Phrae

Phrae is a small town in upper Northern Thailand and the capital of Phrae province. It's surrounded by lush green mountains. In the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, Phrae was the epicenter of Thailand's teak trade. As a result, the town is filled with teak-wood structures and teak-detailed buildings. Phrae is not much frequented by western tourist and a great place to experience authentic Thai culture and enjoy the quiet winding jungle-clad mountain roads. These roads will take you to viewpoints with breathtaking mountain vistas, as well as interesting temples and lime stone caves. And since Phrae is well off the tourist trail, you'll have these roads and interesting sites all to yourself!

Also worth mentioning is that Phrae has numerous coffee shops selling excellent coffee, as well as the tastiest vegan restaurant I've ever eaten in Thailand!

One of the best things to do while in Phrae is to explore the jungle-clad mountains of the Phi Pan Nam range by motorcycle. The twisty roads will take you to viewpoints, coffee shops and temples. Phrae is not a major tourist destination and as such you will be able to visit these places without many other people around or even all by yourself!

I've made two loops. The Small Phrae Loop and the Large Phrae Loop. I stayed at the Huern Che Ta One Hotel and there was a sign for a car, motorbike & bicycle rental place called Be Bike Phrae. See further down or the table of content for details.

The Golden Rock Temple, or Wat Phra That In Kwaen in Thai, is my favorite temple in Phrae. The temple is located about 25 kilometers outside of Phrae on a lush green mountain along Route 1024. The temple takes its name from a gold-painted rock with a stupa on top, similar to Myanmar's famous Kyaiktiyo Pagoda or Golden Rock. The temple is built against a forested mountainside, with multiple paths leading up to several magnificent golden statues overlooking the majestic Phrae jungle-clad mountains.

Route 1024 and connecting Route 1342 are lovely curvy roads snaking through the lush green mountains of the Phi Pan Nam range. There are several temples, caves and viewpoints as well as some coffee shops serving good coffee and magnificent mountain vistas. I recommend going by motorbike and make a full day tour out of it. See Small Phrae loop for details.

I went on a Sunday and arrived at the Golden Rock Temple at 9.30 a.m. The temple was really quiet and serene; I only saw 5 other people in the hour I was there. However, just as I was leaving at 10.30, many cars arrived, and the temple got rather crowded. I'm not sure if this happens every Sunday, Saturday and on holidays, but it's something to keep in mind if you prefer to visit when it's quiet.

The Na Khu Ha Temple is only 2.6 kilometers from the Golden Rock Temple on Route 1024. It features a big golden Buddha in front of a rice field, a stupa, and several structures, one of which houses a wooden Buddha statue. A bamboo walkway beside the sitting Buddha leads to a trail that leads to a cave and up to Pha Sing Viewpoint.

This cave is a 2-minute walk from the bamboo walkway. You can enter the cave by climbing down a 40 steps metal ladder. There is no natural or artificial light in the cave. I walked deeper into the cave for a few minutes, but because the light on my phone was too weak to see anything, I decided to turn back. I heard a lot of fladdering and other sounds, presumably bats. It's best to bring a good torch and maybe arrange for a guide at the temple.

Just before the cave there is a sign indicating that there is another cave called Tham Noi (Cave Small) 500 meters to the left and a viewpoint called Pha Sing 350 meters to the right. I didn't try to find the cave because I couldn't see a clear path to the left. The path to the viewpoint was clearly visible though. After a short walk up the trail, you'll reach the "natural screening point." This is a crack in the rock face that you must enter. I estimate that the widest point is somewhere between 40 and 50 centimeters, and not everyone will fit through. After squeezing your way through the crack, you'll find a rope to follow and several steel ladders to climb before reaching the viewpoint. There were a lot of mosquitos on the path up to the crack, so you might want to bring mosquito repellent.

Wat Pa Buddha Temple and Tham Chakraphat, or the Emperors Cave, are about a 35-kilometer drive from Phrae town. It is located approximately midway between Phrae and Wat Phra That Suthon Mongkhon Khiri Temple. The Erawan Cave is also on the way. So it makes sense to visit these places on the same trip.

I don't think many people visit this temple. I went on a Monday morning and spend about an hour at the temple grounds and saw no one except for a handful of female monks that presumably lived there. The main draw of this temple is the viewpoint on top of a jagged limestone mountain. The 700 steps that you need to ascend to reach the top are located on the right of the mountain. When facing the mountain, look to the right, and you'll see a road made of white concrete. Follow this road and after the corner you will see the stairs you will need to climb. It's a short but steep climb, so be sure to take enough water with you.

When you reach the end of the stairs, you'll be greeted by the rolling thick forested mountains of Phrae province and a large golden Buddha statue. You can take stairs to a second level with a Pagoda, a small statue and more beautiful views of Phrae province.

When I was down again, I began searching for the Emperor's Cave, but I was soon attacked by two large dogs. Fortunately, I backed up into a table with bamboo sticks, which scared the dogs away. I'm not sure what would have happened otherwise. They were barking, displaying their teeth, and running right at me. I decided not to seek for the cave any longer and instead went to the Erawan Cave, which is located 20 kilometers south of the Wat Pa Buddha Temple. The dogs came chasing after me as I rode away on my motorcycle.

The Erawan Cave is located a little under 20 kilometers south of Wat Pa Buddha Temple and the Emperor's Cave. It's almost en route to Wat Phra That Suthon Mongkhon Khiri Temple. It's a small cave, but if you don't mind paying the National Park fee and have the time, it might be worth a look. You must ascend up 155 meters of stairs to reach the entrance, which is 50 meters above ground level. You can walk straight on from the entrance for about a couple of dozen of meters until you reach the end of the cave. If you turn around and walk back, you'll find another short path to the right. This path leads to an exit opening up into a small enclosed lush green place filled with plants and trees.

Wat Phrathat Suthon Mongkhon Khiri Temple is 40 kilometers south of Wat Pa Buddha Temple and 20 kilometers down south from the Erawan Cave. The temple was founded in the 1980s and is a photogenic combination of several styles such as Lanna, Burmese, and Thai. In the front of the temple is an impressive large reclining Burmese-style Buddha, a large golden bird with the head of an elephant, and a scene of what appears to be a battle. A brilliant golden Naga staircase flanked by two large, impressive golden Singha's leads to a walled ordination hall. Within these walls are various structures, statues, and murals, the most notable of which is a cluster of smaller golden Mandalay-style pagodas that combine to form a big shining pagoda.

Tham Pha Nang Khoi, also known as the Cave of Colored Lights, is approximately 35 kilometers from Phrae town. You'll have to climb a short but steep stairway to reach the cave's entrance, which is 50 meters above the parking lot. There are two ways to go up. The stairs on the left are slightly longer and less steep. The cave is about 150 meters long, and you can walk down boardwalks and admire the stalactites, stalagmites, and various statues that are all illuminated by colorful lights. You can exit at the end of the cave and return to the parking lot following a road. However, walking back from where you came is shorter and allows you to enjoy the cave longer. I was in the cave for approximately 30 minutes and was mostly alone. The solitude, the colorful lights, and the sound of water dripping down gave it quite a mystical feeling.

The cave is open every day from 8.30 am until 5 pm. Admission is free. All the signs were Thai only.

Pae Muang Pee Forest Park or The Ghost Pillars is a small area of 30 meters wide and 100 meters long scattered with strangely shaped pillars. The pillars were formed 10.000 to 30.000 years ago by erosion. There is a path above with a viewpoint providing an overview of the whole area, and a path down leading you along the pillars. The area is quite small and if you have seen this kind of formations already, it's not really worth going out of your way to visit them. But wel worth a visit if you're passing it, for example when doing the Small Phrae loop.

Entrance is free. Signage is in Thai and English.

The Suan Hin Maharaj Stone Forest is a small area alongside Route 1023. A short walk leads you past various odd rock formations formed by erosion. It's not worth going out of your way for, but it's worth a quick stop if you're nearby. It can be combined with the Khao Hin Pakarang viewpoint, which seems nice to visit. I didn't have time, so I didn't visit this place yet. And Route 1023 is a delightfully twisty road flanked by thick forested mountains and certainly worth a drive.

There are bathrooms in case you need to go. The entry is free. There are some English signs, however they are in very broken English.

Excellent value for money! I payed 400 THB via Agoda. Large rooms, firm yet soft mattress (for Thai standards), refrigerator, private parking, air conditioning, kettle, large closet, hot shower with excellent pressure, and complimentary snack and instant coffee in the lobby for breakfast. The hotel is located in a residential area away from busy highways and noise.

Book here

I stayed at the Huern Che Ta One Hotel and there was a sign for a car, motorcycle & bicycle rental place called Be Bike Phrae (search map for location). They rent out automatic or manual motorbikes for 250 THB and 200 THB per day. Mountain bikes for 100 THB, cars for 1000 THB and SUVs for 1500 THB per day. Free delivery and pick up within the city area. I'm not related to this company and didn't use their services.
Line: @bebike
Tel: 092 696 6159 (eng)
https://bike-for-rent-motorcycle-rental-agency.business.site/

The best vegan food I've had in Thailand! A rice dish starts at 30 THB. There is a large selection of ready-made food available, and the taste is very fresh! The food is displayed at the counter, and you can point and choose. Opens early and closes in the afternoon. Google says it's open every day from 6.00 to 16.00. But the restaurant was closed on Sundays when I was there. The earliest that I ate there was at 8.30.

Search the map for alternative places to eat.

Be extra careful when driving after sunset. I've driven tens of thousands of kilometers around Thailand and have never seen so many vehicles without lights. Many motorcycles lack rear lights, and some didn't have any lights at all. I also saw a few cars without lights. There are also numerous people walking on unlit main streets on the left side of the road after nightfall.