Doi Inthanon
TOUR CODE : DI
Visit the country's highest moutain
(8,514 ft) now has a safe and sceniv road winding to
its summit. Views depend on atmosphereics, but there's
an interesting memorial to Prince Inthawichianon at
the top and a patch of forest with remarkable flowering
rhododendrons and rare birds nearby. You visit Vachirathan
Waterfall, hilltribe village and the Temple of the Holy
Relics in Chomthong on the way back.
Doi Inthanon
Located in Chiang Mai Province, Doi Inthanon National
Park encompasses the highest mountain In Thailand, Doi
Inthanon, as well as several lesser summits. The doi
(mountain) is largely a granite batholith intruding
a southerly extension of the Shan Hills range and forming
the divide between the Nam Mae Ping river to the east
and the Nam Mae Chaem river to the west. Lower elevations
in the most easterly pant of the park are limestone
formations and contain a number of caves.
Formerly known as Doi Angka, the mountain now bears
(since 1899) a shortened version of the name of Chiang
Mai's last sovereign, King Inthawichayanon. During his
reign, he had, with great foresight, expressed his concern
for the forests of the northern hill country as the
watershed for all of central Thailand. The modern study
of rain forest hydrology has borne out his early convictions
and given substance to Thai folklore which describes
this hill region as the home of the Phiphannam, the
'spirit who shares water'. Before the King died near
the turn of this century, he commanded that his remains
be placed at the top of this mountain: his ashes at
the summit stupa are visited by thousands of people
each year.
The park covers an area of 48,240 ha. Its lowlands below
800 meters in elevation are warm and very dry during
the rain-free season, but the summit of Doi Inthanon,
at 2565 meters, has a climate more like Canada than
Thailand. The temperature has been known to drop as
low as -8 degrees C. and frosts are not unusual during
the cool, dry season. January is the coldest month:
an average nighttime temperature is 5.5 degrees C. At
any season, Doi Inthanon is a comfortable reprieve from
the heat of the lowlands. At altitudes above 1000 meters,
rainfall exceeds 2500 mm, considerably more than at
nearby Chiang Mai. Even in the dry season, November
to April, there is rare but occasional rain or the summit
may be shrouded in cloud for a part of the day; persistent
mist is an important factor in the maintenance of moist
forest there.
The various sub montane forest formations at higher
elevations are a unique asset of the park. They have
dominant species belonging to temperate climate families
rather than tropical. The summit area supports the only
red rhododendron in Thailand (R. delavayi); it blooms
from December through February. There are also two white-blossomed
species abundant on Doi Inthanon which are restricted
to only a few other sites.
Where mists are persistent, the slopes carry a moist
hill evergreen or 'cloud forest' with many epiphytes,
plants which live on tree trunks and branches but do
not receive their moisture and nutrients from the host
tree as do true parasitic plants. Instead, they are
nurtured by the accumulation of dust particles and humus
around their 'root' area and the moisture retained there,
augmented by frequent bathing in cloud and mist. Epiphytic
orchids are also abundant, along with lichens, lianas
and fern.
At mid-elevations, 800 - 1500 meters, two species of
pine are present, Pinus merkusii mixed with dipterocarp
in the lower range, and P. kesiya with oak and laurel
on drier slopes in the upper range. The pines are thought
to be a relic from a prehistoric cooler climatic period
when flora from the Sino-Himalayan region migrated southward.
At the mid-elevations of the park, much of the forest
has been removed by the activities of swidden cultivators
and the slopes have converted to fire climax grasslands.
Birdwatching: Because of its broad altitudinal range
and the cool climate of its upper reaches, the park
supports the largest number of bird species of any site
in Thailand. The Center for Wildlife Research at Mahidol
University records a present total of 362 species and
expects additions; Many at the summit are migrants from
northern Asia. Species restricted to Doi Inthanon are
Ashy-throated Warbler and an endemic race of the Green
tailed Sunbird; the park is the only site where the
Chestnut-bellied Rockthrush and the Yellow-bellied Flowerpecker
are known to oversummer and probably breed. Over 190
bird species are listed as common to abundant. Bird
lists are available at the Visitor Center and at Park
Headquarters
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