Mae Ai can be explored through a range of themes: temples and religious traditions, Tai Lue culture, festivals on the Kok River and mountain landscapes. The named places and recurring festival dates are useful when planning your trip. They can help you decide whether to focus on religious buildings, community cultural activities, or nature and river themes.

Temples and religious traditions

Wat Mae Sao is on the Mae Ai–Mae Chan road in Tambon Mae Sao, Amphoe Mae Ai. Two large yak figures guard its striking entrance gate. The Sirichai-Mongkol-Ditsayawarachoti Chedi was built at the temple on 28 October 2011. Beneath the chedi is a hall containing Phra Sing, Phra Chao Fang and several old Buddha statues. The complex thus combines a distinctive entrance with a chedi and the religious images in the hall below.

At Wat Thaton, the Kaew Pagoda is on the eighth level. The site is also of interest to travellers who want to pay attention to the layout of a temple's buildings when visiting.

Tai Lue culture and community activities

The Wang Phai Tai Lue cultural tourism group shares the community's culture through tourism activities and Tai Lue homestay accommodation in Ban Wang Phai, Tambon Thaton. The two-day Wang Phai Tai Lue programme includes a bamboo raft trip on the Kok River and a forest activity to gather Bukk. It also includes learning about Tai Lue cuisine, a visit to Phra That Sop Ngam and a view of two provinces. The activities range from community learning experiences to river and temple-related visits.

At the Roi Jai Rak Project near the Ban Muang Ngam intersection, visitors can see demonstration rice fields, seasonal flower fields and photo spots. The project also includes a hill tribe community market. It offers food and drinks, agricultural produce and community products from various ethnic groups. The market and fields offer different insights into community products and agriculture.

Doi Lang also offers learning activities for visitors, including making miang, processing Assam tea, growing grapes and oranges, and making brooms. These topics complement the Tai Lue cultural activities with further insights into local processing and cultivation.

Festivals throughout the year

Several traditions and festivals take place regularly, but differ in their purpose and location:

• Kin Wo is celebrated for seven days every January in the Lahu villages of Tambon Thaton. The festival features the distinctive Ja Kue dance.
• The wrist-tying tradition takes place every February in Ban Muang Ngam. Yok Yong Kru Mor Tai is also observed every February at Wat Mai Mok Jam, Moo 8, Tambon Thaton.
• The Poi Buad Luk Kaew novice ordination takes place every year in April or May at Wat Thaton Phra Aram Luang. The Songkran festival on the sandy riverbank of the Kok River near Ban Thaton is held annually from 13 to 15 April and includes processions, folk arts, competitions and water games.
• The Loi Krathong festival takes place every year on the full moon of the twelfth lunar month, around November. At the Ban Thaton pier on the Kok River, it features folk art performances, lantern activities, competitions and fireworks.
• For the Loi Phra Upakut tradition on the full moon of the tenth lunar month, Phra Upakut figures are carried every year from Wat Mae Ai Luang to the Kok River and immersed in the water at Ban Thaton.

If you want to plan your trip around one of these festivals, check the dates in advance. Lunar calendar festivals should be distinguished from celebrations held on fixed dates in April.

Kok River, reservoir and mountain landscapes

The boat route from Ban Thaton passes Wat Phra That Sop Fang and mountain villages. Visitors can learn about the way of life of different hill tribes there, including the Tai Lue and Lahu. At Huai Pu Reservoir in Moo 1, Ban Huai Pu, Tambon Thaton, a shady retreat surrounded by beautiful nature awaits; there are restaurants by the water. The boat route and reservoir represent different river and landscape experiences: a trip offering a glimpse of life in mountain villages, or a place to relax by the water.

Doi Pha Hom Pok National Park extends partly into Amphoe Mae Ai. It encompasses complex mountain terrain in the Daen Lao Range, as well as rich forests with diverse plant life, wildlife and forest products. Doi Lang is part of Mae Ai and lies within the national park. The mountain range reaches about 1,200 metres above sea level and partly borders Myanmar. The Lang River, which originates in Myanmar, flows through it and contributes to the ecosystem's moisture. The district's landscapes therefore vary, from the national park's forests and mountainous terrain to the river settings around Ban Thaton.

Discover more destinations: San Kamphaeng, Hot District, Mae Taeng District, San Pa Tong District

Go to the main travel overview: Chiang Mai.