Chiang Dao: The Cave Under the Mountain

A great limestone mountain rising sheer from the rice fields, a cave temple lit by gas lanterns, and a forest monastery at the top of five hundred steps.

Area

Further North

Start from

Chiang Mai

Distance

about 75 km north

Time needed

1 day or an overnight

Best season

November – February; the summit trek opens only in the cool season

Difficulty

Moderate

Transport

Bus from Chang Phueak terminal, car or scooter

Tickets & rules

Small cave fee plus a tip for the lantern guide; the summit trek needs a sanctuary permit and a local guide, with limited places

Why go

Driving north from Chiang Mai, the valley widens, the traffic thins, and then a wall of grey limestone fills the windscreen. Doi Luang Chiang Dao, at around 2,175 metres, is among the highest mountains in Thailand and certainly one of the most dramatic, its cliffs often wrapped in cloud. At its foot lies Chiang Dao, a small, unhurried town of rice fields, teak houses and a weekly market where hill-tribe villagers come down to trade.

The main draw is Chiang Dao Cave, a long network of chambers running deep into the mountain. The first passages are lit and lined with Buddha images, with bats stirring high in the dark. Beyond them, a local guide with a hissing gas lantern leads you through narrower tunnels, pointing out formations named after elephants, a reclining Buddha and other shapes in the dripping stone.

A few kilometres away, Wat Tham Pha Plong clings to the cliffs, reached by a long, shaded stairway through the forest, with a white chedi at the top and views across the valley. In the cool season, fit walkers can book the summit trek, camping overnight on the open grasslands and waking to a sunrise over a sea of clouds.

The story

The cave has been a holy place for centuries, and it carries some of the richest legends in the north. Villagers say a hermit once lived inside, and that deeper than anyone has gone lie an underground river, a golden Buddha and a celestial city guarded by spirits. The mountain is believed to be home to Chao Luang Kham Daeng, the great guardian spirit of the northern Thai peoples, who is honoured in a shrine near the cave entrance.

Wat Tham Pha Plong was founded in the twentieth century by Luang Pu Sim Buddhacaro, a revered monk of the forest tradition who came here to meditate in the caves. The long stairway up the hillside, more than five hundred steps, was intended as part of the practice: climbing slowly, mindfully, step by step. Monks still live and meditate here, and the atmosphere is hushed.

The mountain is protected as a wildlife sanctuary, with limestone plants found nowhere else in the country and birds that draw birdwatchers from around the world. Because the summit grasslands are fragile, numbers are limited each season and the trek is closed outside the cool months. The quiet valley lodges around the cave have become a favourite of birders, who are out with binoculars at dawn.

Getting there

Buses leave regularly from Chiang Mai's Chang Phueak bus terminal towards Fang and Tha Ton, dropping you in Chiang Dao town after about 1.5 to 2 hours. From town, songthaews or a rented bicycle take you the few kilometres to the cave.

By car or scooter, follow Highway 107 north through Mae Rim and Mae Taeng; the road is good and the drive pleasant. Combining Chiang Dao with an elephant sanctuary in the Mae Taeng valley is easy with your own transport.

A suggested plan

1. 8:00Leave Chiang Mai and drive north up the Ping valley.
2. 9:45Chiang Dao Cave: lit chambers first, then the lantern-guided passages.
3. 12:00Lunch in the village, ideally at the Tuesday morning market if your dates fit.
4. 14:00Climb the stairway to Wat Tham Pha Plong at an unhurried pace.
5. 16:30Sunset light on the cliffs from your guesthouse balcony.
6. Next morningBirdwatching walk at dawn before heading back to the city.

Where to stay

Small guesthouses and bungalows along the road behind the cave look straight up at the cliffs and are wonderfully quiet. Stay at least one night if you can; the mountain at dawn and dusk is the real reason to come.

Good to know

• Bring a torch even with a lantern guide; it helps on uneven ground.
• Book the summit trek well ahead in the cool season through the sanctuary or a local operator.
• Wear shoes with grip; cave floors are wet and polished by centuries of feet.
• Carry water for the temple stairs, which are steeper than they look.