Doi Luang Tak, Tak

ดอยหลวงตาก จ.ตาก

Peak Height: 1,175 m. [MAP]
Trekking Distance: 11 km. [one way]
Registration Office: Thung Kra Chor Municipal Office สำนักงานเทศบาลตำบลทุ่งกระเชาะ [084-817-8549] [MAP]

Length of Stay: 2 days, 1 night  [31 Dec 2017 - 1 Jan 2018]

Expense: 1,000 THB for a guide / 600 THB for a 4WD / 1,200 THB for a porter [20kg max]
Note: Only 30 km from Tak town / Toilets are holes in the ground.

Doi Luang Tak was very close to Tak Town Center, so we spent a night in town after a 6 hour drive from Bangkok. The next morning, we stopped at the town's market to buy some food. Then we drove another half an hour to the registration office.

After the registration, the rangers gathered us with another group of 6, so 8 of us were sharing a 4WD to the trekking point.

Thung Kra Chor Municipal Office

We started to trek at eight. This route was very long, so the earlier, the better. For the first few kilometers, the trail was beside Klong Khai - คลองไข่ [egg canal]. It was quite level and easy to walk on. But when the two split, the trail started to be steeper. We walked slower, breathed harder and had to stop more often to rest, drink and eat.

Klong Khai - คลองไข่

Wild Hibiscus

We are going there!

When we reached higher, the forest was sparser. The weather was cooler and plenty of pines appeared.

A Pine Tree

Before the campsite, there was a clump of wild banana trees where the soil was muddy and full of slugs. So if you have a slug repellant, bring it with you, or walk extremely quickly like we did.

We arrived at the campsite at one in the afternoon. The campsite was not spacious, but nevertheless, we could find a small space to set up our tent beside the trail. I tested the tent by taking a nap inside it.

Our Bedroom for Tonight

In the afternoon, we climbed to the peak. Many people had been there photographing. A moment later, a ranger volunteered to walk everyone to the "Lonely Pine," we followed. There, a pine tree was standing alone in a savanna.

 10 mins from the campsite

A Little more to Climb

Lonely Pine Tree - สนเดียวดาย

We were walking back to the peak while the sun was getting low. A moment later, everyone was indulging in the last sunset of the year.

The Last Sunset of 2017

That night, the moon was almost full. The sky was very bright, only a few bright stars could be seen. The lights in the tents were being turned off and the mountain was gradually less busy.

We woke up at five in the morning only to find out that the fog was too thick to see the sunrise, the first sunrise of 2018. However, walking in the fog was like walking in the cloud.

Heavy Fog

Also Waiting for the Sunrise

We were packing while the fog was lifting and the sun was coming out. We started to trek down when the sun was high. We arrived at the trekking point before midday. The visitors who shared the 4WD with us were somewhere on the mountain, so a ranger kindly lent us his motorcycle. We rode it back to the registration office, showered, then relaxedly waited for our porter.