After a good night’s sleep we met our guides in the hotel lobby for our second day of touring. Our plan for this day was to visit several waterfalls north of Chiang Mai, and since we got an early start our guides started us at the Mae Sa Orchid Farm.

The grounds are rather small but very green and filled with all kinds of orchids. Each visitor even gets a pin with a live orchid upon entrance. Due to small the size we were happy to get in and out just as a larger group was entering.

After another hour of driving we reached Mae Sa park with its 10 waterfalls. In reality, a few of the falls are smaller cascades, and the trails to falls 1 and 2 were closed due to washouts. Nonetheless we enjoyed seeing some interesting falls. We even got to experience a Thai fitness test – 132 steps!

a gnarly vine

Next we drove on to Mok Fa (variably known as Mork Fa, Mok Fah, etc) and Ob Noi Falls.

Near the entrance to Mok Fa park was Pankled Coffee Corner, a quiet coffee bar and restaurant with a shaded deck where we stopped for lunch. Leandra decided to try a dish with a pepper logo next to it in the menu; Eric’s passionfruit slushie helped cool her down, and she didn’t make that mistake again on the trip!

enjoying her beer before her mouth was set on fire

The last destination of the day was Bua Tong waterfall and its Seven Color Spring (Nam Phu Chet Si). This park features a calcium-rich blue-tinged spring that tumbles down a hillside in a series of falls.

Due to the mineral rich water the waterfall has built up layers of calcium carbonate with the strength of hard coral, making it is quite easy to climb up or down in the waterfall.

standing in the falls

The way back to Chiang Mai wound through a valley filled with rice farms so we stopped briefly for one last vista.

Our two full days of touring the countryside surrounding Chiang Mai were a lot of fun and we definitely want to return soon.

one last shot with out fantastic tour guides Bon and Lek from Untouched Thailand