Mae Kampong and Mon Jam
Hello, I’ll be travelling to Chiang Mai at the end of January. I am interested to have day trips to Mae Kampong and Mon Jam. I’ll not be renting scooter or car. Can I use Grab/ Bolt to visit these places. Are there any public transport to and from Chiang Mai ? Thanks.
Both are well up in the mountains and the best plan is to hire a car & driver for the day to visit. Chances are the taxi that takes you from the airport when you arrive will have a price card for half day and full day hires in the seat back pocket.
Drivers from Grab or Bolt are not likely to do a one way drive there, as there is not much chance of a return fare. And even less likely that you will find one for your return trip.
Songthaew do make the drive up to the villages, though most start from a designated spot outside of town, so you would need to also organize transport from your hotel to that pick up / drop off spot. Plus they tend to leave once they fill enough seats, so you could sit around a while waiting.
From Warorot Market (Chiang Mai’s central market), vans depart regularly for Mae Kampong for 150 THB. The trip lasts 1,5 hours.
It has become very touristy though, cars have some trouble finding a parking spot. There are other options in Mae Takhrai park, plenty of villages, though many don’t have tourist facilities. Many options for a coffee or cappucino.
In Mae kampong you can even shop for designer clothes now, not what you expect in a mountain village. And overpriced cake and coffee.
Mob Jam +1, Mae Kampong too touristy
My wife and family went to Mon Jam last month. They stayed a few days, and the driver stayed with them. For a van it was 1900 Baht/day plus fuel and 400 Baht a night for driver accommodations. I don't have details handy but can dig up if wanted.
Hi there, I am planning similar day trips. Do you have any suggestions?
Similar as in what? Nature, culture, hiking, national parks? Botanic gardens?
Mae Kampong and Mon Jam are two very different destinations. One is an area, the other an eco village.
