Kew Mae Pan
Kew Mae Pan
4.5
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4.5
122 reviews
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John K
Costa Mesa, CA2,447 contributions
Nov 2023 • Solo
You must hire a guide (200 thb) to walk this nature trail. My guide didn't speak English and I could have walked the trail without his help, but I understand the concept of supporting the local people. The trail is only about 3km long, but it's all up and down, not a level spot on the trail. And at 2500 meters elevation, there were many visitors sitting trying to catch their breath. The trail passes through cloud forest, then opens up to a meadow, then you arrive at a viewpoint, looking across the valley, if you can see it through the mist. Then you descend back through the cloud forest. Along the way you may see a few native orchids, rhododendron, and other flowers. There were footprints and scat from deer, but you'd never see them in the open. Plenty of bird calls as well. All in all, a great way to spend 1.5 to 2 hours. Very enjoyable and a good workout for the legs and lungs.
Written 14 November 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
LoriT2011
Raleigh, North Carolina41 contributions
Dec 2019
This hike is a must do if you are near Chiang Mai. We were a bit jet lagged so the hike was harder than expected. But trails are well marked, there are steps and walkways where it gets steep. The views are spectacular and on a clear day you can see toward Myanmar. The ecosystem is like a cloud forest where you'll see spanish moss and other interesting plant life. It was 3 c on the top so you may want to bring a jacket and long pants. Sturdy shoes are a must too. There are bathrooms at the base of the trail and food and beverages for sale.
Written 3 January 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
tristramdodds
Dallas, TX53 contributions
Feb 2018 • Couples
I've written a very detailed and a lengthy review so beware!
My wife and I traveled 2.5 hours from Chiang Mai on our rented scooter all the way out to Doi Inthanon National Park, that in itself was an adventure! If you are traveling up by yourself (meaning rental car of scooter) you will have to pay a park entrance fee at station 1 and then show the pass at station 2, it's a bit odd how they have it set up but whatever. If you are traveling up with an organized "tour" I'm pretty sure the park fee's are included but check. We paid 300 Baht ($9.50USD) per person which was a bit pricey but my wife and I support all National & State parks so this wasn't an issue for us. Once inside the park we headed up to where King Inthanon's ashes are buried for a sunset photo session....what an amazing view!
After the sunset we headed back down the mountain to park headquarters where we rented a quaint bungalow for the night ($35USD). If traveling after dark in the park please be careful as there are no street lights and it is extremely dark on those winding roads! The room was nicer than we had expected, it had electricity, a decent Thai style bathroom, a stiff bed for 2 and a lovely balcony/deck with a table and 2 chairs that overlooked a flowing stream. Note, if you have children or friends with you, you cannot sleep more than 2 in this room due to its size. There are tents, sleeping bags and pillows available free of charge but being that we were there in February, 38°f was a bit chilly for us to tent it and we had camera gear and cell phones we needed to charge.
Since we were already in the park we didn't have to wake up as early to catch the sunrise. Our alarm went off around 4:30, we put on our warm clothes, brushed our teeth, grabbed our camera gear and headed off in 38° weather on our scooter to the Kew Mae Pan trailhead. We had heard the park requires a mandatory "guide" but we didn't see anyone upon arrival so we put on our headlamps (lights are a must if hiking before sunrise) and took about 25 steps when we were told to "come back and pay for guide". I wasn't at all impressed that we were made to pay 200 Baht ($6.30USD) for a guide that spoke no English, couldn't tell us anything about the park, where we were, no info on wildlife....nothing but I wasn't going to argue since it was mandatory and we had to be at the lookout by 0630hrs. We hiked, what seemed to be straight up the mountain in complete darkness for about an hour until we reached the look out point. At that hour there was nobody on the side of the mountain except us! It was peaceful, majestic, breath taking, and over all a very special moment for my wife and I since this was our honeymoon.
After the amazing sunrise we had about another 30 minute hike back to the trailhead. This was nice because we got to see the sun shining through the trees and the forest waking up. On our way back down the mountain we stopped at the village just before the park headquarters and had an amazing Thai breakfast which included fresh pad thai, half a bbq'd chicken, sticky rice and 2 thai coffee's all for less than $3.50USD!!!
Over all this was an experience of a lifetime. The journey up (on a scooter), seeing the last King of Chiang Mai's burial place, the pitch black hike through the jungle and the amazing sunrise.
I give it 2 thumbs up and worth the effort!
My wife and I traveled 2.5 hours from Chiang Mai on our rented scooter all the way out to Doi Inthanon National Park, that in itself was an adventure! If you are traveling up by yourself (meaning rental car of scooter) you will have to pay a park entrance fee at station 1 and then show the pass at station 2, it's a bit odd how they have it set up but whatever. If you are traveling up with an organized "tour" I'm pretty sure the park fee's are included but check. We paid 300 Baht ($9.50USD) per person which was a bit pricey but my wife and I support all National & State parks so this wasn't an issue for us. Once inside the park we headed up to where King Inthanon's ashes are buried for a sunset photo session....what an amazing view!
After the sunset we headed back down the mountain to park headquarters where we rented a quaint bungalow for the night ($35USD). If traveling after dark in the park please be careful as there are no street lights and it is extremely dark on those winding roads! The room was nicer than we had expected, it had electricity, a decent Thai style bathroom, a stiff bed for 2 and a lovely balcony/deck with a table and 2 chairs that overlooked a flowing stream. Note, if you have children or friends with you, you cannot sleep more than 2 in this room due to its size. There are tents, sleeping bags and pillows available free of charge but being that we were there in February, 38°f was a bit chilly for us to tent it and we had camera gear and cell phones we needed to charge.
Since we were already in the park we didn't have to wake up as early to catch the sunrise. Our alarm went off around 4:30, we put on our warm clothes, brushed our teeth, grabbed our camera gear and headed off in 38° weather on our scooter to the Kew Mae Pan trailhead. We had heard the park requires a mandatory "guide" but we didn't see anyone upon arrival so we put on our headlamps (lights are a must if hiking before sunrise) and took about 25 steps when we were told to "come back and pay for guide". I wasn't at all impressed that we were made to pay 200 Baht ($6.30USD) for a guide that spoke no English, couldn't tell us anything about the park, where we were, no info on wildlife....nothing but I wasn't going to argue since it was mandatory and we had to be at the lookout by 0630hrs. We hiked, what seemed to be straight up the mountain in complete darkness for about an hour until we reached the look out point. At that hour there was nobody on the side of the mountain except us! It was peaceful, majestic, breath taking, and over all a very special moment for my wife and I since this was our honeymoon.
After the amazing sunrise we had about another 30 minute hike back to the trailhead. This was nice because we got to see the sun shining through the trees and the forest waking up. On our way back down the mountain we stopped at the village just before the park headquarters and had an amazing Thai breakfast which included fresh pad thai, half a bbq'd chicken, sticky rice and 2 thai coffee's all for less than $3.50USD!!!
Over all this was an experience of a lifetime. The journey up (on a scooter), seeing the last King of Chiang Mai's burial place, the pitch black hike through the jungle and the amazing sunrise.
I give it 2 thumbs up and worth the effort!
Written 27 February 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Airil
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia133 contributions
Feb 2016 • Couples
We come here early February 2016.
The views here are awesome especially from the top; you can see the sunset for sure, but theres no guide working after 1800hrs, and they block the entrance.
We did the sunrise which is just in front of the trail entrance, in front the parking area. The sunrise starts at 0640 and sun fully out around 0700. We started the hike around 0730, finishes at 0900.
The 3km hike is easy, through beaten track. Some locals hike without guides, but as we are foreigners, the guide charged us 200baht, and its compulsory as per them. Thats okay, the not okay part is when the guide cannot speak english. So we felt a little cheated. And the guide started to get grumpy after we took sometimes to take photo. We tried to get a guide the day before for the sunrise, but the guide told us that sunrise is from the otherside, so thats a plus for the guide.
The views are stunning at the top, so this is a must in Doi Inthanon. But if you can, go to the near restaurant, and talk to them about hiring a guide for sunset. Sunset should be very nice from the top. (or just jump the fence and go for it)
The views here are awesome especially from the top; you can see the sunset for sure, but theres no guide working after 1800hrs, and they block the entrance.
We did the sunrise which is just in front of the trail entrance, in front the parking area. The sunrise starts at 0640 and sun fully out around 0700. We started the hike around 0730, finishes at 0900.
The 3km hike is easy, through beaten track. Some locals hike without guides, but as we are foreigners, the guide charged us 200baht, and its compulsory as per them. Thats okay, the not okay part is when the guide cannot speak english. So we felt a little cheated. And the guide started to get grumpy after we took sometimes to take photo. We tried to get a guide the day before for the sunrise, but the guide told us that sunrise is from the otherside, so thats a plus for the guide.
The views are stunning at the top, so this is a must in Doi Inthanon. But if you can, go to the near restaurant, and talk to them about hiring a guide for sunset. Sunset should be very nice from the top. (or just jump the fence and go for it)
Written 6 February 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
BackPackJunkies
Buinen, The Netherlands49 contributions
Jan 2017 • Couples
Before I start: we are not here for a normal holiday. We are traveling for 1 a 2 years. We are on a tight budget.
With that said I am deeply dissapointed. First you have pay 300 baht (not 200 as stated on most websites). When you are at the trail you have to pay another 200 baht for a group tour on the trail... wait. Wut? I understand they should use it for keeping it nice amd clean, but how clean do you want it? Whats next? Pay for each meter you drive above the entrance fee?
With that said I am deeply dissapointed. First you have pay 300 baht (not 200 as stated on most websites). When you are at the trail you have to pay another 200 baht for a group tour on the trail... wait. Wut? I understand they should use it for keeping it nice amd clean, but how clean do you want it? Whats next? Pay for each meter you drive above the entrance fee?
Written 13 January 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Sia65
Singapore, Singapore736 contributions
Dec 2022 • Friends
An easy trek that takes around 2 hours. Some stairs climbing involved but nothing too strenuous. The view from the ridge was fantastic and our guide showed us wild blueberries bushes! The fog comes and goes. The view was covered by thick fog when we arrived but we were so amazed by the blueberries and spent enough time taking photos that the fog cleared and revealed the fantastic scenery before us! While our guide Tilly patiently waited for us and helped us take photos. The best highlight of our trip!
Written 30 December 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Xian Zheng
Singapore, Singapore154 contributions
Feb 2018 • Couples
The trail is a steep climb of ~10,000 steps so be prepared for some aches if don’t regularly exercise! Half the trail is through dense forest which then opens up to panoramic views of the mountainside. You’ll be forced to take a guide from the local village who speaks no English. We got a young boy who did nothing other than follow us on the trail. Midway through the trail, between the 14th and 15th checkpoint, there’s a turn which opens up to a view of twin pagodas. Easy to miss if you don’t know it’s there.
Written 18 February 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
MollyMonchaya
858 contributions
Nov 2017 • Friends
We hired a local driver with pickup truck to bring us to Kew Mae Pan for sunrise and walking 3.2 kms trail along the mountain.
The local guide is fixed price 200 bht.
Itis very easy to walk with clear foot path, just need some strength to walk up and down, but surely not dangerous.
The scenery is stunning. Weather is lovely in November.
A lot if domestic tourists and some foreign tourists.
I visited on weekebd, so it was not too crowded.
You might encounter some groups ahead of you or behind you, but it is not too troublesome to walk ahead or make a stop at all.
It is a nice place to learn about tropical forest.
No toilet on the trail route.
Easy to walk with simple shoes, sandals or sneakers are fine.
Expect cool air and humidity, so I would suggest a light jacket if you visit at yearend.
You may need a warm jacket if you start walking before 6am.
Family with kids may find it fun for this activity.
The local guide is fixed price 200 bht.
Itis very easy to walk with clear foot path, just need some strength to walk up and down, but surely not dangerous.
The scenery is stunning. Weather is lovely in November.
A lot if domestic tourists and some foreign tourists.
I visited on weekebd, so it was not too crowded.
You might encounter some groups ahead of you or behind you, but it is not too troublesome to walk ahead or make a stop at all.
It is a nice place to learn about tropical forest.
No toilet on the trail route.
Easy to walk with simple shoes, sandals or sneakers are fine.
Expect cool air and humidity, so I would suggest a light jacket if you visit at yearend.
You may need a warm jacket if you start walking before 6am.
Family with kids may find it fun for this activity.
Written 30 November 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Mischa K
Canberra, Australia111 contributions
May 2017 • Couples
You can only do this walk with a local guide. Aside from the guides being unnecessary as the track is self explanatory, our guide spoke no English and had a revolting and constant cough and was the only annoyance on what was otherwise a very special and memorable shortish walk (lots of up and down steps with 2-4 hours recommended)
You start out in old growth cloud forest, walking among the clouds, with several landscape changes along the way, each as magical as the last.
This walk is really the only place you can get that postcard photo of the twin monuments as a bonus.
If you're lucky and quiet you may see a rare Chinese goral climbing the rock formations.
The walk closes at 4pm to allow time for the last group to finish, and is closed permanently between 1 June and 31 October each year.
I would suggest starting your walk shortly before 4pm to minimise other groups. We were lucky in that regard and largely felt we had the place to ourselves.
If you have only one day on the mountain you will remember this walk for a long time and should try to fit it in.
Take a plastic poncho just in case. The guide had a jacket, as did we, however not needed in May. Due to the elevation the Weather and temp was perfect for a walk, despite being close to 40degrees in Chiang Mai.
There are 20 bi-lingual signs on the circular route which provide details of the main features of the walk.
You start out in old growth cloud forest, walking among the clouds, with several landscape changes along the way, each as magical as the last.
This walk is really the only place you can get that postcard photo of the twin monuments as a bonus.
If you're lucky and quiet you may see a rare Chinese goral climbing the rock formations.
The walk closes at 4pm to allow time for the last group to finish, and is closed permanently between 1 June and 31 October each year.
I would suggest starting your walk shortly before 4pm to minimise other groups. We were lucky in that regard and largely felt we had the place to ourselves.
If you have only one day on the mountain you will remember this walk for a long time and should try to fit it in.
Take a plastic poncho just in case. The guide had a jacket, as did we, however not needed in May. Due to the elevation the Weather and temp was perfect for a walk, despite being close to 40degrees in Chiang Mai.
There are 20 bi-lingual signs on the circular route which provide details of the main features of the walk.
Written 2 June 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
jjto2017
9 contributions
Feb 2017 • Couples
We hired a private car to get us to Kew Mae Pan and it was worth the trip. The hike and the views were lovely and we took some of our favorite photos from our Chiang Man trip here. We paid 200 baht for a guide and he was a very sweet young man who showed us around and although he didn't speak much English we managed to communicate with him just fine. He was pretty good at taking our camera and snapping shots of my wife and I, too.
Written 15 February 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hi can we find a local guide at the entrance to the Kew Mae pan trail. How much is the entrance fee? The guide is available there and part of this entrance fee?
Written 28 September 2022
What’s the hike difficulty for an average person? I have a bit of back issue and knee problem - is it an easy hike or moderately difficult?
Also, the hike time to the peak? Many thanks.
Written 15 January 2020
Has anyone hiked this trail in October or is it closed then?
Written 8 October 2019
It is my understanding that the trail is always open unless the Park is closed. We were there in February and it was open.
Written 24 December 2019
Is there a possibility that we can go up to the Kew Man Pan trail by car and not to hike on foot?
Written 11 November 2018
It’s a loop . So the trails start point and end points are same . You can visit the two Pagodas or Chedis by car . That area also have beautiful views .
Written 4 December 2018
For those interested in watching the sunrise at the trail over look it was one of the most beautiful sunrises we have ever witnessed. I have made a video of our trek up but since TripAdvisor wont allow me to include a link to my YouTube channel please
1). Open YouTube
2). Search my name (Tristram Dodds)
3). Look for the Doi Inthanon video.
Enjoy :-)
Written 7 March 2018
Hi Kona! Can you please let me know approx. cost of driver to get you there? Thank you!
Written 5 February 2018
I paid about 40 USD for a small truck including a driver (pick-up truck) for a half day trip from the entrance of national park to Kew Mae Pan. The driver also drove us to sheep farm and the highest point of Doi Inthanon. If you are foreigner, you may be expected to pay extra 10 USD$ per person for entry ticket to national park and 1USD entry ticket for the car. I do not remember price for kids though. Enjoy the trail!
Written 14 February 2018
Hi all!
I'm heading to chiang Mai at the end of year. How does one engage a local driver to get us to the national park? Any number of local company I should book with?
Thanks!
Written 20 December 2017
You can find the tourist agency from the city that can take you to there. But in nearly New Year this place were crowd. If you want to go there I think before 27 DEC or maybe after New year will be better time to go. Enjoy!
Written 24 December 2017
What time can you start the hike and do they assign a tour guide when you show up or do you need to reserve? Ill be going in nov 2017. Thx
Written 1 September 2017
Trail route Start at 6.00 a.m. in early morning. You can go without reserve because there are officer to check you at started point all the time. You must pay 200 baht for local guide per group. I recommend you going in Monday- friday. In weekend there are a lot of tourists inside. enjoy your trip!
Written 12 September 2017
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