inside the caves, I thought, based on the number of coaches parked outside, the system was swamped ... but no. Some groups proceeding though, but you never felt like a sardine.

.

[Sparkles]

The entry fee, when we were there, was 20 baht for foreigners making one if the the cheapest entry prices for an attraction in Thailand. The guides, being guides, like to embellish the history, suggesting to us,among others things, that the caves actually extend through to Burma.We passed on trying to find out if that was true !

[circusman]

Is it suitable for those over 70? Any steps?

[mamborobert]

I would go for the no if you are 70 and in poorer health, or indeed "larger framed" for some of the caves.

You will be ok for entrance and initial part but its not all flat and wide..... steps are not uniform and some steepish and narrow ascents with no hand support and footholds to step up rather than steps per se (cane would be no good either i think).

Lighting is not that flash either to plant foot well(lantern on tour when I went there last year) ....I would'nt want a less physically able person to take a tumble there....its solid everywhere.

I'd take my dear old Dad to the first two or three chambers but after that I would be a bit worried, he's in very good nick but they don't mend well.

Very good experience if you can go though.

They were charging t more for Farang for "electricity for lights"...apparently we use more light.

[David48]

Couple of points raised above ...

Accessibility:-

Well, yes, it's difficult in places.

Both my gf's mother and father had some moments of slight discomfort.

The mother is a Farm Lady, so used to light manual work and is mid 50's

The father has an artificial leg below the knee but very physically fit.

Before ...

During ...

In some places, yes, there were stairs.

In other places ... it was a rock scramble (that's me)

The family report was ... no problem for me (5' 10", 100 kgs) or my lassie (waif)

Farm Mother was a little hesitant ... a security thing

Farm Father, some knee soreness from the downhill legs of the cave where the artificial leg ground into his knee a bit.

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[zyphodb]

A good Interesting thread thank you...

[David48]

As for the costs, yes, there was a small entry fee.

But it's highly recommended that you hire a guide.

No lack of local/village ladies inside the caves entrance to assist your journey.

That consisted of a personal tour, commentary and her lantern ... recommended fee ... 100 Baht from memory.

About 1/2 way though the tour there was a request from the guide for some extra money, just an explanation of costs and an honest request. No sick buffalo story or the like. I deferred to the Thai Father as the eldest to decide and I think he slipped her an extra 50 Baht at journeys end, might have been more, can't remember exactly.

If there are a few in your group, we were 5 with the guide, maybe take a small LED torch or the like as it would have helped in some situations.

Commentary was all in Thai, of which I know about 20 words ... but the visuals didn't require translation.

There were other formations apart from these curtains ... but difficult to capture ... it's a reasonably high tech camera with an unreasoningly low tech operator ...

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[jaideeguy]

I've always wondered if and where there might be other non touristic caves into the Chiang Dao mountain. There must be many that the tourists haven't trampled or the locals haven't exploited.

Any secret caves???

And I've often wondered what's on the top of the mountain, which is one of the tallest in LOS. Has anyone been up there and are there any roads up?? Maybe there is a 'lost city' up there..........

[Bung]

I enjoyed with my son up until the touts harassed us for a tip on the way out, quite aggressively and was given a very dirty look when I refused. I paid the entrance fee and guide, 100 baht for 30 minutes work....why should i pay for temple fees, extra from the guide halfway through, good luck donation etc? The money for the guide was plenty and by the number of them hanging around is was clear the locals were all expecting to make a living off it. None of them bothered to ask Thai nationals for a tip. Typical harass the tourist for money tourist "attraction".

[Hillside4Phil]

I have been wanting to visit this place and will make some plans now thanks for sharing your experience with the forum

[elektrified]

I took my best friend that I have known for 42 years there when he was visiting me a couple of years ago. I hadn't seen him in a number of years and he had developed a substantial "beer belly". At one point he got stuck in one of the passages and absolutely could not get out. I began to help him but our guide who was a large-framed hill-tribe? or local Thai woman who had lived in Chiang Dao all of her life and said she had been in the caves more than 1,000 times, told me to let her get him out as she had done this dozens of times over the years with even fatter people who had been stuck and knew what she was doing. I couldn't argue with her and let her do it. Amazingly she got him out without a scratch but he ripped his shirt wide open. It was a very embarrassing moment for my friend.

Been a number of times. Great fun and highly recommended.

[Mousehound]

A couple of add on things might be of interest to some. The walk from the village to the temple is nice. Near the temple is Chiang Dao Nest (there is another older brach of this place on the left of the road - that do not bad Thai food) this main place does some of the best farang food I have had in Thailand. A very nice and well set up place to spend a night. In the cold months they have some outdoor wood fires for people to sit around. Next door is Malee's. The later is cheaper to stay at and has good Thai food - very nice hosts and a great place if you are into birding. They can arrange bike hire if you don'y have your own wheels. Nearby are some good trail walks. The temple is well worth seeing. The climb to the top is over 400 steps and I found it hard going but made it. The view at the top is worth the climb. The gardens about the climb are very nice and many of the plants have name plaques in English, Thai and Latin. I found the monks to be friendly. The Nest and Malee can also arrange a trip up the mountain which we did - you need a 4 wheel drive to get up. It gets pretty cool up the top - I think similar to Doi Inthanon for temperature.

[MESmith]

A couple of add on things might be of interest to some. The walk from the village to the temple is nice. Near the temple is Chiang Dao Nest (there is another older brach of this place on the left of the road - that do not bad Thai food) this main place does some of the best farang food I have had in Thailand. A very nice and well set up place to spend a night. In the cold months they have some outdoor wood fires for people to sit around. Next door is Malee's. The later is cheaper to stay at and has good Thai food - very nice hosts and a great place if you are into birding. They can arrange bike hire if you don'y have your own wheels. Nearby are some good trail walks. The temple is well worth seeing. The climb to the top is over 400 steps and I found it hard going but made it. The view at the top is worth the climb. The gardens about the climb are very nice and many of the plants have name plaques in English, Thai and Latin. I found the monks to be friendly. The Nest and Malee can also arrange a trip up the mountain which we did - you need a 4 wheel drive to get up. It gets pretty cool up the top - I think similar to Doi Inthanon for temperature.

You got to the top of Doi Chiang Dao in a 4WD? I thought it was only possible by hiking, usually camping just below the summit. Oh well, nothing surprises me here anymore. Thought it was protected nature reserve, closed for several months a year to preserve the nature.

[Fishenough]

I've always wondered if and where there might be other non touristic caves into the Chiang Dao mountain. There must be many that the tourists haven't trampled or the locals haven't exploited.

Any secret caves???

And I've often wondered what's on the top of the mountain, which is one of the tallest in LOS. Has anyone been up there and are there any roads up?? Maybe there is a 'lost city' up there..........

My son and I explored many out of the way caves thanks to the http://www.thailandcaves.shepton.org.uk/cave-co-ordinates website. Also the rock climbing center, in downtown CM has a regular group of spelunkers that organize trips in the area, though their explorations were a little to technically involved for our interests.

Highly recommended to view the google map of cave locations, if even just to realize the cave density within northern Thailand. During our motorcycle tours, we would carry a set long long sleeved shirts and pants, normally army surplus gear found in the open shops south of airport mall, along with 5 high quality flashlights/headlamps.

[Mousehound]

A couple of add on things might be of interest to some. The walk from the village to the temple is nice. Near the temple is Chiang Dao Nest (there is another older brach of this place on the left of the road - that do not bad Thai food) this main place does some of the best farang food I have had in Thailand. A very nice and well set up place to spend a night. In the cold months they have some outdoor wood fires for people to sit around. Next door is Malee's. The later is cheaper to stay at and has good Thai food - very nice hosts and a great place if you are into birding. They can arrange bike hire if you don'y have your own wheels. Nearby are some good trail walks. The temple is well worth seeing. The climb to the top is over 400 steps and I found it hard going but made it. The view at the top is worth the climb. The gardens about the climb are very nice and many of the plants have name plaques in English, Thai and Latin. I found the monks to be friendly. The Nest and Malee can also arrange a trip up the mountain which we did - you need a 4 wheel drive to get up. It gets pretty cool up the top - I think similar to Doi Inthanon for temperature.

You got to the top of Doi Chiang Dao in a 4WD? I thought it was only possible by hiking, usually camping just below the summit. Oh well, nothing surprises me here anymore. Thought it was protected nature reserve, closed for several months a year to preserve the nature.

I stand corrected. Got to the top as far as you can go by 4WD and then hiked up the rest.

[David48]

Just a few photos to finish this thread off from my contribution ... please continue it on at your leisure ...

Egress point to the caves.

To the person who enquired about stairs ... there were heaps at the caves opening.

The 25 top Pagoda ... built a long time before by Great Grandfather emigrated from Scotland to Australia ... so it's really old!

I thoroughly enjoyed the Chiang Dao Caves. Not a patch on say the Jenolan caves in NSW Australia, but a pleasant visit and something a little bit touristy and very enjoyable.

The last bit of Forest Road before you get to the site was particularly noteworthy.

I can see why the cycling fraternity enjoy it.

Maybe some other posters can take up the mantle and share their tourism experience in the Chiang Mai area as I thoroughly enjoyed sharing this with you and reading the many responses.

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[David48]

Staying with the caves in Chiang Mai theme ... this system was also considered ...

For something totally different to see and do, try to fit in your trip a visit to Muang On Cave system in the Chiang Mai area. Situated in the San Kamphaeng District, about 30km East of Chiang Mai near the Hot Springs, this cave system is a fascinating place to visit.

Here

Other cave systems here

Google Maps of the Cave Systems in the area ... here

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[Red Crab]

Hi,

I am afraid of hights, should I be concerned?, I would love to visit Muang On Cave.

[mowgus]

Curious...did you see the "lake" in the cave? On the maps it indicates there is a body of water in those caves but the guide refused to take us there saying there was "no air". I got the same sense I get when touts in Bangkok tell you the attraction you're going to is closed. That cave was one of the main reasons we went there.

I took two friends visiting from Canada there and I have to say, we weren't all that impressed and the over-the-top tourism of it (forced guides who want big tips) soured the experience. You really don't need a guide and I hated the kerosene lamp they were using. But when you arrive you don't know whether you really need a guide or not. I don't mind paying but, as someone else pointed out, 100 baht for a short tour should be more than enough.

If you want a much nicer experience, very few tourists, and no guide required, I highly recommend going to Mae On Cave out near Samkhampaeng Hot Springs. Happened to go here one time and the cave is stunning and well lit. There is an entry fee... I think 10 baht for Thais, 20 for farang...very reasonable considering it's completely lit. It's not a big cave but it's a nice drive for a day trip and you could go to the hot spring too.

[David48]

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Complementary topic here in the Travel Forum ... anyone-been-to-tub-tim-cave-and-chang-dow-cave

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[dave2]

re

Next door is Malee's. The later is cheaper to stay at and has good Thai food - very nice hosts and a great place

+1 .. i stayed at malees a few nights in march 06 to enjoy the quiet and to catch up on some picture editing / sorting on my new asus computer which is on the bench and its still going strong but only use it as a back up / spare computer now

this little cabin with a hot shower and tv was about 300 baht a night then ... now ? and the food was good

dave2 ... begining to think i should get on my bike and go see a bit more of thailand for a few days ? coz ive not been outside of chiang mai since i came back from england in april 11

[David48]

Anyone got any more experiences to share?

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[Microwave]

Your photos of the cave remind me of a Salvador Dali painting...

I last visited the Chiang Dao caves 2 years ago. I speak fluent Thai and therefore got the Thai price. Not a big deal here as the entrance fee is low, I just don't like the principal of charging foreigners more than Thais. I said that I had changed my nationality to Thai and when asked to show my Thai ID card I said that I didn't bring it because I didn't know that I'd need it today. Of course I should carry such an ID card with me at all times (if I had one), but simply being able to speak Thai (in a friendly way and not an argumentive way) was enough to get me the Thai price.

I arrived around 10 am and I was perhaps the first farang tourist that day. Tourist buses hadn't yet arrived, just half a dozen sleeping dogs near the entrance. The dogs must have been stoned as they had no intention of waking up anytime soon! Nobody bothered me to be my guide and I was able to find my way through the caves just fine due to the lights installed inside. For me the Chiang Dao caves were an interesting sight to see on the way to Chiang Rai, the carvings by the first shrine (near the entrance) were especially cool (pun intended). Worth an hour's time.

There are some videos of the Chiang Dao caves on youtube.

[Sparkles]

Your photos of the cave remind me of a Salvador Dali painting...

I last visited the Chiang Dao caves 2 years ago. I speak fluent Thai and therefore got the Thai price. Not a big deal here as the entrance fee is low, I just don't like the principal of charging foreigners more than Thais. I said that I had changed my nationality to Thai and when asked to show my Thai ID card I said that I didn't bring it because I didn't know that I'd need it today. Of course I should carry such an ID card with me at all times (if I had one), but simply being able to speak Thai (in a friendly way and not an argumentive way) was enough to get me the Thai price.

I arrived around 10 am and I was perhaps the first farang tourist that day. Tourist buses hadn't yet arrived, just half a dozen sleeping dogs near the entrance. The dogs must have been stoned as they had no intention of waking up anytime soon! Nobody bothered me to be my guide and I was able to find my way through the caves just fine due to the lights installed inside. For me the Chiang Dao caves were an interesting sight to see on the way to Chiang Rai, the carvings by the first shrine (near the entrance) were especially cool (pun intended). Worth an hour's time.

There are some videos of the Chiang Dao caves on youtube.

Been to Chiang Dao caves many times with visitors,last time 12 mths ago, and have only ever been charged 20 baht each ,same price for my Thai wife, unless charges have been revised also there was no pressure for a guide.We took one with us once and she claimed the caves went through to Burma.I guess they like to embelish the folk lore.

 

"Nest" 1 & 2 resorts provide some nice accom, the furthest away from the caves is more upmarket but has a pool and European food which is very expensive but you can walk down to the other "Nest" to eat and they have excellent Thai food.

 

Great for bush walking if you have the energy and a couple of beautiful Buddhist retreats ,they do look after themselves.

[Chicog]

I've always wondered if and where there might be other non touristic caves into the Chiang Dao mountain.  There must be many that the tourists haven't trampled or the locals haven't exploited.

Any secret caves???

 

And I've often wondered what's on the top of the mountain, which is one of the tallest in LOS.  Has anyone been up there and are there any roads up??  Maybe there is a 'lost city' up there..........

 

There are other unexplored caves, yes.

 

There are rumours that the nips buried stolen gold in there somewhere as they legged it.

And a few people have disappeared over the years.

[northernjohn]

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Couple of points raised above ...

 

Accessibility:-

 

Well, yes, it's difficult in places.

Both my gf's mother and father had some moments of slight discomfort.

The mother is a Farm Lady, so used to light manual work and is mid 50's

The father has an artificial leg below the knee but very physically fit.

 

LR DSCF5878.JPG

Before ...

 

 

LR DSCF5894.JPG

During ...

 

 

In some places, yes, there were stairs.

 

LR DSCF5879.JPG

In other places ... it was a rock scramble (that's me)

 

The family report was ... no problem for me (5' 10", 100 kgs) or my lassie (waif)

Farm Mother was a little hesitant ... a security thing

 

Farm Father, some knee soreness from the downhill legs of the cave where the artificial leg ground into his knee a bit.

.

 

Am some what disabled but have learned to work around it a bit. Mainly by realizing it will take me longer than others and it is not important for me to keep up. How long of a tour is it for the average person?

[sfokevin]

I enjoyed with my son up until the touts harassed us for a tip on the way out, quite aggressively and was given a very dirty look when I refused. I paid the entrance fee and guide, 100 baht for 30 minutes work....why should i pay for temple fees, extra from the guide halfway through, good luck donation etc? The money for the guide was plenty and by the number of them hanging around is was clear the locals were all expecting to make a living off it. None of them bothered to ask Thai nationals for a tip. Typical harass the tourist for money tourist "attraction".

 

Given she is the only one with a lantern and you don't know the way out I wouldn't begrudge her an extra 50... 

[David48]

<script type='text/javascript'>window.mod_pagespeed_start = Number(new Date());</script>

 

Couple of points raised above ...

 

Accessibility:-

 

Well, yes, it's difficult in places.

Both my gf's mother and father had some moments of slight discomfort.

The mother is a Farm Lady, so used to light manual work and is mid 50's

The father has an artificial leg below the knee but very physically fit.

 

LR DSCF5878.JPG

Before ...

 

 

LR DSCF5894.JPG

During ...

 

 

In some places, yes, there were stairs.

 

LR DSCF5879.JPG

In other places ... it was a rock scramble (that's me)

 

The family report was ... no problem for me (5' 10", 100 kgs) or my lassie (waif)

Farm Mother was a little hesitant ... a security thing

 

Farm Father, some knee soreness from the downhill legs of the cave where the artificial leg ground into his knee a bit.

.

 

Am some what disabled but have learned to work around it a bit. Mainly by realizing it will take me longer than others and it is not important for me to keep up. How long of a tour is it for the average person?

 

If you after a 'tour' you would best speak Thai.

 

I went with the Thai family and the guide was in Thai ... but being a visual experience ... I didn't mind.

 

As you can see by the photos, there is some great scenery.

 

 

As for the mobility issue ... difficult to estimate, not knowing your personal circumstances.

 

That said, my gf's Father is ex Navy, fit as ... but wears a prosthetic limb below his knee as his leg was blown off by an IUD a decade ago.

 

He went through OK.