Phu Soi Dao National Park

Phu Soi Dao sits on the Uttaradit and Phitsanulok border with Laos, and the summit plateau at around 1,600 metres carries an open meadow of grass and Merkus pine that is quite unlike the forest below. The climb is the substance: about 6.5 kilometres from the headquarters, gaining around a thousand metres, taking five to six hours up in five marked stages, on a steep unshaded path that is genuinely demanding and where a good proportion of people underestimate the effort. Porters can be hired to carry gear. At the top is a camping ground and, from about September into November after the rains, the meadow flowers - dok mai din, the small ground blooms, and the wild flowers that give the plateau its reputation. Nights are cold. There is no accommodation on the summit other than tents, water is limited, and the descent is harder on the knees than the climb is on the lungs.

What you actually see

• The summit meadow - pine over grassland at around 1,600 metres.
• The flowers - ground blooms across the plateau from September into November.
• The climb - 6.5 kilometres and a thousand metres of ascent in five stages.
• The camping - tents on the plateau, with porters carrying gear up.

When to go

September to November for the flowers; November to February for the most settled weather. The climb is unpleasant in the heavy rains and the path becomes slippery.

Honest expectations

A hard five to six hour climb with a thousand metres of ascent and little shade - people regularly underestimate it. Tents only at the top, cold at night, limited water. The descent is punishing on the knees.

Nearby

Sak Yai giant teak is south-west; Phu Hin Rong Kla is south.