Full Guide To Mae Kampong Village

After visiting Thailand thoroughly for years I can safely say, this village is one of the most beautiful place I’ve ever visited in the country. 

It was totally unexpected and blew my mind entirely. It’s a small village in the mountains, with so many rivers and waterfalls, the water will be the background noise of your trip.

There is even a Buddhist temple right on the river, it is so beautiful that when I saw it and got inside the first time I felt emotional! It was empty and all I could hear was the water passing by around it. 

Although is a tiny village, there really is a lot to see and it’s only about 1 hour drive from Chiang Mai. 

Because it’s so close to Chiang Mai, many people come for a day trip, but I stayed a few days so I can give you all the details. 

How To Get There

The village is about 50km from Chiang Mai. You can easily go there by scooter or car, however I took the bus (shared van). It was right on time, efficient and easy to deal with as a solo traveller. 

Here are all the options available to you:

Transport option	What I like about it	Price and booking
Shared bus from Chiang Mai My personal choice 🌟	Cheap, comfortable and easy. No driving needed.	About $8 to $9 return 👉 Book shared bus
Scooter rental	Flexible and easy to stop along the way.	From about $7 to $10 per day 👉 Rent a scooter
Rental car	Air conditioning and full independence.	From about $25 to $40 per day 👉 Check car rental prices

For the bus, I recommend getting your tickets at least a few days ahead. If you want to get your sit on the front or next to the driver you will have to pay extra 20 baht each way. 

For my shared van ticket, I paid 300 Baht return (around $7). I loved my experience, it was very safe and comfortable (maybe too much, in fact I slept for most of my journey). ➡️ Get your tickets here

I’ve seen many people taking the scooter and driving through the village very easily. I noticed that around lunch time the central streets get busy so it would be tricky by car.

That being said, you can still leave the car at your accommodation and walk around or just drive when it’s less busy!

Will you get car-sick on your way to Mae Kampong?

If you tend to suffer from motion sickness, let me tell you there is nothing to worry about!

The winding roads are only for the last 10-15 minutes, right at the end. I normally get car sick, but on this trip I had no problems at all and didn’t even take the pill. 

Where I stayed

➡️ I booked Villa Vadee Maekampong! Super cosy, peaceful and easy to reach. It’s a few minutes walk from the village so it was easy to walk everywhere. I paid around $50 per night and had breakfast included. 

I loved my stay there, it’s run by two kind ladies who gave me a warm welcome and always made me feel comfortable. Breakfast was delicious too! There is a small table with a few sweet things and drinks, plus you order your cooked food which can be western, local or both!

The shower was the part I loved the most because it had the perfect pressure and it was super hot – let me tell you it’s COLD in Mae Kampong (scroll to the end of this blog post to find out what to wear). So that shower was amazing after a day out!

If you want to treat yourself, there is another accommodation that is worth considering. It’s a very famous hotel called Woo Ma Ca Moo and it’s known for it’s BBQ available to consume in your room and stunning interior design. It is very popular among local influencers. The place is very Instagrammable too! ➡️ Check availability here

That being said, please note that this place is located slightly away from the village. It means you will need to get a red truck or walk for at least 15 minutes to reach the village. 

What The Village Looks Like

Mae Kampong is beautiful and very small village in the mountains. Walking around can be tiring as the roads are quite hilly.

Not super steep but if you decide to walk to places instead of taking songthaews (more on this later) it might be challenging after a few hours!

There are traditional houses and shops everywhere as well as waterfalls and lots of trees.

If you want to get a clear idea, check out my YouTube Video here below 🙂

What To Do In Mae Kampong

 #1 Visit the temple on the river. 

Let me start with the temple I mentioned in the beginning. Wat Kanthaprueksa is a place completely overlooked.

Partially because people are tired of seeing temples after Chiang Mai but most of the time they don’t know this place exists or know how to reach it!

This is how you get there. While walking in the village, go to this place on Google Maps.

You will clearly see a temple from the street. But that’s not the one I mean! Behind that temple, there are some Naga stairs which are the stairs of serpent-like statues that always lead to the temple. Go down those stairs until you get to a parking lot. 

From there, keep walking in the parking lot in the opposite direction to the main entrance (that you would use by car). 

At that point you will start hearing the river. Keep going, cross a bridge, keep walking and you will find the temple right in front of you. 

While tourists don’t really visit this temple, Thai people do! So it can get busy, but if you go right after sunset it will be empty and peaceful. 

You will listen the water of the river surrounding you and there will be just enough lighting to see the bright colour of the robes hanging from the monks to get dry from their own accommodation opposite the temple. 

I’m not religious, but I took my shoes off and I did a little prayer. I really felt like Buddha listened 🙂 

 #2 Check out the waterfalls

Waterfalls in Mae Kampong are very small but they are peaceful and pretty!

Don’t be that person who goes there when it’s overcrowded, takes a picture and leaves. I went around 9 AM and there were only 2 other people. Try not to go right after the sunrise because that’s when everyone goes!

There is a sitting area nearby where you can just stay and enjoy the surroundings.

Bring a book or just close your eyes. 

 #3 Watch the sunrise at the Kew Fin viewpoint

Ask your accommodation to arrange the red truck for you and go see the sun rising from the mountains and clouds. I understand that waking up early is not easy but I’m telling you this is really worth it. 

Let me tell you how it works step by step. You accommodation will tell you what time to pick up the truck and where. In my case, it came to my hotel directly but for other people they had to go to a meeting point. It was 100 baht return and it comes right on time, so don’t be late or you will miss everything!

Now, if you’re familiar with red trucks (see picture below) from Chiang Mai or other places in Thailand, you know what I’m talking about, but if you don’t, all you need to know is that this truck has open windows (sometimes not even walls) and it doesn’t have a door on the back, so naturally YOU ARE GOING TO FREEZE! 

So dressing smart is the key here, considering the viewpoint is going to be very cold too. 

The driver will leave you at the bottom of the mountain and there will be a lot of other people doing the same thing. 

So you will hike for about 10 minutes (it’s more like a walk than hike really, super easy) and you will get to the point. 

Obviously all this will happen in the dark but everyone will use their phones to get some light. Once you’re on the top it’s a waiting game. Some smart people have a thermos with them so they can have a hot drink. I had nothing but envy for those people while I was freezing!

The sunrise it’s insanely beautiful and don’t worry about taking pictures because there will be pleanty of time and there will be less people during the sunrise. 

Do you want to know why? I noticed something really funny. When the sky goes from pitch black to blue and then red, people leave thinking that the sunrise was only that part. They don’t actually wait for the sun to come out which is really the highlight. 

I was the only one in the red truck who actually watched the sunrise and there were 8 of us! 

The truck would normally stop for only 10 minutes by the waterfalls but I stayed on the truck because its better to visit at your own time. 

Extra tip: If you are driving there, please be careful. There have been quite a few accidents several times. While the distance from the village is not too long, the road has quite a few curves and they are dangerous. I would honestly take a red truck, regardless even if I had my own car.

# 4 Enjoy the local cafes

Cafes in Mae Kampong are beautiful, in fact some people only come for those and leave. They are all by the river or have incredible views over the village. 

My favourite was Proudproudproud which is right at the beginning of the village. I got the most amazing hot chocolate there and really enjoyed seeing the small waterfalls around. 

Similar situation for Teddu Coffee, it’s super peaceful because of the sound of the waterfalls but I have to say it’s more the location than the taste of food and drinks. It was avarage but I enjoyed the views for sure.

Then there are cafes like the Claai Cafe’ or Rabiang which have a nice view over the village. However these 2 tend to be crowded so plan your visits accordingly. 

# 5 Go to the market

When the hotel manager asked me if I saw the market I said I missed it. She looked at me and said it was simply impossible because the village is 400 meters ahahha

Well, let me tell you that the “market” does not look like a market, its only shops selling things outside too. 

The shops sell very unique things like local jumpers, cat-themed accessories or postcards and so on… It’s a sweet walk but a short one!

# 6 Walk around the village in the evening to enjoy the red lanterns

The reason why you should stay overnight is not only so you can watch the sunrise but you can also really enjoy the lighting in the village after dark. 

It’s magical and you don’t want to miss it!

Actually after the sunset I walked my way from Rabiang cafe towards the village and I saw the beautiful pink light framing the Mae Kampong from far away. It’s been beautiful.

# 7 Do your own BBQ

There are vegetarian and vegan options too. This is definitely a cool experience to try in the village. 

I went to เก๊าบ่าเฟือง. I literally only understood how the bbq worked at the end of my meal. I didn’t know you are supposed to make a soup from the same BBQ tool. 

#8 Check out the historical pictures

When walking around the village you can really tell how local people leave and that simple life is very fascinating. But how was Mae Kampong before? 

Well, there are a few pictures by the temple that show you exactly what it looked like in the 60’ when some of its inhabitants have been captured in those photoes when the King and the Queen of Thailand visited at the time.

#9 Go pick up some strawberries

Not far from Mae Kampong, there are different strawberry farms. If you have your own bike or car you should definitely visit. Or ask if any of the red trucks are going that direction on that day. 

FAQs On The Village

Last Tips: What To Wear For Your Trip

If the sun is out during the day, it can get warm but still I would still wear long trousers. So bring some T-shirts, long trousers and a few layers. 

You will surely need some jumpers, especially if you are planning on seeing the sunrise. I only had a wind jacket and it wasn’t enough, so bring a thicker jacket if you can!

Also, if you have a woollen hat bring that too. The more the better in this case!

Definitelly trainers over sandals so they are warmer and more practical because the road in the village goes up and down. 

Things I enjoyed having on my trip:

• Spf: because it is in the mountains so the sun gets strong especially during central hours of the day.

➡️ I use Supergoop PLAY Sunscreen for face and body. It’s a bit more expensive compared to the cheap ones from the supermarket but it’s not sticky or shiny. I’ve been using it for years!

• Water bottle: Your hotel will definitely provide some water bottles and they are easy to get around the village but it’s better if you carry your own water bottle and refill it whenver you can.  

• Neck warmer: I actually use this in 2 ways. I wear it as a hairband when wearing dirty Grab helmets to protect my hair and I also use it as neck warmer when I’m cold (see the green one I’m wearing in picture above)

➡️ This is the neck warmer I use, I got it from Amazon and it’s super cheap!

• A thick face moisturiser and eye drops because I felt super dry by the end of the day.

• Termal top: ➡️ I wore this under my jumper in the evening and during the sunrise and I’m so glad I did!

• Hoka trainers: I’ve been wearing these non-stop over a year now. In Indonesia, Japan and Thailand.

➡️ These Hoka trainers are kind of multi-purpose. I use them for hiking, running and sightseeing. They are super comfy!

Don’t forget to bring some snacks to keep in your room, I was lucky enough to have a kettle in my hotel room so I made myself a nice cup of tea and had bisquits! 🙂

Ciao for now, 

Silvia x

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