Thailand (Lonely Planet, 13th Edition) - China Williams [270]
Chiang Dao Rainbow (08 4803 8116; dishes 50-230B) This highly recommended restaurant offers two menus – northern Thai and Greek/Mediterranean. Its Shan pork stew and banana-flower salad are favourites. There are plenty of vegetarian options, too.
Baan Krating Chiang Dao (0 5345 5577; Km63, Rte 107; dishes 60-130B) Located 9km south of Chiang Dao on Rte 107, this resort is a good place to stop en route for a meal. The restaurant overlooks manicured gardens, pomelo trees and a stream. Dishes are standard Thai fare as well as Western sandwich options.
Chiang Dao Nest (0 6017 1985; www.chiangdao.com; dishes 300-500B) A fusion restaurant that makes Bangkok look parochial, the Nest’s restaurant serves sophisticated European food in a relaxed garden setting. Wicha, the owner and chef, received her culinary training in the UK and creates a menu that reflects the seasons and the best of the local produce. There’s a kids’ menu and Sunday afternoons look a lot like an after-church gathering. The evenings are more subdued.
There is a daily food market off the main street through Chiang Dao. The Tuesday morning market is the most colourful, with hill tribes bringing wares to sell.
Getting There & Around
Chiang Dao is 72km north of Chiang Mai along Rte 107. Buses to Chiang Dao (50B, 1½ hours, every 30 minutes) leave from Chiang Mai’s Chang Pheuak terminal. The buses arrive and depart from Chiang Dao’s new bus station but it is advisable to hop off in front of the pub to catch a srng·ta·ou to your guesthouse. Most drivers charge 150B to deliver passengers to guesthouses on the cave road. Buses also travel to Fang (60B).
DOI ANG KHANG
Way off in the northern corner of the province, this high-altitude peak is often dubbed Thailand’s ‘Little Switzerland’, for its cool climate and mountain scenery. The namesake mountain sits 1300m above sea level and supports the cultivation of many species of temperate flowers, fruits and vegetables that are considered exotic in Thailand and were introduced as substitutions for opium. But it is the sensation of winter that draws many Thais here, especially in January when they might spot frost or even a dusting of snow and get the rare opportunity to bundle up in heavy jackets and hats. For winter veterans, Doi Ang Khang borders Myanmar and offers the illusion of peeping over the border into that country’s vast frontier.
The Tourism Authority of Thailand in Chiang Mai has a basic map of Doi Ang Khang outlining cycling routes and treks to hill-tribe villages, many of whom participate in royal agriculture projects. Another source of information on Doi Ang Khang is the eco-friendly Angkhang Nature Resort (see below), which arranges cycling, mule riding and trekking to hill-tribe villages.
The main way to the summit is via Rte 1249, but a more scenic back road is Rte 1178, which winds along a ridge to the mountain’s western slopes. The village of Ban Luang is an interesting stopover for Yunnanese atmosphere. Nineteen kilometres south of the park’s turn-off on Rte 107, you can make a 12km detour west to visit Ban Mai Nong Bua, a Kuomintang (KMT) village with an old-fashioned Yunnanese feel.
Near the summit of Doi Ang Khang and the Yunnanese village of Ban Khum, there are several places to stay.
Part of the Amari Hotel Group, Angkhang Nature Resort (0 5345 0110; www.amari.com/ang khang; 1/1 Mu 5, Ban Khum, Tambon Mae Ngan, Fang; r from 4000B; ) is an unexpectedly plush hotel featuring large bungalows spread out over a slope. The attractive lobby boasts stone fireplaces to complete the winter-lodge atmosphere. The on-site restaurant uses locally grown organic produce. Mr Macku, who runs the resort, is a great source of information on the area and arranges lots of outdoor activities.
Naha Guest House (0 5345 0008; Ban Khum; bungalows from 2500B) has large five- and eight-person bungalows with shared hot-water shower and toilet.
At the base of the slope are a couple of open-air restaurants serving a variety of dishes with