Passeios por Doi Tung

The impromptu trip to Doi Tung and Mae Salong was truly wonderful. I am grateful to our guide, who provided a comfortable drive through the pouring rain and guided us everywhere. The elegant royal villa of Thailand was lovely, but the highlight for me was Pha Hee village. Although we couldn't see every aspect of the Akha people's lives, it was a time for reflection on diverse ways of life while quietly looking down at the highland village. The breathtaking view at Forest Cafe and their coffee were also delicious. Passing through the border area between Thailand and Myanmar, I found it fascinating how relaxed the border demarcation was. The Thai guard dog was black, and the Myanmar guard dog was yellow!

I didn't realize the hike was through about 2 hours of dense jungle! It was a bit challenging, especially with the rainy season making the narrow paths very muddy and soft. Plus, the crazy mosquitoes attacked us through our clothing whenever we stopped moving. You definitely need proper hiking attire, shoes, strong legs, and a good sense of balance when doing this hike during the rainy season. Baht, our guide, was quite funny and very informative about the jungle flora and fauna. Perhaps it would have been good if he had provided a bit more support to the weaker hikers, especially during the more precarious parts of the trail, although the narrow paths made it difficult at times. Lunch at the village was better than expected. We were too exhausted to walk much more after lunch, and thankfully they adapted the tour to have a pickup truck send us nearer the waterfall and then at the rice/corn fields.