Khun Chang Kian, Chiang Mai

Khun Chang Kian

When I first heard about Thailand sakura, I was excited and a bit skeptical. They looked SO pretty but are the pictures for real?

  Bukan kita tak tahu ada sites yang pakai gambar tempat lain untuk promote destinasi berbeza. Betul ke sakura Thailand cantik macam dalam gambar yang ditunjukkan?

  Kebetulan, I dah nekad nak pergi berjalan in January. I pun buat research tempat yang best untuk dikunjungi bulan January dan Chiang Mai adalah antara destinasi yang tersenarai.

  It is recommended to visit Chiang Mai in December or January for it is "winter" season. Of course there is no snow but the temperature is colder even though the sky is sunny.

  Orang Malaysia boleh bayangkan suhu di Cameron Highland. Matahari terik tapi sejuk berangin. Yang bestnya bukan setakat di kawasan tinggi, tapi di dalam bandar juga. Kalau pagi-pagi tu, suhu mencecah 16º - 18ºC. Cuma bila keluar berjalan-jalan, sila pakai sunblock sebab matahari tetap terik menjelang tengahari dan petang.

Getting to Khun Chang Kian 

It is up in Doi Suthep. Doi means mountain but some people actually meant a famous temple there when they talk about Doi Suthep. The temple is called Wat Phra That and tour packages will include this place because it has nice view of Chiang Mai town. It is also easy to get to Doi Suthep using Uber or public transport.

  If you are customising your tour and they don't drive to Khun Chang Kian, ask to be dropped at Bhuping Palace instead of the temple. The palace is further up the mountain past the temple and it is probably cheaper to get a songthaew from here.

  Dah sampai Doi Suthep, boleh berhenti dulu di Wat Phra That atau terus naik ke Bhuping Palace. I naik terus ke Bhuping Palace sebab lebih berminat dengan nature view berbanding view bandar. Depan Bhuping Palace ada songthaew yang akan bawa pengunjung ke Khun Chang Kian.

Is it necessary to hire a songthaew? 

  The road condition isn't the best. It is narrow, full of potholes, dusty and missing altogether at some area. Don't risk it. Hire an experienced private driver if you must. Some are willing to drive up to Khun Chang Kian.

  

The rate displayed was 150B one way per person. There's a camping ground there and some *might* choose to hike down so that's why they offered one way rate. Return trip is 300B per person and while it is not cheap, I thought it was fair considering the scary road and the distance. The bone-jarring ride took almost half an hour. 

   Mula-mula, I macam menyesal sikit sebab tak minta kurang. 300B seorang bukannya murah. Lagi pun, I pergi hujung bulan Januari dan drivers songthaew tu sendiri yang cakap yang bunga dah tak banyak. 

  They can't speak English well so one of the drivers pointed to Khun Chang Kian picture on their rates board and gestured that only 10% of flowers left. The rest had fallen. It was so cute!

  Bagus la kan dia jujur cakap bunga dah tak ada. Sebenarnya ada je lagi cuma tak banyak. Mungkin untuk elakkan kena marah dengan pelancong yang expect bunga pink merata-rata.

  Anyway once I realised how far Khun Chang Kian is and how skilful one need to be to negotiate the winding and bumpy road, I thought the price was worth it. Practically sabung nyawa kut nak drive ke atas tu. 

According to my private driver, Amie, the flowers started blooming in early January this year. The exact time varies each year so you might want to check with a local or time your visit in middle of the month maybe. Idk.

  Pada I cantik je walaupun bukan tengah-tengah musim semi. Macam awal musim gugur gitu. Lagipun, I datang sebab nak tengok Chiang Mai Flower Festival =D 

Our first stop was at a village. Only a couple of trees had flowers still blooming. There were some souvenirs and coffee shops in the area but they were mostly empty. One lady opened a simple stall selling strawberries in cup.

I didn't stay long in the village because I get uncomfortable visiting attractions which are actually people's homes. 

  Rasa macam ganggu privasi pun ada.

  The next stop was a park we had passed on our way to the village. I think it is the research institute.

  Kat taman ni masih ada banyak lagi bunga. Ada orang jual strawberries juga. Murah tapi macam banyak je untuk I makan sorang. So I tak jadi beli walaupun nampak menarik.

I told the songthaew driver that I want to stop at the view point. Not sure if it is one of the stops but it was our last stop. If you want to stop somewhere in particular, let's say the Hmong Village or the castle ruin, bring pictures to show them. 

  Kalau ada gambar kan senang sikit sebab mungkin kita tak tahu nama atau sebut pun salah. Yang penting, nego harga awal-awal supaya masing-masing puas hati. Macam Hmong Village tu, masuk simpang lain jadi mungkin harga pun berbeza.

Expect to spend at least a couple of hours here. If you plan to visit most of the attractions in Doi Suthep, you can easily make it a full day-trip. Take your time and enjoy the beauty of nature.

  Datang waktu pagi supaya ada cukup masa untuk jelajah tempat-tempat menarik di Doi Suthep. Sejam dua mungkin tak cukup kalau nak pergi semua tempat. 

  So, plan wisely and prioritise your interests!

Penang National Park, Teluk Bahang

Taman Negara Pulau Pinang

Jalan Hassan Abbas

Balik Pulau

Hours

0730 - 1800 daily

The Penang National Park is located in Teluk Bahang, about an hour drive from Penang International Airport. Public transport is available although if you're planning to trek, driving is the better option. Or at least a change of fresh clothes. 

  Entrance is free although visitors must register themselves at the office. Boat rides can be booked from kiosks around the park's entrance. I didn't book a boat because I had no idea if I'll even reach the beach I was heading to. So I had to wait for an available boat. Luckily, a group of 3 tourists had extra seats in the boat they booked. The ride I got from Kerachut Beach to main jetty was RM20 per person.

Camping is probably allowed if you inform the park office in advance. Visitors usually come to visit the Kerachut Beach (Pantai Kerachut) or Monkey Beach (Teluk Duyung - this should translate as Mermaid Bay). On my first visit, I went to Kerachut Beach but I plan to return and visit the other spots. So this post will be updated if I ever get to visit the rest of the park.

This is probably Pasir Pandak. No trekking required

It wasn't too muddy when I visited but my shoes did get dirty. Do wear proper shoes if you're planning to trek because the path can be quite challenging in flip flops or sandals. Bring water and snack but please take home your trash.

Kerachut Beach

  On the map, getting to Kerachut Beach should take about 1 hour and 20 minutes. For me, it took over 2 hours. I haven't been exercising and I took so many breaks along the way. In the beginning, I even considered turning back but... I felt lazy. So I went on :-p 

Bukit Belah

There are plenty of gazebos like this along the way. So come early, take your time, and explore at your own pace.

Before reaching the beach, you'll cross a bridge over the meromictic lake. A meromictic lake is the kind of lake that has layers of water that do not intermix. In this case, the salt water from the sea and the water from rivers and rain.

  This is a huge deal because apparently there are less than 20 meromictic lakes in the world. Although ours is the seasonal kind of meromictic lake, as it only happens during the change of monsoon, it is precious because a slight change could mean losing this unique natural feature.  

  One may be forgiven to think that this is a plain nothing. I mean, where is the lake? Like I said, it is seasonal. This is what I understand. Sea current and wind will push sand to the river mouth forming a dike. There are also boulders there which help to form a natural dam.

  This dike/dam will eventually break naturally when the season is over. The lake water will then flow into the open sea, leaving the slightly muddy or savannah-like "plain nothingness" we see for the rest of the year.

Interesting kan?!

The Turtle Conservation & Information Centre is located at the other end of the beach. Go past the office, public washroom and camping ground. The route was pretty sandy so I changed into flip-flops. Sand can get quite hot so going barefoot may not be a good idea.

Hours

1000 - 1630

Free entrance

If you're already familiar with turtle conservation efforts, the centre can't offer much for you. But it is a good start for young kids. During my visit, there were a couple of adult (injured) turtles and some hatchlings in the containers.

White sandy beach

I spent some time reading my book right on the beach, under the shade. It was windy and I was feeling sleepy. We ate the bread we brought, checked out the turtle centre and when it got too hot, headed to the jetty to wait for a boat. No swimming because there were jellyfish as big as a dinner plate.

Look out for updates in this post :)

Tham Khao Luang Cave, Phetchaburi

Wat Thamkhaoluang

Cave Temple

Thailand is famous for their many temples. It is no surprise that they even have temple situated in a cave. There is a famous one near Hua Hin but it requires some hiking and we were just... not up for it.

  The Phraya Nakhon Cave temple looks absolutely magical in photographs. I guess it is a worthy prize after long hike. 

  Kalau tak salah, memang ramai yang habiskan masa sehari suntuk di Khao Sam Roi Yot National Park sebab ada banyak tarikan lain di sana selain daripada Kuil Gua Phraya Nakhon. Lagipun, untuk dapat gambar yang menarik, pengunjung perlu berada di sana pada waktu yang betul. Bila? Silakan buat research sebab saya pun belum sampai lagi.

  Berbalik kepada kuil di Tham Khao Luang. Kami singgah di sini semasa dalam perjalanan pulang dari Hua Hin menuju ke kota Bangkok. Sebenarnya ada sebuah lagi tempat popular berhampiran iaitu Phra Nakhon Kiri tapi matahari dah meninggi dan kami cuma punya tenaga untuk melawat sebuah kuil sahaja.

  If you have the time, consider stopping by at Phra Nakhon Kiri which is a temple complex on top of a  small hill. 

Getting there

Tham Khao Luang is about 2-hour from Bangkok. I won't say it is a must-see but it is quite an interesting place if you are already in the area. We hired a private van to go to Hua Hin and we stopped by on our way back to Bangkok.

  There are ample parking spots and a small parking fee. It's mostly to keep the monkeys away from your car. Oh yes. There were monkeys everywhere. 

  Untuk sampai ke atas, boleh ambil songthaew atau berjalan kaki. Boleh tahan penat tapi kalau rajin, apa salahnya. 

  There were songthaew waiting near the parking to take visitors up to the main area for THB15 per person. Once you're done, you can just take any songthaew to bring you back to the parking.

From the area in the picture above, you will have to climb up some stairs to reach the cave. Then, you'll have to walk down pretty steep stairs into the cave temple. We were glad that we took the songthaew up the hill.

  Nampak tangga di tengah gambar di atas? Kena panjat tangga sedikit dan bila sampai di atas, kena turun tangga pula untuk masuk ke dalam kawasan kuil macam gambar di bawah ni.

Apa je ada kat sini?

Macam biasa, dah namanya kuil mestilah ada patung Buddha dan sebagainya. Buat peminat alam semulajadi, boleh cuci mata dengan stalaktit dan stalagmit gua yang boleh tahan cantiknya.

  But what makes this temple unique is actually the natural opening on the roof of the temple. Natural light bathed the draft of incense smoke, creating a surreal view where many visitors took some creative and pretty surreal photos.

Gorgeous isn't it? However, please bear in mind that this is a place of worship. Don't make noise or do some lewd or disrespectful poses. People are praying nearby!

  Tak kisahlah nak pose macam kena culik alien atau sedang mandi cahaya pun, mohon hormat pengunjung lain yang sedang beribadah. Jangan la jadi macam ada group ni yang terkinja-kinja lupa diri dekat mana.

There was some renovation going on while I was visiting but I could still walked around into the many areas in the cave. Aside from the main area, there were 'rooms' housing more deities and saints. Expect to spend about an hour here.

  Tempat ni sesuai untuk sesiapa yang minat nak tengok keunikan kuil dalam gua. Tapi memang tak digalakkan kalau rasa tak mampu nak panjat dan turun tangga. 

Mangrove Walk at Pran Buri National Forest Park

Pranburi National Forest Park

Moo 1, Tambon Paknam
Amphoe Pran Buri
Chang Wat Prachuap Khiri Khan
77220, Thailand

This national park is about 25km South of Hua Hin. The mangrove walk is marked on Google Map so you should have no trouble finding the place. It's best to have your own transport instead of taking the public transportation as the forest park is quite a distance from the main road.

  Sebenarnya, sebelum pergi I dah tanya semua ahli rombongan GangMakanGoJalan samada kita nak pergi mangrove walk di sini atau Phraya Nakhon Cave di Khao Sam Roi Yot National Park yang memerlukan lebih satu jam perjalanan menaiki van dari Hua Hin. Masing-masing memilih mangrove walk yang jauh lebih santai sebab kami tak mahu habiskan masa sehari suntuk untuk aktiviti outdoor. Walaupun Khao Sam Roi Yot National Park nampak lebih menarik, trip kami lebih kepada leisure trip. Makan dan cuci mata.

  So, we went to the forest park on a Friday morning. There was no one else other than my group.  The van driver parked and waited for us in the empty parking lot. The area looked deserted. Well, there were a couple of other tourists and a family but we had the place pretty much to ourselves. The day was sunny but we were spared from the sun as the walkway is shaded by the trees. The mangrove walk was quiet other than sounds of insects.

  Sebelum berjalan, kami ambil gambar sikit-sikit. Tak ada orang, jadi memang tak ada siapa kacau. Kemudian, setelah pastikan ada bawa air dan pakai insect repellant, kami pilih jalan di sebelah kiri. Masing-masing jalan ikut kelajuan suka hati. 

  Following the board walkway, we stayed under the shades and saw some mangrove creatures. I don't remember what I saw but the authority provided some information board so you can identify the animals and water creatures you encounter along the way. Eventually, we arrived at a jetty. It was deserted as the tide was low. There were creatures on the wet sand, like a busy beach.

  Kalau ikut research, kita boleh ambil boat rides. Tapi bergantung kepada pasang surut air. Di sebelah kawasan letak kereta tadi ada visitor centre. Boleh tanya mereka kalau perlukan maklumat atau bantuan. 

  Then we continued walking until we found the observation tower. I climbed up and took some pictures. Mesmerising how we were surrounded by trees and above us, white clouds in the sky.

  Menara tinjau ni adalah spot untuk ambil gambar yang menarik macam kat bawah ni. Mujurlah masa kami pergi tu, cuma ada dua orang pelancong lain. Jadi puaslah kami turun naik ambil gambar dan berposing.

Heaven knows how many pictures I have at this one spot

  There were seven of us. One prefers taking photos instead of posing for photos so we didn't have to take turn. Lucky eh?

  Dah puas ambil gambar di celah-celah pokok paya yang merimbun, kami berjalan lagi.

  It wasn't a very long walk. Perhaps because we were in a group so time felt short. After we emerged on the other side, we went across the road to the pine park by the beach.

  Pokok pine jenis casuarina atau rhu yang biasa ditemui di tepi pantai menanti kami. Ada kemudahan tandas awam dan restoran di kawasan ni tapi kami tak pergi tengok pun. Lengang semuanya mungkin sebab bukan hujung minggu.

  Some of us bought ice creams from a vendor there. Then we sat facing the beach, eating ice cream before heading back to town. We made a detour to Khao Takiab but it was noon and we were tired. After a quick photoshoot at the beach, we went searching for air-conditioned mall :)

  The place is free, no entrance or parking fee. Expect to spend a couple hours here if you enjoy nature walk. Try to avoid weekend as according to some reviews, it can get busy. Be sure to keep this place clean when you visit!

Mount Jerai, Kedah

Gunung (mount) Jerai is situated in Kedah, one of the states in the north of peninsular Malaysia. The easiest way to get there is by driving. It's less than two hours from Penang International Airport and only about 1 hour 30 minutes from Alor Setar Airport.

You can drive up the mountain and most visitors ended up at The Regency Jerai Hill Resort. Along the way, you can stop at the Forestry Museum which opens between 9.30 am to 4.30 pm except on Friday and Saturday.

It is believed that Gunung Jerai wasn't always a mountain but once upon a time was an island called Pulau Serai. Then, the water level receded and the island turned into the highest peak in Kedah. It was like a beacon to the Arab and Indian merchants in yesteryears and they flocked to the Merbok estuary at the foothills.

Don't quote me but I thought that I read somewhere about those candis preserved in Lembah Bujang Archaeological Museum (Bujang Valley) were actually from around Gunung Jerai. Oh you can hike up to Gunung Jerai from the museum. I saw the heritage trail map but I'm not sure how long the journey will take.

View near the restaurant in Regency Jerai Hill Resort

Even if you don't stay at the Regency, don't miss dining at their popular restaurant or enjoying hot beverages and snack at the new Simple Day Cafe with the gorgeous view.

More seatings for 2-3 pax

Within the resort compound, there's the Gunung Jerai Botanical Park and right by it, there is a track called Tangga Kenari 1000 Tahun (1000 Years Canary Stairs). I guess that's the track to use to hike up the mountain from Titi Hayun/ Lembah Bujang. The 'Kenari' was referring to canary bird which was the name of Kedah football team before it was changed to the red eagle =)

Trail heading to God knows where

Other than that, there are several spots with interesting stories like Batu Kapal, Telaga Tok Sheikh, Padang Tok Sheikh, and Alor Naga. Batu Kapal is believed to be a ship that was cursed into stone by Sang Kelembai, a mythical creature from local folklores. Telaga Tok Sheikh is a sacred well and the Padang is an area with flat stones believed to be a "mosque". Don't be surprised if you see people performing solat in Padang Tok Sheikh.

The sacred well at the back

Padang Tok Sheikh

A tower at the peak of Mount Jerai

You can come for the view or stay longer for a picnic. Many pitched tents and spent at least one night. One thing for sure, it's a nice place to enjoy nature.

However, pleaseeee bring home your trash! Don't spoil the place like (unfortunately) MANY did.