The village of Ban Pa Pong Piang is the kind of hidden gem that will satisfy those eager to venture off the beaten track in Thailand.
With its terraced rice paddies , which are its main attraction, Pa Pong Piang (as indicated on Google Maps ) is a place that clearly does not leave you indifferent and has even become one of my favorites in Thailand.
Located at the foot of Doi Inthanon, the famous national park 60 km southwest of Chiang Mai, home to Thailand's highest peak (2,565m). Since I first wrote this article, the site has become popular with Thais, leading to increased accommodation options in the area, but its charm remains despite now being much easier to access (I'll tell you all about it below).
Rice fields in Thailand
The title of the article may seem a bit presumptuous, but in my many years of living in Thailand, I have hardly seen better. And generally speaking, you don't find many jaw-dropping rice terraces in Thailand, and not even really any rice terraces at all. Because yes, we imagine, like many Asian countries, that Thailand mainly produces rice on the mountainside, and that we can therefore easily find the cliché of images of beautiful rice terraces.
However, at the risk of disappointing, the majority of rice fields that can be seen in Thailand are simply located on the plains… I am thinking of all the central plains, especially around Uthai Thani and Singburi, but also in the entire Issan region (northeast). It is also these vast flat areas that make Thailand one of the leading rice producing countries (27 million tonnes exported!)
For those seeking magnificent terraced rice paddies, Vietnam is the place to look, as we had the opportunity to see during our road trip in the north of the country. I can also mention China, which has them in abundance, Bali, which remains quite popular for this as well (although it's not the primary attraction), or even the Philippines (the most famous being the Banaue rice terraces).
That being said, any rice paddy has something beautiful about it, even on a flat surface. That famous green color, the presence of water and those apparent reflections, clearly visible when the rice has just been planted, the changing colors with the season, especially its golden color just before harvest, that's what makes a rice paddy so attractive.
But if you had to choose, it's better in the mountains and Ban Pa Pong Piang is the perfect spot for those who want to visit Thailand while admiring beautiful rice terraces.
What to do in Ban Pa Pong Pieng
During the day, if you stay there, you can relax on the terrace of your cabin, otherwise, you can walk in the rice fields. Even without sleeping on site, it is possible to follow small paths allowing access to the middle of the latter. If you sleep on site, in addition to the fact that some cabins are themselves in the middle of the rice fields, others generally have access arranged to approach.
Depending on the time of year, you may have the opportunity to observe the locals who sometimes come to work in their fields. Apart from the presence of the rice fields, the view of the mountains is breathtaking in itself, you can see all the way to the mountain range on the other side of the valley, where the small town of Mae Chaem is located below.
If you're going to come to the area, I can only suggest staying there to sleep, whether it's to admire the sunset (which is bowing out right in front of you, behind the mountains in the distance), or to admire the morning fog filling the valley and the colors of the sunrise. These two moments of the day are already worth the trip all the way there.
It is also an opportunity to try a very local meal, to recharge your batteries, to put your smartphone aside for a while and focus on people. As there is no electricity, no wifi, a deck of cards is not too much to spend a quiet evening. In the evening, if the sky is clear, you can enjoy a beautiful starry night, because apart from Mae Chaem, the nearest town whose lights can be seen below, there is very little light pollution.
Below, a small series taken in the morning:
And for contrast, here is a series taken in the evening:
If you want to see some local life, there is not much in Ban Pa Pong Piang itself, which is basically its church and a few houses. On the other hand, if you have time and want to walk a little, you have 2,5 km to the village of Ban Tin Pha. In doing so, it allows you to see another side of the mountain, whose crops are also devoted to corn. Just like Pa Pong Piang, it is a Karen village.
Still if walking is not a problem, there are not one but three waterfalls 2 km away on the other side. Now that there is a proper road, you can indeed reach the Mae Pan Falls campsite on foot. In doing so, at the small bridge just before the campsite, you will see an access path to the first waterfall in the area, Pha Sam Lan. This is the only one I did not see because before, only a muddy road led to this area.
Another waterfall is very easy to access because it is located just 120 m from the parking lot, Huai Sai Lueang, a small waterfall on two levels with its charm since it is surrounded by the jungle, and generally, there are few people compared to the rest of the falls located in the main area of the national park.
Finally the last one, giving its name to the campsite, the Mae Pan Waterfall is located in an isolated area. From the junction leading to Ban Pa Pong Pieng, you have to follow a small road for a little less than 300 m to arrive at the waterfall car park. Then, a good little walk of 800 m awaits you. It is in the middle of the jungle so watch out for snakes. You follow a fairly narrow path for a good part, on the mountainside, with the river below.
Where to sleep in Ban Pa Pong Pieng?
The houses to sleep on site normally have neither electricity (in the sense of permanent), nor hot water so… But that’s almost also why we come here! A real return to “the sources” (well, I say that, but I still have 4G…)
You will be provided with candles to light up the evening or depending on the guesthouse, you may be entitled to LED bulbs which light up rather well (working via solar panels). Still, have at least one flashlight, it can always be useful.
One downside, however, given the character of the place, if you don't speak Thai, it can be complicated to book and get there. However, not knowing how to write Thai, I was still able to book in English, via 2 different guest houses.
This is a “principle” reservation, payment is made on site in cash (so plan ahead, because obviously there are no cash machines in the area…)
Here are their contacts:
– Sombutchai Mju , who can be found on Facebook. He is a young man whose family owned land on this mountainside and who, along with his uncle, built the accommodation himself. It originally consisted of two houses: one with two bedrooms (for two people each) and another with a single bedroom (for two people). Sombutchai's accommodation Facebook page
Since Sombutchai was fully booked last time, I opted for Khun Da's place; here's their Facebook profile and page: Baan Num Pu (pronounced Banne Nâm Pou). The view is particularly nice, as you're directly facing the mountain, whereas Sombutchai's accommodation is more to the side (but the view is good too). It's clear the business is thriving, because since my first stay here (Sombutchai is more often booked), the terrace has been enlarged, and the bathroom is now at the same level as the house, less rustic than the one previously located at the bottom of the stilts.
– As a possible alternative, you can also try contacting Weerasuk Homestay: Weerasuk Homestay Facebook page , but I have never tested it.
Finally, if you don't find what you're looking for, but are motivated, you will find other contacts on this page, in Thai by the way, you can see other photos of the place and the accommodation available:
You can use automatic translation (if you use Chrome for example) to help you find the relevant paragraph. To help you find your way, you have for example the last telephone number of the paragraph in question, 080 794 6883, which corresponds to Sombutchai's number above.
When to come to Ban Pa Pong Piang?
Knowing that in addition to the view, the main attraction is above all the rice fields, it is obvious to favor the right season. It is from July that the plantations will take place, so the period July / August will allow to see the young shoots, letting see the apparent water, good to see beautiful reflections and play with the angles of photos.
By September and early October, the rice will have grown well and will be very green, perfect if it is this beautiful green that interests you, the fields will be full of it! However, this is the rainiest period, so take that into account. From the end of October, the chances of having good weather increase and the rice fields are then very full, with a rice shoot that is growing taller.
Finally, you have until mid-November max to go to Ban Pa Pong Piang and have rice fields still full. Shortly before the harvest, the rice turns yellow and offers green and golden hues contrasting with the green of the mountains and the vegetation surrounding the rice fields. Even if generally the harvest has already started at this time, there will still be some plots still planted and those already harvested leave golden stems on the ground which make a visual rendering remaining interesting. It is beyond this period that Ban Pa Pong Piang will lose its charm, because if the landscape remains pleasant until the beginning of February, the rice fields will be empty and dry.
Beyond February, it will be the hottest season in Thailand, it is the burning season, with a landscape suddenly foggy, a completely dried nature, going to Ban Pa Pong Piang around March-April clearly loses its interest.
How to get to Ban Pa Pong Piang?
– On your own: Warning! It is essential to have an all-terrain vehicle (4-wheel drive) and to be comfortable with this type of mountain driving. It is also possible on a motocross bike, but not on a scooter during the rainy season.
With the construction of the permanent road, this remark is no longer relevant. I want to leave it legible, as a vestige of the past, reminding us that some places becoming popular can quickly change (at least among locals, because to date, relatively few foreigners go there, but for how long given the now much easier access).
In any case, there are at least 3 possible passages leading to the top.
- The first is the shortest version, you have to go to the Mae Pan waterfall camp, on the road to Mae Chaem then turn left before reaching the parking lot to see the waterfall. You will then be on a small road, which first goes down to a small bridge crossing a stream then goes back up to Ban Pa Pong Piang for a little less than 3 km. To see the change, I kept the original photo on the left.
And here same thing, on the left the path up vs now.
- The second is the option that was suggested to me by Google Maps, which did not see at the time a connection between the Mae Pan Waterfall camp and the road leading to the top (now that the road in question is made, it appears there). Instead of turning right at the road leading to the Mae Pan waterfall, you have to continue on the main road (the 1192) for about 6 km then turn right (more precisely, the main road will turn left, but you have to go straight towards a small concrete road at first, then dirt later). It adds 10 km, but allows you to see beautiful landscapes during the climb. On the other hand, it is a dirt road and a 4X4 is essential (otherwise I would not have passed one of the last turns…).
Landscape from an access road to Ban Pa Pong Piang. A very useful tool! Dirt road. - The third and final option is the longest, tested recently. It makes a huge detour as such since you have to go back down to Mae Chaem, continue up north for a few kilometers to the town of Thung Yao. A small road then goes into the mountain and passes through several villages before reaching Ban Pa Pong Piang. Contrary to what I thought, the road after the first village crossed is not tarred or concreted, but just dirt. As I had come across city cars at the top, before the road from Mae Pan was made, I thought access would be easy from this side. Personally, I recommend having a pick-up at the risk of damaging the underbody. The advantage of this option is that you come across local life, between the cows at the side of the road, the farmers working in the fields, the villages, it is a window on the surrounding countryside. An interesting option is to come to Ban Pa Pong Piang by the small road directly from Mae Pan, and on the way back, take this path.
Church in a village. Cow by the side of the road. Scene of life along the road. Buffaloes crossed along the path.
Which gives this on a map:
– By public transport: From Chiang Mai, you need to take a songthaew, these shared taxis which are pickup trucks with rows of seats in the back, in this case, yellow (the red ones only run in the city center and the immediate vicinity). In addition to using them to visit Doi Inthanon National Park during the day, ask to be dropped off at Ban Pa Pong Piang. During my last stay, I saw a red songthaew there, proof that it must also be possible to hire them to get there.
And now that the road is paved, access is even easier.
So, are you motivated to go there?
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