We breezed through this area because the rain was getting stronger - of course, I had to take photos as a proof that I have been to the highest spot in Thailand! :)) 

A little bit of walking and you will see this shrine. It is the memorial site of King Inthanon - whose name is where the mountain got its name.

1/5 - Wachirathan Waterfalls

2/5 - Ang Ka Luang Nature Trail 

3/5 - Doi Inthanon (Highest Spot in the Whole of Thailand)

4/5 - Twin Royal Pagodas

5/5 - Trek to Mae Klang Luang (Karen Village)

Upon reading some information about Doi Inthanon National Park, I learned that this is the "Gate to the Himalayan Range" Yep, you've been to a part of the Himalayas if you go there and that's the reason why I was looking forward to hike there. 

Since my trip to Thailand was a solo trip and I don't think I can go to these places on my own, I decided to join a group tour so I was with people of other nationalities during this "Hiking Day" 

Ang Ka Nature Trail is a very easy trail since you'll just be walking around a loop boardwalk where you can observe the cloud forest from. 

It's like a fairy tale setting.

I am not able to climb mountains here in the Philippines these days but huhuhu hindi ko talaga maiwan ang bundok eh! Hinahanap-hanap ko talaga.

Just be careful 'cause some parts can be a bit slippery. This place is always foggy afterall. 

I was walking in my own pace so I was mostly alone during the whole duration of our stay here but a Thai guy walked to me and asked if I wanted to have my picture taken and so I gave him my camera and he took several pictures. haha! 

You'll see information boards like this along the trail and I think that this is a great idea since you can learn a lot more about the place even without a tour guide. 

Thanks, Thai guy!!

I initially thought that he was like the Cambodian guy in Angkor Wat who offered to take photos but then asked for money afterwards; this guy, according to him, goes to this trail every morning as his exercise and just like taking photos for tourists. I met him again that day in the restaurant where we had lunch. 

Constructing this boardwalk is a great step in preserving and protecting the floras that are abundant in the area. It's an activity with low environmental impact even if a lot of tourists go to this place everyday.

1/5 - Wachirathan Waterfalls

2/5 - Ang Ka Luang Nature Trail 

3/5 - Doi Inthanon (Highest Spot in the Whole of Thailand)

4/5 - Twin Royal Pagodas

5/5 - Trek to Mae Klang Luang (Karen Village)

From the parking lot, it looked small but I was surprised how tall and how strong the cascades are when I went near it. 

I got used to having a waterproof camera that I forget the one that I am using now shouldn't get wet! haha! But it's impossible not get wet here especially if it's monsoon season because the mists that come from the falls actually feels like taking a shower. :))

There's a short trail so you can follow the flow of the water but be careful in this area because it is very slippery. 

If you're going to this area or anywhere in Doi Inthanon, it's best to use your hiking footwear.

We only stayed here for several minutes since it's a part of a group tour. 

I wanted to go to Doi Inthanon so I decided to avail the group tour offered from my hostel and below are the places in Chiang Mai that I went to that day.

 From the Bell Church, we walked towards this Hillside Homes Artwork more commonly known as the Colors of Stobosa.

StoBoSa being the portmanteau of the sitio names where this artwork is located namely STOnehill, BOtiwtiw and SAdjap in Barangay Balili, La Trinidad.

This place is a part of the Urban Redevelopment Tourism Program and is inspired by the artworks in Brazil called Favela Paintings which is also an urban mural project over the slum houses in Rio de Janeiro. 

Without the bigger space for walkways and tourist sites, this place is also similar to Gamcheon Cultural Village in Busan, South Korea. Only that, Stobosa has no enough space for tourists to walk in. You can only go as far as the bridge if you're taking photos and the waiting area is only along the highway.

 In fact, there's no parking space if ever you're bringing your car in the area 'cause this place is literally along the Halsema highway.

And even if it looks much better in picture and even if it's hard to take pictures in this area, I can still recommend spending a few minutes here especially if you're in the area.

Afterall, it took a lot of planning and hardwork to make this project into fruition. Definitely succeeded into transforming an eyesore into a very "Instagrammable" artwork. 

DIRECTIONS:

Ride any Trinidad bound jeep from downtown Baguio (Session Road or Magsaysay Area) Tell the driving you're going here. And even if he forgets, it's impossible to miss this colorful houses along the road.

"Magical" field of white LED roses.

Remember when something like this went viral in Facebook? The one in Cebu? Well. I think this is one of the places where that cafe got its inspiration from. 

Much beautiful up close. <3

If I ever find myself in this part of Seoul again, I would try my best to walk inside the building just to see what's there. lol. We literally just passed by these roses on the way back to the hotel. I wanna explore Dongdaemun area as well. I think, you can go walking along Cheongyechon Stream as well when you're from here since it's in the vicinity.