Let’s Go See the Giant Rain Tree in the Water! 🌳🚤

"Let's go see the big tree in the river!"

That was P' Tuu's idea when we met at the office.

"Yes, sure! Let's do that!" I answered without hesitation.

Sometimes the best trips don't start with a detailed itinerary. They start with a simple idea, good friends, and someone saying, "Let's go!"

And that was exactly how this special journey began.

🌅 4:30 AM – An Adventure Before Sunrise

After calling around to find someone who could take us there, we finally arranged a local boat service from Auntie Dang Port in Phrao, Chiang Mai.

This was definitely not going to be a normal sightseeing day.

We had to leave Chiang Mai at around 4:30 AM!

It took us a little over one hour by van to reach the boat pier in Phrao. Our goal was to catch the first boat at approximately 5:30 AM.

Local people had recommended going as early as possible. They told us that the first trip was the best time for photography—the morning would be peaceful, the light beautiful, and later in the day it would become much hotter.

When we arrived, P' Tuu and P' Toon went to use the toilet.

I have to admit, I was a little worried!

They are used to travelling internationally, including places like the USA, and here we were in rural Chiang Mai with a very traditional local squat toilet.

But once again, they proved my worries completely unnecessary.

Both of them were incredibly easy-going.

No complaints. No problem.

Anything was OK!

That attitude made me realize from the beginning that today was going to be fun.

🚤 Into the Mist

Once our little boat left the shore, it took around 20 minutes to reach the main area.

The scenery was beautiful.

The sun had not risen yet, and mist covered the water and mountains around us. Everything was quiet and mysterious.

At times, I could smell something burning in the distance. I wasn't sure whether what we were seeing was natural morning mist or haze from agricultural burning, but it gave the landscape a very unusual atmosphere.

And we weren't the only people heading there.

Other boats slowly appeared around us, all travelling in the same direction.

Everybody had the same goal.

The giant tree in the water.

Before reaching it, we stopped at the national park office area to pay the required entrance fee.

Then we continued.

🌳 And Suddenly… There It Was

Our boat turned around a large bend.

And suddenly, the tree appeared.

"WOW!"

Sometimes one word explains a feeling better than an entire paragraph.

It was stunning.

A huge tree standing almost alone in the middle of the water, surrounded by mountains, morning mist and silence.

I had seen pictures before, but I hadn't imagined that seeing it with my own eyes would feel so different.

For a moment I thought:

"It was really worth waking up this early and coming here with my sisters!"

I had been sitting and working at the office for so long that I had almost forgotten this feeling.

The feeling of actually going out.

Exploring.

Seeing something new.

And remembering why I fell in love with travelling in the first place.

📸 The River Became Our Fashion Stage

Our boatman positioned the boat at one of the most beautiful viewpoints.

At almost the perfect moment, sunlight began appearing from behind the mountains.

Golden hour had arrived.

Suddenly, everyone became a photographer!

People on the surrounding boats started pressing their camera shutters like crazy.

The river was the studio.

The giant tree was the backdrop.

And our little boat became a fashion stage. 😂

The three of us took turns.

One became the model.

One became the photographer.

Then we switched.

Again and again.

We weren't trying to rush through another tourist attraction. We were simply enjoying the moment and collecting memories that we might only experience once in our lives.

❤️ From a First Meeting to Friendship

There was another reason this journey meant something to me personally.

P' Tuu is the younger sister of P' Diana, someone who inspired me greatly when I was younger and whom I looked up to almost like an idol.

This was actually my first time meeting P' Tuu and P' Toon.

At the beginning of the day, we were still getting to know each other.

But kilometre by kilometre, boat ride by boat ride, joke by joke, we became closer.

By the end of the trip, it didn't feel like I was travelling with people I had just met.

It felt like travelling with friends.

And that is one of my favourite things about travel.

💦 The Adventure Wasn't Finished Yet!

After returning from our sunrise boat adventure, we didn't go home.

Our journey continued!

We headed to Sticky Waterfall, where the unusual limestone surface allows visitors to climb directly up sections of the waterfall.

After that, we continued to Dantewada, followed by a relaxing stop at Elefin Farm & Cafe.

By this point, we had already experienced mountains, sunrise, boats, waterfalls and cafés.

You might think that would be enough for one day.

Not for us. 😂

There was still one final experience waiting.

🌶️ Ending the Day Like Northern Locals

We finished our adventure at a local restaurant serving traditional Northern Thai food.

And this gave me one of my favourite memories of the whole day.

Imagine P' Toon—an elegant international traveller—sitting at a simple local restaurant.

Then came the sticky rice.

And the Northern-style raw beef larb, full of local herbs and spices.

No fork needed.

She picked up the sticky rice with her hand, dipped it straight into the larb and ate it exactly like a Northern Thai local.

Even her thumb was covered with the red colour from the spices! 😂

At that moment I thought:

Now THIS is travelling.

Not only seeing beautiful attractions.

Not only taking pictures.

But being willing to try something local, laugh together, get a little messy and experience a destination as it really is.

🌿 More Than Just a Giant Tree

We originally woke up at 4:30 AM for one reason:

to see a giant tree standing in the water.

But we came home with much more than that.

We saw the sunrise over the mountains.

We travelled by local boat through the early-morning mist.

We climbed Sticky Waterfall.

We explored the Chiang Mai countryside.

We ate Northern Thai food with our hands.

And most importantly, three people who had only just met came home as friends.

Sometimes the most memorable journeys are not the famous places everyone already knows.

Sometimes you simply need someone to say:

"Let's go see the big tree in the river!"

And someone else crazy enough to answer:

"Yes! Let's do it!" 😂

🚐 Want to Discover a Different Side of Chiang Mai?

If you are looking for something beyond the usual Chiang Mai sightseeing route, Wonderful Chiang Mai Travel can help you create a private countryside journey based on your interests.

From hidden local experiences and sunrise adventures to waterfalls, temples, elephants, food and scenic countryside routes, we can customize the day around the experience you want.

Contact Wonderful Chiang Mai Travel and let us help you discover another side of Northern Thailand.

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