Pha Chor, Chiang Mai. Nature can create many unexpected wonderful things. The passing of time can change the topography of a place and can create strange sights. If you have visited Phae Mueang Phi in Phrae, Phang Ta in Doi Phu Nang National Park, Phayao, or Lalu in Sra Kaew, you can also see the same kind of rock sculptures at Pha Chor and Khew Sua Ten in Mae Wang National Park, Chiang Mai. Pha Chor and Kew Sua Ten are a natural phenomenon of eroded soil pillars. It is believed that this used to be the Ping River watercourse. When the river changed route the site became a hill from the river sediment that piled up into layers. When time passed, it eroded and became cliffs and soil pillars of strange shapes. Similar to Phae Mueang Phi in Phrae and Phang Ta in Phayao, Pha Chor pillars are thirty meters high around a canopy of forest and covers a large area.
To visit Pha Chor, drive to Yang Kram, Doi Lor district which is the location of the Park Security Guard Unit and contact the park officer to be guided through the site. It takes about one hour to travel through the attraction. Khew Sua Ten is another attraction that can be visited in the same trip as Pha Chor. With a similar natural sculpture, Khew Sua Ten is located about one kilometer away from Pha Chor in Yang Kram district and has similar beautiful scenery as Pha Chor with different designs, more pebbles and rocks that can be seen at a lower height.
For a stay over trip in the national park, you can choose to travel to Doi Pha Tang by trekking and staying the night on the mountain on the first day, and then return to Pha Chor and Khew Sua Ten on the second day. Doi Pha Tang is about 1,909 meters above sea level, located in Mae Win, Mae Wang district. Since it is the part of Doi Inthanon mountain range, the weather is cool throughout the year. Due to strong winds along the mountain ridge, there are no tall trees obscuring the view.For those who would not enjoy travelling on the mountain, after visiting Pha Chor, you can relax at the many waterfalls inside the park such as Khun Puay, Pra Duk Daeng, Phong Noy, and Phong Samid
Most of the waterfalls are in Mae Wang district but the most popular is Mae Wang falls because it is close to Pha Chor. It is a single level about twenty meters high and ten meters wide. With the water falling to a basin below and flowing throughout the year, this place is shady and refreshing after a long journey. Excluding the Doi Pha Tang travel program, you can spend almost all day long travelling Pha Chor and Khew Sua Ten, and after that you can drive to Doi Inthanon along Highway 108.
Travel Information
Pha Chor is located in Mae Wang National Park, Doi Lor district, Chiang Mai province. From Chiang Mai city, take highway no.108 (Chiang Mai – Hod) for about 21 kilometers, turn right to Mae Wang district along rural highway no.12039 and no.10240 (Mae Win – Bo Kaew) for about 36 kilometers arriving at Mae Wang National Park with a fine macadam road all the way.
Travel Season All year, but is the most beautiful in winter