I love hiking, so of course we searched for a good hike in Chiang Mai. Wat Pha Lat, also known as the Monk’s Trail is one of the most popular hikes in the area, starting just on the edge of the city. We found a good route for ourselves, and set out into Chiang Mai’s wild temples.
28 June 2024
Wat Pha Lat was originally a resting site for people walking up to worship at the Phra That Doi Suthep reliquary. It was said to have contained images of the Buddha made of brick and stucco, as well as images of khumbanda (giants). A road was built through the area between 1934 and 1935, and it has now developed into a monk’s habitation.
We used Komoot to choose a route that started near the Chiang Mai university to the west of the city. Before we even found the trail we would come across a few spiders and creepy crawlies we had never seen before. One was a caterpillar hanging from a tree on a strand of silk. My guess was that it was ready to build a chrysalis.
We followed a road around a lake before we found a trail through the woods. We almost missed it, but when we came to a road that was closed we figured out where the entrance was. This would prove to be the hardest part of the hike – a steep ascent of the mountain through a jungle.
The trail was clear and easy to follow. Trees and bamboo surrounded the path, foliage and sharp, dead branches preventing us from leaving the path. It got steep enough that we were almost climbing. I was still smoking at the time, so had to keep stopping to catch my breath. Juan wanted to give up a few times, but I encouraged her to press on, knowing the rest of the route would be easy by comparison.
When we neared the top of the mountain we found a place to rest and took advantage of the space. Graffiti told passers by to “Never give up – keep going“. Whoever wrote it knew what people needed to hear after they had climbed the mountain.
During our ascent, I kept walking through what I thought were spider webs and was constantly wiping silk strands off my face. While resting I discovered the source of these “spider-webs”. Somehow, a caterpillar was attempting to wrap its cocoon around me. I made sure to place it back among the leaves rather than the wooden benches and concrete we were resting upon.
Rested and ready, we moved on. We were close to the top now, and there wasn’t much more climbing to do. Komoot told us that the descent wouldn’t be anywhere near as steep, so from here on out things would be easier. It was a short walk out of the jungle and onto a road that would take us back down the mountain.
After a short walk, we passed by a view spot and took in the true size of Chiang Mai (as well as a couple of photos). There were vendors selling drinks and snacks here. Juan asked how much a drink was and we were surprised when they answered in Mandarin. We may not be in China anymore, but the language is still useful.
Walking down the road felt like the most dangerous part of the route. Here we needed to keep an eye out for speeding scooters and bikes as we navigated sharp turns. There were no pavements here, we had to stick to the asphalt.
We were getting close to the Monk’s Trail proper when I discovered that the route in Komoot was out of date. The path we were supposed to take was blocked by a barrier and, while there was evidence of an old trail, was heavily overgrown. I didn’t want to risk going off the beaten path at this point so I used good old Google Maps to figure out that we could rejoin our planned route further along the road.
Eventually we found the start of the real Monk’s Trail, appropriately marked by two Buddhist shrines. A sign here told us a little of the history of Wat Pha Lat: the Monastery at the Sloping Rock. While my wife took advantage of the restrooms, I spotted a butterfly here and managed to get a couple of good butterflies. Later I would identify it and add a version of it to Bok’s Banging Butterflies, a Minecraft mod that I’ve been working on as a side project.
Descending further down the Monk’s Trail, our hike changed into an exploration. Shrines and temples filled the mountainside. Here you can see many stupas, Buddha statues, ornate drums, carefully carved stone walls in the shape of dragons. There were gardens here, maintained by the local monks, yet they somehow blended into the surrounding jungle and almost made the temples feel like they grew here naturally.
As we walked through, we caught glimpses of Chiang Mai through the trees. I am not religious, but I couldn’t help but be in awe of the beauty of the place, and found joy in exploring the various paths through the trail. I understand why many would make the pilgrimage here to make offerings to Buddha.
Coming out the other side there wasn’t much other than the jungle to see. We found it funny when we walked out of the entrance to Wat Pha Lat. We had taken the longer, and much harder, way around. But to me that just made it feel more rewarding, as if we had earned the right to see the Monk’s Trail.
After that it was a short walk down the road back to the university area. We were worn out, so took the first opportunity to sit down and grab a coffee before looking for a place to eat. It was a long day, but a rewarding one.
The route we chose was definitely a tough one, and it led us to a great view of Chiang Mai before we found Wat Pha Lat. It did, however, involve a lot of walking along roads, something I generally try to avoid. The route we did can be difficult for less fit hikers, especially for a smoker like I was at the time.
The Monk’s Trail itself, however, is a much easier hike, so if you’re worried about your ability and just walk through some nice temples then you could just go straight to the Wat Pha Lat entrance. It’s much more accessible and suitable for most fitness levels.
Overall, I think this kind of hike is the best kind to do – start off with a hard climb that pushes you to improve, then cool down with an easier walk back toward civilisation. You get the strenuous workout, but only remember the fun part at the end. For me, it was a major push toward giving up smoking. About a month later I’d do another tough hike and find it a lot easier on account of being able to breathe more easily. But that’s a hike I’ll write about another time.
