Doi Samer Dao

Doi Samer Dao is a bare grass ridge at around 1,200 metres inside Sri Nan National Park in southern Nan, and it exists as a destination because of what you can see from it at two particular times. At night, with no significant settlement nearby and little light, the sky is dark enough that the Milky Way is visible to the naked eye through the dry season - which gives the ridge its name, roughly the mountain equal to the stars. At dawn, cloud fills the valleys below and the sun comes up over it. Camping on the grass is the way to see both, with tents and bedding rentable from the park; there are no bungalows on the ridge itself. It fills completely on cool-season weekends and over New Year, when the park caps numbers. Nights are cold, the ridge is fully exposed to wind, and the access road is steep.

What you actually see

• The night sky - dark enough for the Milky Way through the dry season.
• The dawn cloud - valleys filled below the ridge at first light.
• The grass ridge - bare and exposed at around 1,200 metres.
• The camping - tents on the grass, rentable from the park.

When to go

November to February for clear skies and mist. Book ahead for weekends and New Year - the park caps numbers and the ridge fills. Moonless nights are far better for the stars.

Honest expectations

Camping only - no bungalows on the ridge. Cold and windy at night; rented bedding is thin. Steep access road. A full moon or cloud cover removes the entire reason for going.

Nearby

Sao Din Na Noi is close; Nan city is north.