Hiking in Thailand - are you crazy?

91°F in winter, turquoise sea, white beaches—so what could we possibly do? Exactly: go hiking. In the mountains, in sweltering humidity and jungle, with monstrous cicadas and vast panoramic views.

Huh? Hiking in tropical, hot Thailand? Why would anyone do that? No idea—we simply hike everywhere, regardless of whether it's logical or not. We're also curious to see if it is possible and what's there. Spoiler: Every time we tell a Thai that we are looking for a hiking trail, they look at us as if we had shouted: “The soft ice cream is on fire!” Astonishment, incomprehension, and a mild smile: Why are these weirdos stomping up this mountain in scorching heat in big boots, with backpacks and bright red faces?

Perhaps because the view at the top sweeps over an endless expanse of round, green rocky knobs that give you the feeling of standing in "the land “before time”. 

Perhaps because after more than a thousand steps, a temple on a precarious stone balcony offers a view of a golden Buddha high above the ocean. 

Perhaps also because there is an incredible number of golden buildings, umbrellas, and statues piled up on a mountain plateau that Tutankhamun would die of envy a second time in his grave. So, lean back, grab a cold soda and relax while we set off...

The Monk's Trail in Chiang Mai sounds pretty nice and benign when you read about it online: a trek through wooded hills past buddhist temples. Easy. Like going on a leisurely pilgrimage as you let your mind wander, right? Forget about that. It's actually a dusty walk up a clay path into a hot forest. In the rainy season, you get some mud for free on top.

Spoiled by enchanted trails in Iceland and picturesque cloisters in Spain, we quickly learn here that “path” and “monk” do not automatically mean a slow, spiritual journey. Hiking in Thailand is hard work.

Once you have internalized this revelation (and not immediately sweated it right back out), you are suddenly able to notice the beauty of the surrounding nature: Lianas twining around bushes with thick, green leaves, birds giving a tropical concert, and crickets very loudly trying to tune up their discordant violins, but unsuccessfully.

The trail will take you first to the mossy forest temple Wat Pha Lat and then up to the golden Doi Suthep Temple in the mountainside. But be aware: The second part of the trail begins with almost vertical clay, with steep steps. This is a great idea if you have always wanted to fall backwards off a slope and sweat yourself to death while you feel like you need an oxygen mask. Pilgrim's path, bitch please.

But the path up to the first stop, the forest temple Wat Pha Lat, is pretty passable. Before we hike there, however, we make an unplanned detour to Anakamee Buddhist Park. There had been an intruguing sign that caught our eye.

“Look, the pictogram on it looks like the figure is climbing instead of hiking,” I say lightly to my husband. A few minutes later, we know why. Another steep clay staircase leads up here, too - just not quite as crazy as the one to Doi Suthep Temple.

As the Buddhist Park is not on the direct route of the Monk's Path, it is less crowded. We enjoy a few meditative moments in an open-sided prayer house covered with a floor of warm blue tiles.

 From there, we walk in an arc to Wat Pho Lat, the forest temple. Mosses and grasses sprout from red brick pagodas, a stream runs under a bridge next to a tree adorned with trumpet-like flowers. And then there's a long, white building with old arched doors that looks almost eerie in the dense jungle.

We also start to hike up to Doi Suthep temple, but after a short time, we abandon this second part of the hike. Too hot, too steep, too dusty and too dangerous. We take a tuk-tuk up to the entrance of the temple where a long staircase greets us with multi-headed dragons leading to one of the most golden places I have ever seen.

Buildings, Buddha statues, an oversized umbrella, walls, the floor... everything is made of gold-plated metal. We come across a circular gallery, where we discover hundreds of colorful lanterns, a carved wooden temple, pink blossoming trees, and large, muffled prayer bells. This is the moment when spirituality takes hold of us like the warm wind blowing over the mountain. We have arrived at last.

Monk Trail, Chiang Mai, 2 miles (one way), 2.5 miles with a detour to the Buddhist Park, 2,000 vertical feet

One thousand feet elevation change on a two thousand feet long trail. You got that. This trail leads up 1,260 steps from the lower part of the Tiger Cave Temple in Krabi to the upper part, which was carved into the top of a large vertical rock. Probably, again, created by some crazy monks. As neither the height nor the number of steps deter us, we walk past another warning sign shortly afterwards: “Caution, some steps are knee-high.” I look at my knee for a while. Hmm. We walk on. Then: “Watch out - monkeys love to steal your purse!” I look up. One is already approaching my husband's shoes, looking innocently fluffy.

We decide to continue anyway. With numerous breaks where we enjoy great views of palm fields, and later the sea, we climb all 1,260 steps, but at a snail's pace. The dark patches of sweat on our shirts reach all the way to China, 93°F in the shade. Once again. In “winter”, which is known as the “best time to travel Thailand.” Oh well. That's Hiking in Thailand—the “best travel time“ isn't good enough. Even the over-confident gym rats, who start by taking two steps at the same time in their undershirts, end up hanging over one handrail or another, panting. Some of the “knee-high steps” are so high that when we descend, we have to go down backwards to avoid falling. But at the top, the entire scene is wow! A huge Buddha looks out over a surreal, green landscape of hills and rocks all the way to the sea. There is a much-welcomed drinking fountain and a small balcony. I delicately strike one of the prayer bells. The echo seems to ring out to the horizon. Was it worth it? Absolutely!

Tiger Cave Temple, Krabi, 2,000 feet (one way), 1,000 vertical feet, 1,260 steps

Our hotel is just 200 yards from the beach. We call a local cab and zip off in the opposite direction. We go to the parking lot for the Dragon's Crest Mountain Trail in Krabi. The out-and-back trail up the mountain and back is almost five miles long. There is a gate at the entrance, because you're only allowed to enter the trail until 2 pm, otherwise there's a risk that hikers won't make it back before dark. The rangers in the entrance hut are exceedingly grumpy, slam down an emergency phone number, and collect the hiking fee. Really makes you feel good.

We set off. First through the humid rainforest, then further and further up through the dry rainforest. At first you sweat a lot because of the humidity, then you sweat because the path climbs steeply. Soo... you're always sweating. But we've been there before. 93°F and all that.

At the beginning we scramble over thick boulders—just leave your flip-flops at home—and then up over dense tangles of roots. Again and again, we encounter dark red trees (Syzygium Antisepticum), and we watch their bark flap like torn parchment paper in the rare but very welcome breeze. There must be endless cicadas somewhere, because their sounds are almost as loud as an electric saw—I don't know if I find that cool or annoying.

Occasional lizards scurry across the path, sometimes we see ant highways speeding chaotically, but efficiently, over bare roots. It is an incredibly exciting forest full of little things. Well, except for the huge (but harmless) spider that has built its web about 10 feet high across the hiking trail.

Then suddenly a viewpoint emerges from the jungle and—holy shit—far below us, the turquoise blue sea with its endless spots of islands stretches out in one direction, while the other direction reveals an endless green landscape with rounded hills that look like a scene from the Cretaceous period. It's almost as if dinosaurs were grazing along the meandering, blue ribbons of river in the valley. I wave my arms in wild ecstasy—sooo beautiful! 

When we finally arrive at the end point on Dragon's Crest, we are treated with a 270-degree view of the sea on both sides while in the middle is a vast “land before our time”. We look back and forth and everything is as green and enchanted as a postcard photo taken from a drone's perspective—only without the drone. Because we are the ones looking down from above. For us, this is probably the most beautiful hike we've done in Thailand. 

Dragon's Crest Trail , Krabi, 2.5 miles (one way), 1,631 vertical feet