Pretty much everything that I’ve done during my trip so far has been extremely touristy. I figured that today, my last full day spent in Chiang Mai, was the day to change that.

Though I hadn’t heard of it before coming to Chiang Mai, a couple of people have raved to me about the Monk’s Trail and the Pha Lat Temple it leads to. It turns out that the Monk’s Trail is the first half of a long hike that leads to Wat Doi Suthep, which I visited two days ago. Unlike Doi Suthep, though, Wat Pha Lat is not a major tourist destination. There are no crowds there, no shops or food stalls; just a number of Buddhist monks, some individuals who have come to meditate, and the occasional tourist. Before the road to Doi Suthep was built, this was a resting point for monks who were walking up the mountain. Now it serves primarily as a calm place for monks to come and meditate.

Getting to the trail head

Because the temple and the Monk’s Trail are not very popular destinations, it took a little persuasion and haggling to get a songthaew driver to bring me to the trail head for a reasonable price. (Remember, they usually wait for a songthaew full of people before they begin their rides, as they make money off of each passenger.)

Where I was dropped off, the asphalt road ended and the hiking path began, marked with a map.

A hike marked with saffron cloth

The hike itself was beautiful. It should have taken about 45 minutes, but as I was going slowly and stopping to take lots of photos, it took me about an hour to reach the temple. As this trail was leading halfway up a mountain, the hike involved some good climbing. I climbed through a couple of different types of forests, each with little info signs giving brief descriptions of the flora found there.

One of the most unique and beautiful things about this hike was that it was marked with strips of saffron cloth (the fabric worn by Buddhist monks) tied around trees on either side of the path. Some of the fabric had lost its color with age, and some of these indicators were well off the path deeper into the forest. No matter how many of these I saw, each pop of color and piece of fabric was a beautiful surprise along the journey.

What I struggled to capture in my photos was the fauna in the forest. I saw many gorgeous butterflies, dragonflies, lizards, and birds along the way, but all of them scattered before I could get a good photo. I also didn’t think to take pictures of the seemingly endless number of ants that I kept finding crawling on me!

What I can show instead is a video that showcases the sounds of the forest, including the rushing of a nearby waterfall.

When I was nearing the end of the hike, I reached a tunnel made out of vegetation that was reminiscent of being in a fairy-tale.

Exploring Wat Pha Lat

A little while after emerging from this tunnel, I came upon a bamboo bridge over a small waterfall, which marked the transition into the temple.

Upon crossing the bridge, there was a natural staircase lined with Buddhas in front of me, and a white stone-and-glass naga staircase in the distance on the opposite side of the waterfall.

At the top of this natural staircase, you could turn left and to meditate or cross a stone bridge and turn right to clamber atop some of the dry rocks that the waterfall runs past and admire the views from this spot. Needless to say, I turned right.

I then came upon a white building sitting along the river with some of the most weathered, interesting images of Buddha that I’ve seen yet. That was a trend at this temple; although the space is well-used and maintained, many of its features are exposed to the elements and are weathered in a way that makes them look ancient.

I then made my way over to the naga staircase that I had seen earlier. The white serpents were even more impressive up close, and the staircase led to another viewpoint. (I was a little excited to find myself there!)

I spent a good hour (at least) wandering around the rest of the temple. Everywhere you looked there was another staircase or path to take, there were sculptures everywhere, and I kept stopping to take off my shoes so I could enter the different buildings.

Near the entrance to the temple by the road (yes, technically you *can* drive here), there was a tiny coffee shop set up with profits going to support the monks. I bought myself a coffee and then sat down in one of the gardens to take in the feeling of this calming space one last time.

Then, because it’s me and I’m the clumsiest person around, I stepped in a big puddle of mud. It’s lucky the waterfall was right there to provide me with a small river to rinse off my feet in!

Finding another waterfall

I left the temple and continued to head uphill. About fifteen minutes further along the trail towards Doi Suthep, I knew there was supposed to be another waterfall. I figured I’d take in the views before heading back into the city.

Back to Chiang Mai

Finally, it was time to head back down the mountain toward the city. It was beginning to rain, so I walked to the road and hailed a songthaew that was carrying a family and headed in the right direction. I haggled with the driver to bring me to the old city for 60 baht (less than $2), and hopped in the back.

Though I went back to my hostel, this was only to pick up my belongings, as I had checked out before heading out in the morning. I actually booked myself a hotel room for my last night in Chiang Mai, figuring that at the end of my ninth day of traveling, it would be really nice to treat myself to a private bedroom, toilet, and shower. And boy, does it feel good!

I also broke my Thai food streak today and got Chinese for dinner. I could never be tired of Thai, but it was nice to change things up a little tonight.