Doi Angkhang

Doi Angkhang
Not many tourists make their way to this rugged mountainous area bulging out of the Northern Thailand border. But those who do are rewarded with breathtaking views of a wild frontier, as uninhabited hills stretch as far as the eye can see into Myanmar's remote Shan states. In the bowl-shaped valley nestled in the centre of this massif, you will find a comfortable resort, some guesthouses, a productive agricultural centre with colourful gardens, and a scattering of hill tribe villages.
Located about 100kms north of Chiang Mai, the area of Doi Angkhang offers a remote experience that has yet to be overrun with tour buses and camera-toting visitors. The highest peak is 1300m and is accessible by car. With cool year round temperatures, it's not surprising that Doi Angkhang is referred to as the 'Little Switzerland' of Thailand. It's possible to drive right up to the border post and gaze across a small saddle at the ramshackle Burmese army camp and sweeping landscape beyond.
The road descends into a small village located in the bowl-shaped valley from which the area takes its name and here you'll find the plush Amari Angkhang resort - promoted as an eco-friendly lodge. Indeed they have made particular effort to incorporate local resources, including people, into their day-to-day running and have minimised their effect on the environment. The resort abuts a hillside forest reserve full of nature trails, and there are also bird-watching activities, as well as horseback riding and even mountain biking trails for the brave.
In the nearby Doi Angkhang village, you will encounter a market where hill tribe folk sell their woven and handicraft products, and a few modest guesthouses can be found. The road continues along the valley for a further three kilometres before terminating in a forestry centre. Here you can witness first-hand the successes of the King's Project to wean the local people off opium production and into more savoury agriculture.
Evidence of wide-scale poppy harvesting in the past is still seen in the swathes of cleared mountainside. But today, this national Royal project, which was piloted in this area 20 years ago, has left the area covered in greenhouses. You may visit these, and purchase organic vegetables and fruit as well as potted plants, and visit the excellent flower gardens here which include a large English rose garden and rows of Rhododendrons. 

The atmosphere is quiet and peaceful with a wall of mountains in all directions. You also have the opportunity to visit some of the villages of the several different hill tribes who live here, including the Lahu, Lisu and Hmong, as well as the rare Palong. There is a settlement, Baan Nong Mai Bua, populated by the Chinese KMT who escaped to the region fifty years ago after Mao defeated Chiang Kai Shek. Even today it remains very Yunnanese in character.
Renting a car and finding your own way here is about the only realistic means of getting to Doi Anghkhang, other than private tour, and this adds to the appeal as your snake your way up impossibly steep hairpin turns. If you approach from Wiang Haeng in the west on route 1178 or 1340, you get the more spectacular views and have a chance to stop off at Sri Sang Wang waterfall, one of the North's prettiest but oft overlooked.   

Phra Nakhorn Si Ayutthaya

Picture : Bangprain Palace (Very beautiful Palace in Phra Nakhorn Si Ayutthaya)

Phra Nakhorn Si Ayutthaya is the capital of Old Siam. Located about 85km (55 miles) north of Bangkok, Ayutthaya served as capital for 417 years. Ayutthaya's long history covers 5 dynasties and 33 kings. Built on an artificial island, Ayutthaya derived its name comes from the Sanskrit word Ayodhya, name of Rama's legendary city in India which means "undefeatable".

I spent some time in Ayutthaya exploring and documenting all the major ruins for AsiaExplorers, so that you will have the necessary information when you visit them. Ayutthaya is quite compact, so you can explore most of the ruins within the historical core by foot. For the outlying ruins, I would advise that you hire a tuk tuk to take you around.

When King Ramathibodi moved his capital to Ayutthaya (which was already a town then), he dug a canal that connected a loop of the Chao Phraya river with the Pasak and Lopburi rivers, forming an artificial island on which Ayutthaya is situated. Ayutthaya was inscribed into Unesco's World Heritage List in 1991, along with Sukhothai.

If you love ancient ruins and Buddhist wats, you would love Ayutthaya. If you don't, then Ayutthaya looks like a abandoned construction site. Ruins stand side by side across Ayutthaya. As mentioned, the city was built on an island surrounded by four rivers, and on this area, you can find ancient ruins scattered all over the place, especially on the western half of the island.

Some of the temples are located outside the island city of Ayutthaya, but not seldom too far away from the river banks bordering it. Ayutthaya is very flat. If you have the stamina, you can explore all the ruins on foot. Among the ruins at the centre of Ayutthaya are Wat Mahathat, Wat Ratchaburana, Wat Phra Ram, the Viharn Phra Mongkhon Bophit, Wat Phra Si Sanphet and the old Grand Palace of Ayutthaya.

Wat Phra Ram is located is a park, which is quite lovely (although during the dry season, the grass tend to brown up), with a lake in front of it. In fact, the lake was a swamp that has today become a lotus pond. Thai tourism is in full force here, and it's not uncommon to find fully decked elephants taking visitors for joy rides around the park.

There used to be a fortress around the island city of Ayutthaya. Much of it was destroyed when the Burmese invaded Ayutthaya in 1767, and burned most of the buildings. Today, only a small portion of Phom Phet fortress remains, on the southeast tip of the island. U-Thong Road is a ring road that encircles the island, skirting along the riverbanks, and following pretty much the route where the original fortress once stood.

There are a few temples just outside the island city of Ayutthaya that are worth visiting, among them the part at Wat Phu Khao Thong, Wat Chai Wattanaram and Wat Phutthaisawan. You would need transport to take you to these outlying temples.

When planning a trip to Ayutthaya, you should spare at least two full days, to fully cover all the major and minor sights. Hiring a tuk-tuk to take you around is also a good idea.



The following are temple attractions in Ayutthaya not shown on its own pages:
Wat Som
Wat Som is a lovely temple with prangs that are reminiscent of Angkor architecture. The prang's stucco showcase intricate workmanship of the ancient craftsmen. There is no record of when this temple was constructed. Speculations has it that it was built during the early Ayutthaya period, as evidence from its prangs, which are not streamlined.


Wat Phanam Choeng
This temple is older than Ayutthaya itself. According to Ayutthaya chronicles, its creation follows a sad tale: it was built on the cremation site of the bride-to-be of King Sai Namphueng. The Chinese bride, Princess Soi Dok Mak, committed suicide over alleged "indifference" of the king's reception towards her. For that reason, the shrine of Chao Mae Soi Dok Mak is greatly revered by the Chinese community. Within the temple is a massive sitting Buddha statue in meditating posture, Luang Phra Phanam Cheong. It was built 26 years before the founding of Ayutthaya. The temple is open daily from 08:00 am to 05:00 pm.


Wat Thammikarat
According to ancient chronicle, this temple was built by Phra Mukharat, son of King Sai nam Phueang. The chedi is surrounded by beautiful stucco lions, suggesting an early Ayutthaya period. A large Buddha head, now kept at the Chao Sam Phraya National Museum, was discovered here. Its style is indicative of the second generation of the Kingdom of U-Thong, which pre-dates Ayutthaya. Studies carried out on the ruins bore evidence that it was restored once during the late Ayutthaya period, before being seriously damaged by fire when Ayutthaya fell to the Burmese.


Wat Maheyong
Just as Wat Ratchaburana, Wat Maheyong was also built during the reign of King Borom Ratchathirat II. Its main attraction is the main bell-shaped chedi, which bear resemblence to the chedi style of the Sukhothai period. A major restoration was undertaken during King Taisra's reign, in 1709. The king took a fond interest to this temple, often coming to inspect the restoration work. A ruined two-storey structure in the temple compound is presumed to be where he spent his time whenever he visited the restoration site.


Wat Khun Saen
According to ancient chronicles, this temple could have been constructed by two Mon (of a region in Myanmar) aristocrats who followed King Naresuan and settled at the Wat Khun Saen area with their families. It was restored by King Rama IV who also enlarged the chedi.


Wat Khun Muang Chai
This temple is badly in ruins. Only the square base of the main chedi remains. The low walls above the base were designed to resemble balustrade, a style which belongs to early Ayutthaya period, and embodies traces of Khmer style. One unique feature of the temple's main chedi is its base, which consists of several layers supporting the bell-shaped body.


Wat Samana Kotharam
The design of the bell-shaped chedi points to this temple being constructed in the early Ayutthaya period. According to ancient chronicles, the temple was restored during King Narai's reign.


Wat Yai Chai Mongkhon
This is one of the earliest wats in Ayutthaya. It was built by King Ramathibodi I (aka King U-Thong) in 1357 and named Wat Pa Kaeo, for members of the Pa Kaeo sect from Sri Lanka. It was later assigned to be the residence of the Supreme Patriarch of the Meditation Order, Somdej Phra Wanarat. At that time, it was known as Wat Chao Thai, which means monastry of the supreme patriarch. This temple was repeatedly involved in Ayutthaya history. It was where the conspirators assembled to overthrow Khun Waroniongsu and the Queen Tao Si Sudachan, which resulted in Prince Tienraja becoming king, crowned with the title King Maha Chakrapat.

Later, in 1592, after King Naresuan's victory over Phra Maha Uparaj, Viceroy of Burma, the king restored the principal chedi of the wat, so that it rivals the height of Burmese-built Chedi Phukhao Thong, and renamed the temple Wat Yai Chai Mongkhon.