Doi Suthep National Park

Doi Suthep National Park is inside the city of Chiang Mai, although it spreads outside of the city boundaries. It is most famous for being home to Wat Doi Suthep, a sacred temple high above the city to which many Buddhists make a yearly pilgrimage.

We can walk to the base of Doi Suthep from Spicy Thai. From the base, the hike is three or four hours along the monks trails through the dense jungle. These trails pass waterfalls, streams, and a few temples buried in the jungle vines.

The park is also home to Hmong tribal village, where visitors can see how the Hmong people live and visit a large market featuring Hmong arts and crafts.

Although our students will have a chance to experience both the temple and the Hmong village, our primary goal at Doi Suthep is to observe the stunning range of species that exists there.

A professor at Chiang Mai University has catalogued over 2,000 species of plants in the park alone – more than exist in all of the United Kingdom. Students will have exposure to this project at Chiang Mai University, and have a chance to observe some of these plants in the wild.

The park is home to many of the same bird species as Doi Inthanon. It also provides us the opportunity to see mammals such as the giant flying squirrel, barking deer, Indian civet, and over 40 species of bats.

The park is specifically known for the variety of monkeys that live there in highly visible populations. We should be able to see at least a few on our hike.

Like Doi Inthanon, this mountain park is also home to an array of waterfalls that provide opportunities for swimming and observing animal life. It's so close to home that we can easily stop by to look again for any species we miss on the first trip.