After spending 10 days in Chiang Mai we were itching for some time in the countryside. We heard about this place called Mae Kampong Village—a popular getaway for Thai locals in a cozy and sustainable mountain town. Since it’s only 50 km from Chiang Mai we decided to pack our bags and head there.
The route to get to Mae Kampong is an adventure in itself—the road leading to the village goes up a steep mountain with narrow curves.
Once we reached Mae Kampong we didn’t find sprawling hotel chains or commercialized attractions. Instead, the village consists of intimate homestays, local shops, and cozy cafes run by the villagers themselves.
Things to Do in Mae Kampong
The village of Mae Kampong lies in the mountains east of Chiang Mai and is known for quiet village life, cute homestays, and tea and coffee farming. It’s an incredibly peaceful area, with many people visiting to explore its quaint streets and enjoy the cool mountain air.
In Mae Kampong you can climb alongside a multi-tiered waterfall, visit a temple alongside a river, and enjoy coffee with a view at one of the area’s many cafes. There are many things to do in Mae Kampong, Thailand.
Mae Kampong Waterfall
- Location: 📍 Mae Kampong Waterfall – Google Maps
We started our day by walking to the Mae Kampong Waterfall. The walk to the waterfall from the village is short but uphill, so it takes a bit of effort.
After the uphill portion, the road levels out at the top and goes through a beautiful rainforest.
When we arrived at the falls, there were a few other groups but not a huge crowd.
The main falls have a nice pool at the bottom where you can dip into. When we visited in autumn, the water was too cool to swim in.
This waterfall has multiple tiers, with a staircase to keep climbing up.
We weren’t expecting the opportunity to climb up alongside the waterfall! At the third tier, the staircase started to get sketchy and slippery so we decided to end our adventure there.
If you visit the Mae Kampong Waterfall, we recommend going in the morning while the weather is cool and there aren’t too many other visitors there.
Wat Khantha Phueksa (Temple)
- Location: 📍 Wat Khantha Phueksa – Google Maps
Wat Khantha Phueksa is a small peaceful temple in the Mae Kampong village. It is the only temple in Mae Kampong and is made of golden teak wood, carved with intricate patterns.
The temple was originally a hermitage located at the foot of a hill about 300 meters from the village. But in 1925, it was moved to the middle of the village, right next to the river.
If you venture down to the stream, you’ll find an ordination hall surrounded by water. This is one of only two ordination halls like this in Thailand.
Did you know? Mae Kampong gets its name from the river (“Mae”) and the yellow-red flowers (“Kampong”) that grow alongside it.
Mae Kampong Village
All the activities surround the village so you’ll be spending a lot of time here. It’s where Mae Kampong gets its cute village vibe from.
Though not big, the village is lined with cute stores, restaurants, and our favorite – street food!
Street Food
Mae Kampong has some of the best Northern Thai street food! During the day, the vendors along the main street open up and sell their treats to people walking in the street.
The street itself is not long so it should be easy to find all the different foods.
Our favorite street food that we tried in Mae Kampong was Naem Mok or fermented pork sausage. The pork sausage is wrapped in a leaf, and it tastes slightly sour but savory. We loved the fermented pork sausage so much that we returned and ordered it a second time!
Naem Mok (แหนมหมก)
Naem Mok is a traditional Northern Thai food, known for its savory and sour flavor.
This Thai fermented pork sausage is made by combining minced pork, pork skin, sticky rice, garlic, and salt. The mixture is then wrapped in banana leaves and left to ferment at room temperature for several days. The fermentation process gives Naem Mok its signature sour taste.
After fermenting, the sausage is grilled while still in its banana leaf to enhance its savory notes. Naem Mok is typically enjoyed as part of a meal, often accompanied by fresh vegetables, herbs, and sticky rice.
Sai Ua (Northern Thai spicy sausage)
Sai Ua, also known as Northern Thai Sausage or Chiang Mai Sausage is a traditional food eaten in Northern Thailand. This flavorful sausage contains minced pork, herbs, spices, and red curry paste, which gives it its distinctive flavor.
Traditionally, Sai Ua was a homemade sausage, crafted by families using local ingredients to create their own unique sausage. When at home, the sausage is commonly grilled and eaten with sticky rice or served by itself as a snack.
Today, Sai Ua is widely available in shops, making it easy for anyone to enjoy this Northern Thai specialty.
Khao Puk Nga (sesame rice crackers)
Khao Puk Nga is an ancient Lanna dessert made from sesame seeds and rice crackers. Made from glutinous rice mixed with sugar and salt, the rice is shaped into discs or squares, coated with sesame seeds, dried in the sun, and then deep-fried to a golden brown.
Khao Puk Nga is traditionally eaten during the autumn and winter after sesame seeds are harvested. When made fresh, this hot snack provides warmth from the hot sticky rice and a nutty, slightly sweet flavor from the sesame seeds, making it a nutritious and satisfying snack.
Swinging Bridge
- Location: 📍 Teddu Coffee Ćafe – Google Maps
The swinging bridge at Teddu Coffee is one of the must-do activities in Mae Kampong.
Set amongst the lush surroundings, the cafe is located directly on a river where a waterfall provides the backdrop to enjoy refreshments.
After ordering drinks, sit down and enjoy the surrounding lush greenery. It’s seriously so beautiful.
When you’re ready to leave the cafe, follow the river and waterfall to a staircase that goes up into the tree canopy.
The stairs lead to a suspension bridge that crosses the river. The suspension bridge also serves as the cafe’s exit, as it goes back to the road where the entrance is located.
While we were putting in our order, we met the cutest British shorthair cat who hung out on the counter by the cash machine.
But don’t order the tea + coffee drink mixture, that was awful, but we should have known that ice tea and coffee do not mix.
Coffee with a View at Ing Dao
- Location: 📍 Baan Ing Dao Coffee – Google Maps
No visit to Mae Kampong is complete without grabbing coffee at the top of the village.
There are a few cafes that overlook the village, and they all provide excellent views of Mae Kampong. Rabeing View Cafe is the more popular spot, but our homestay owner recommended we go to Ing Dao, which is right next door.
We checked out both and Ing Dao was more our style. It was well decorated, had plenty of shade, amazing cakes, and locally grown coffee! We had coffee cake and coffee. The coffee was so smooth, and the coffee cake was so delicious that we ate two!
Where to Stay in Mae Kampong
Trust us when we say, there was absolutely NOTHING we could book online through regular accommodation sources such as Agoda, Booking, and Expedia.
Instead, the best way to book most homestays in Mae Kampong is to message them on Facebook. We found the cutest homestay on Facebook, which we will share later in this article.
Another option is to visit Mae Kampong and find a place to stay when you arrive.
Once we got to the village we walked around and took photos of over 20 homestays and there were vacancies everywhere… It’s just a small town that puts little to no effort into advertising (at least to foreigners).
We went around the village and spoke with many homestay owners and they let us know they had openings, and some even gave us a tour!
We also walked into one who said she didn’t have openings because we were foreigners. It’s okay though, can’t win them all!
Our Stay in Mae Kampong
We stayed at Preanhuan Cha-Ma Homestay while in Mae Kampong and it was the most amazing accommodation. It cost a bit more than our normal budget but it was worth the price and our most memorable stay in Thailand.
The homestay owner taught us how to pray and meditate when visiting Thai temples. We spent 2 hours in her meditation room upstairs, which was peaceful and relaxing.
The stay includes breakfast but you can also get a traditional Lanna-style dinner for an additional cost. We stayed here on New Year’s Eve, so we got dinner to celebrate the new year and it was an absolute feast!
How Long Should You Stay in Mae Kampong?
Two days and one night is enough time to experience what Mae Kampong has to offer. The great thing about Mae Kampong is that most things are within walking distance, so you don’t need to venture far to experience its main attractions.
If you spend one night in Mae Kampong, we recommend arriving early in the day and leaving late next afternoon.
If you want to get into some of the spiritual activities in Mae Kampong, such as learning to meditate with a monk, we recommend 3 days and 2 nights.
How to Get to Mae Kampong
The best way to get to Mae Kampong is with a shared van booked on 12Go. The van leaves from Chiang Mai and takes about two hours to get to Mae Kampong.
In our opinion, a shared van is the best way to get to Mae Kampong because it’s much cheaper than paying for a private taxi and you don’t need to worry about parking in the tiny village.
You can also get to Mae Kampong by motorbike, car, or Grab.
The tricky part about driving a car is finding a place to park. If you drive a car, we recommend booking a place that guarantees you a parking spot.
Though we love motorbiking, we don’t recommend riding a motorbike to Mae Kampong from Chiang Mai. The drive to Mae Kampong is mostly along busy highways.
When we arrived in Mae Kampong the first thing we noticed was lots of traffic. The main city center is a small narrow road that can only comfortably fit one car at a time.
The narrow road makes it a great walking street but there is lots of traffic congestion past the main city center to get into the village.
Is Visiting Mae Kampong Worth It?
To foreigners, Mae Kampong is rather unknown. Most visitors we saw at Mae Kampong were Thai. We only saw a few other foreigners in Mae Kampong, so if you want to go to a unique place off the normal foreign tourist path then Mae Kampong is worth it.
If you visit Mae Kampong, we highly recommend going on a weekday. Mae Kampong is a day trip from Chiang Mai, so it gets busy on the weekends. If you visit Mae Kampong on a busy weekend like us, be prepared for narrow, crowded streets!
Mae Kampong’s story dates back around a century ago when pioneers from the Doi Saket area settled here, drawn by the favorable conditions for tea cultivation at an altitude of 1,300 meters. Over time, the village expanded its farming to include coffee, offering visitors a taste of locally grown brews.
Today, Mae Kampong is home to a close-knit community of about 370 residents and has emerged as a shining example of community-based tourism in Thailand.
Beautifully written. 🙏
Thanks for the kind words, Pearl. Hope you found this helpful when planning your trip to Mae Kampong. We miss it!