So, it's nearly the end of 2025, and what a year it's been, but it's not the end of this tour. For breakfast we are more organised with food bought yesterday. With a microwave available, we have warm food to go with coffee and cake.
As we leave Primaleen's House, I will remember it more for the chilly mornings. While daytime temperatures can get as high as 30 degrees Celsius, at night they can get as low as 10 degrees Celsius. It's also the crazy New Year season.
This New Year's Eve we are travelling, hopefully away from the chaos, but we have some time to kill before we leave Chiang Khan while we say goodbye to relatives. We head for the popular attraction Kaeng Khut Ku.
Kaeng Khut Ku is one of Chiang Khan's major attractions, and today it's heaving with visitors. I don't remember it ever being like this, but I've never been here this time of year. The location is enchanting, with the mist still hanging around the mountains overlooking the bend in the Mekong River and the rapids there. I really only have a few minutes, as Katoon cannot find a parking place. Instead, we head out of town towards Loei.
We stop in Loei to visit another relation just to pay respects, but we're soon heading west towards Phu Ruea. During discussions with family, an attraction has been identified for a visit. It's along an alternative route back south. After an hour and a half we reach a turning leading to Ban Kok Sathon further into the mountains. Katoon's sister and family stop to consider this option, but it means for them a very late return home, and it's rejected. For us, we have a stopover planned, so it shouldn't be a problem. We eventually locate the village and find parking for the attraction at the sub-district office.
From the village there are tours up to Phu Lom Lo in Phu Hin Rong Kla National Park, a 1,542-metre-high mountain. The summit can only be reached with a suitable vehicle, which means a pickup truck. At the car park there are enough visitors to fill several trucks. At this point we don't know quite what to expect, but what we do know is that we're heading up the mountain to see something special.
We join a group of ten, which means we can split the 1500 baht cost, which still seems like a lot. The back of the pickup can accommodate six people on bench seats, while four can fit inside the double cab. So, the journey starts first along tarmac roads, but soon we're on dirt tracks, and I know I'm in for a bumpy ride. I chose to be in the back to make a video, but that's tricky on these heavily rutted roads.
In my mind I'm thinking this journey will take a couple of hours, but the climb up to the summit seems endless. It's well over an hour before we make our first stop, where we see what we've come for.
Many people have a picture in their mind of sakura (Japanese cherry blossom) adorning ornate temples in springtime. In Japan they have the perfect climate for sakura trees, but they can be found elsewhere too. I've noticed them in the mountains of Laos, where they bloom high up in the mountains. In Thailand the cherry trees, which require a temperate climate, only bloom in winter and at a high enough altitude. This makes seeing them quite difficult.
Finally we reach a clearing, and the sight of so many sakura trees in blossom is striking, providing a super photo opportunity. About 15 minutes is allowed for the stop. What I didn't know, though, was that this is just the first of four stops, each giving a different perspective. One of these stops takes you to the summit, affording excellent views across the valley towards Phu Tub Boek. With the skies clear and air clear and fresh, this mountain is truly a magnificent place. With time ticking on, the idea that we would reach our destination before dark completely disappears. By the time we make it down the mountain, it's already dark. I rub my eyes in disbelief at what has just happened. The two hours I expected have turned into four, and now I see that 150 baht each is a bargain. Back at the parking area, however, I was told that I would have to pay a foreigner entrance fee, but at the checkpoint I remain inconspicuous, and the staff don't notice me.
Back in the real world we now have a challenge on our hands. As well as dealing with the dark, we are still isolated here in the hills, and there is no internet. We will just have to manage with the GPS without the app. Half an hour later we're heading south along HWY 21 towards Phetchabun.
Katoon calls ahead to check what facilities we can expect, but these prove limited. We have no option but to find food at 7-Eleven for tonight and for breakfast tomorrow.
We arrive at 8:45 PM after an epic journey, just hoping that we won't be disappointed with the accommodation. Even in darkness we can see that we're in a completely rural location. We were wise to stock up, and that also allows us to have a quiet day tomorrow away from the maddening crowds celebrating New Year. Fortunately, there is nothing obvious at Baan Mai Hom resort to complain about. All we need now is a good night's sleep after a crazy day.

Source: Visit