Doi Mae Salong — Chiang Rai to Santikhiri TeaMountain.
Distance
150 km
Duration
1 day
Climb
1,600 m
Doi Mae Salong — Chiang Rai to Santikhiri Tea Mountain.
A climb from Chiang Rai into the Dan Lao Range to Doi Mae Salong, a mountain settled in 1961 by soldiers of the Chinese Nationalist (KMT) 93rd Division who fled Yunnan. Their descendants turned the opium hills into terraced oolong tea plantations. Tight switchbacks on Route 1130, cool highland air, Yunnanese food, and a strongly Chinese-Thai hill culture unlike anywhere else in Thailand.
Quick facts
SurfaceMixed
Distance150 km
Days1
Total climb1,600 m
Fuel stops1 along route
DifficultyModerate
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The route.
Chiang RaiStart · Start in Chiang Rai. Fuel up and grab breakfast — services thin out fast once you begin the mountain climb.
Mae ChanFuel Stop · Last proper town before the Route 1130 ascent. Top up here — Mae Salong's few stations are small and unreliable.
Doi Mae Salong Tea TerracesMountain Pass · The ridge at ~1,300m is carpeted in oolong tea planted by former KMT soldiers. Steep hairpins, mist, and rows of tea to the horizon.
Chinese Martyrs Memorial, SantikhiriPhoto Spot · Hilltop memorial to the KMT 93rd Division who settled here after 1949. Sweeping views over the tea hills and Santikhiri village below.
Tha Ton on the Kok RiverEnd · Descend west to Tha Ton on the Kok River. Longtail boats run downstream toward Chiang Rai. Good noodle shops by the bridge to end the ride.
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