The challenge: take a Songtaew to Doi Suthrep to see Wat Phra That. Sounds easy right??
Just so you know a Songtaew is a truck that has been converted to take passengers and operates as a shared taxi. The colour of your songtaew depends on which direction you’re attempting to go. My colour of the day is red.
A songtaew… from the inside of a songtaew!
The first step to catching a songtaew is to stand on a street and wait for one to come on by. Wave it down with a practised swirl of your arm and the fun begins! Usually a songtaew across the old city is 20 baht but the drivers do like to try it on with foreigners. Once the price is agreed jump in the back and hold on.
The windows are set quite low so it’s difficult to see where you actually are. I looked out the back of the truck to try and keep a vague sense of where I was. No good, I got lost.
Somewhere near the moat…
When you get to your destination, which you hopefully recognise, you push the bell on the roof of the truck and then pay the driver. I knew that I had to get off at the Zoo and then get another songtaew up the mountain so my first experience was a smooth one.
The road up Doi Suthrep was longer than I thought and very hilly and windy. No photos then as I was focused on holding onto my bag and the seat (one guy nearly lost his bag out the back!).
I felt a bit light headed as I stepped from the songtaew – windy roads and I do not mix well. The 300 steps up to at Phra That soon sorted me out!
I love to wander round temples like this. I don’t really like tours with all the facts and figures as I simply like to get a sense of the place.
View of Chiang Mai
Travel tips:
- Go early in the morning as there are fewer people
- It gets quite cold at the top of mountain so take a cardi
- Remember to cover up your shoulders and knees. You can hire a sarong for 10 baht if you forget
- Foreigners pay a 30 baht admission fee.
