(Written 12/01, 11.44am)
On my second day in Chiang Mai, I went for a 'one-day trekking' excursion at Doi Inthanon National Park. This was effectively an all-in-one of the activities that Chiang Mai's nature has to offer and one of just few ways to explore the nearby national parks. It was actually a very good day. The elephants blew me away, looking fit and healthy although there was a bit of hook action (no more elephant riding for me please!), the bamboo rafting was quite an authentic, peaceful way to explore the forests, and the hike at the end was long and challenging enough to constitute a good hike! The hill tribe people were probably set up for us to see, but it was not turned into a circus, and I reckon, closely reflected the genuine hill tribe people.
We had a bit of fun with a tiny monkey running around, and an equally small dog chasing it! The monkey climbed my arms and legs like branches on a tree to escape the dog! There were also some chickens in the mix being bullied by the monkey, and it was just an all round bizarre sight! The fun, however, came to a sincere end when the monkey was placed in a cage fit for a baby mouse and the chickens were locked away. I came across some like-minded Germans, who also disliked the touristy nature of the excursion and the lack of free wildlife. We finally decided that we did the trip because it was actually the only was to see elephants (the Elephant Nature Park was fully booked), paying money probably improves conditions for the wildlife, and there were no other real options for exploring the national parks on one-day trips. But the highly diverse (almost random!) day was fun overall, and I'd say a good trip to do in Chiang Mai.
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