A canyon of eroded rock pillars south of the city, a bamboo raft on the Mae Wang river, a café by the fish ponds, and a hilltop temple on the way home.
This is a day close to the city with a bit of everything: rock, river, fish and a temple. Pha Chor is a small canyon that most visitors have never heard of. The rafting is on the same river as my elephant day, so if you have already done that one, tell me and I will swap it for something else.
I put this day together for a group of friends who wanted something relaxed and an early evening. It has stayed on the list since.
A typical day. We can move, skip or add stops.
9:00
We drive south-west out of the city. The canyon is about an hour away, in Mae Wang National Park.
A short walk from the car park brings you to the canyon. The pillars were left behind when the river cut through layers of sand and gravel. It is at its best in the morning light, and there is little shade, so we go here first.
A slow ride on a bamboo raft steered by a local boatman. You sit on the bamboo, your feet get wet, and the river does the work.
Lunch at a restaurant by the river, then a coffee at a café where you can feed the carp in the ponds. Children like this stop.
A temple on a hill on the south-west edge of the city with a seated Buddha 17 metres tall and a view over the airport and the plain. Local people come here to ask for luck, and leave jasmine garlands when it works.
16:00
I drop you at your hotel between four and five.
This is a shorter day than Doi Inthanon and works well if you want to be back in the city by late afternoon.
Rafting depends on the water level. From March to May the river can be too low, and I will suggest a swim at a waterfall instead.
A morning with elephants at a sanctuary that does not offer riding, a bamboo raft down the Mae Wang river, and a limestone waterfall you can walk up barefoot.
An easy day in the Mae Sa valley north of the city, with the glasshouses and canopy walk of the Queen Sirikit Botanic Garden, the ten tiers of Mae Sa waterfall, and an orchid farm on the way back.
A forest temple on the side of Doi Suthep, the golden temple above the city, the umbrella makers of Bo Sang, and a hot spring to finish.