Huai Nam Dang National Park

Huai Nam Dang straddles the Chiang Mai and Mae Hong Son border along the 1095, the road to Pai, and the reason it is on every northern itinerary is Doi Kiew Lom - a viewpoint at roughly 1,700 metres facing east, where on cool-season mornings a sea of cloud fills the valleys below with Doi Chiang Dao standing out of it and the sun coming up behind. People arrive in the dark to be there for it, and it is genuinely crowded at dawn in December and January despite the hour and the cold. Camping and simple bungalows are available at the viewpoint. The rest of the park has hot springs at Pong Duead, pine forest, waterfalls and rafting on the Pai river. The mist is entirely weather-dependent - a warm or windy morning produces nothing - and the 1095 itself, with its 762 counted curves, is a hard drive that makes many passengers ill.

What you actually see

• Doi Kiew Lom - the dawn viewpoint at about 1,700 metres over cloud-filled valleys.
• Doi Chiang Dao - the limestone massif rising out of the mist to the east.
• Pong Duead hot springs - geothermal vents elsewhere in the park.
• The 1095 - the Pai road, 762 counted curves.

When to go

November to February, arriving before dawn - the mist forms on cold clear mornings and burns off within an hour or two of sunrise. Warm or windy mornings produce nothing.

Honest expectations

The mist is not guaranteed and a warm morning wastes the early start. Very cold before dawn at the viewpoint. Crowded in peak season despite the hour. The road to Pai causes motion sickness in many people.

Nearby

Pai is north-west; Chiang Dao and Chiang Mai are south-east.