Chiang Mai Secret Temple Hike
Chiang Mai is not short on beautiful Buddhist temples to visit and explore (check out our post Discover Old City Chiang Mai Temples for more temples to explore) . While Doi Suthep is up there as one of the more popular temples to explore in Chiang Mai, I wanted to make a point to explore and pay respect to some of the lesser known temples in the area. For those of you who follow me you know I like to get out in nature when I travel, naturally Thailand would be no different.
I asked a friend at work who had lived in Chiang Mai if he had any recommendations on places for us to hike and explore. After a few suggestions and after a little research on the internet after arriving in Thailand I ran across Wat Pha Lat, also referred to as the secret temple or jungle temple. We were a little surprised to find there was not a lot of information about hiking in Chiang Mai. This temple is tucked away and you can follow the monk trail hike through the woods to reach it. Just don’t forget to bring water because Chiang Mai can getting pretty hot! I would also recommend getting an early start to avoid the afternoon heat.
This temple is actually on the way to Doi Suthep, I believe you pass it on the road up to Doi Suthep, although we chose to take the monk trail hike to reach it. You can also continue the monk trail hike past this temple and hike all the way up to Doi Suthep. We met a fellow traveler who hiked the whole trail up to Doi Suthep and he said that it was very steep and not for the faint of heart.
How to get there:
Base Camp Coffee
Follow signs to right towards Chiang Mai Zoo
We grabbed a taxi and had them drop us off at Base Camp Coffee near the Chiang Mai University (CMU) campus and the Chiang Mai Zoo
After arriving at Base Camp Coffee walk up the road towards the Chiang Mai Zoo, at the fork in the road you will follow the road up to your right. You will see signs for the zoo and even a smaller wooden sign that will read “Nature Trail Phalad”
Sign towards the Monk Trail
Follow road on left towards the zoo
You will approach a road on your left with signs pointing towards the zoo and a restaurant called Palaad Tawanron. Follow the road on your left towards the zoo and restaurant.
Continue up the road until you approach a gravel parking area and two small green roofed trail information centers. These information huts mark the start of the trail and posts a map marking the trail.
Parking and green information shelters
Monk Trail Map
We made sure to take our time and take in the serene beauty on the temple grounds at Wat Pha Lat. Personally, this temple was the highlight of all the temples we saw during our trip to Thailand. The buildings and statues throughout the grounds are tucked along the river, within the forest and all overlook the city of Chiang Mai. I hope you can experience this beautiful temple for yourself!
Have a favorite hiking spot or temple around Chiang Mai that I missed? Please share in the comments so others can check them out and I have another reason to go back to Chiang Mai!
Happy hiking,
Jessica