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Photo essaysThe mountain road

Doi Suthep

The mountain on Chiang Mai's western edge, the road that climbs it, and what sits along the way up.

Doi Suthep–Pui National Park · west of Chiang Mai

Doi Suthep is the forested mountain directly west of Chiang Mai. It is the thing you see from most of the city, and on clear days it is the horizon.

The whole mountain sits inside a national park. A single road climbs it, and most of what people come for is spread along that road rather than at the top.

The forest monastery partway up, set into the trees rather than cleared out of them
Water runs down the mountain year-round, heaviest after the rains
One of the breaks in the trees on the way up — the whole valley in one frame
№ 01

The road up

One road runs from the north-west edge of the city up the mountain. It is steep, continuously winding, and busy with songthaews and scooters.

Viewpoints appear on the way up where the trees break. From those the whole valley is visible at once, with the city grid on one side and farmland running out to the far ranges.

№ 02

Forest temples

The best-known temple sits near the top and is the reason most visitors make the trip. It is not the only one on the mountain.

Partway up there is a much quieter forest monastery. Wooden pavilions, moss on the roof tiles, a stream running through the grounds. It is set into the trees rather than cleared out of them, and it is a completely different experience from the summit temple.

№ 03

Water and air

Streams run down the mountain year-round and there are waterfalls inside the park, heaviest through and just after the rainy season.

Elevation is the practical reason to come up here outside sightseeing. Air quality improves markedly with height during burning season, and the temperature drops noticeably as you climb.

The summit temple is the headline. The quiet parts of the road are the reason to go back.

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