Walking Blind
Monk’s Trail – Chiang Mai, Thailand
I swung the car door closed, waving as my friends drove away. Staring at Tha Pae Gate, an entrance to the old city, I debated when to call a taxi. I reached for my phone to check prices, but my pocket was empty. Quickly scanning the area, I was unable to find my phone.
…
I’d been in Chiang Mai for a few days visiting friends. The family I was staying with was moving to a new Airbnb on the other side of town, and I wanted to take advantage of this opportunity. I was looking forward to hiking, as well as documenting the trail with new photos, as much has changed since hiking the trail several years earlier.
Though I didn’t even know where my friend was staying, I hoped that my phone was in his car. After my panic faded, I decided to continue with my hiking plans. Rather than pay for an expensive taxi several times, I decided I would walk to the entrance. Halfway through the bonus 6km/3.75mi journey, I stopped at 7-Eleven, purchasing some peanuts, bread, a 1.5L/50fl-oz water bottle, and some snacks.
After arriving at the trail entrance, I had little need for a map. The hike is 3.6km/2.2mi each way, with a rise of 600m/1,968ft. The first part of the trail, leading to Wat Pha Lat, is quite gentle. However, the hike from Wat Pha Lat to Doi Suthep is quite steep and requires taking a few breaks along the way. Just before reaching Doi Suthep, I found myself on the side of the road. After exploring several routes, I discovered that the easiest way to the temple is to walk alongside the road for the last bit, about 250m/800ft. There’s a hiking path along the right side, but it continues for some time so I cannot say where it goes exactly.
The trail to Wat Pha Lat is frequently visited by locals, foreigners, and even entire families. The trail continuing to Doi Suthep is much quieter due to the difficulty. Wat Pha Lat is a small, yet quaint temple with a waterfall and stream flowing through it, while also offering panoramic views of Chiang Mai city below. Until somewhat recently, the temple was largely overgrown. Recently, the temple was tended to, and there has been restoration to some of the buildings and statues. Since this is an operational temple, proper dress is required. If you’re looking to explore the temple, make sure you are wearing appropriate shoes as well as something to cover your shoulders and knees.
Should you hike all the way to the top, you will be able to enter Doi Suthep temple for a reasonable fee, 100 baht at the time of writing. Due to my situation, which I wanted to get resolved, I decided to not hike back down. I ended up taking a songthaew, a modified pick-up truck for carrying people, back to the old city. From there, I walked another 5.7km/3.5mi by memory, to visit another friend so that I could use his computer. From there, I got the information I needed to be able to go to my friend’s new Airbnb and get my phone back.
In all truth, I am somewhat thankful it worked out the way that it did. I normally take my phone everywhere with me, I almost always have cell data, carry an extra battery pack, and have offline maps just in case. Proper preparation is smart, but on a short hike, I enjoyed a lot more adventure than if I had had my phone with me. Fortunately, I have some current photos of the two temples from when my sister visited earlier in the year.
