Friday, August 22, 2025

Phu Langka - a mystical mountain village

Phu Langka is an isolated mountain village around 2.5 hours from Pua town in the north of Thailand near the Laos border. Our journey began with winding road up the mountain. It is popular for its misty cloudy view in the valley with a big boulder in the centre called the Phu Langka viewpoint. 

Road to heaven


An outskirt view

Upon reaching Phu Langka, the first stop was a Route 1148 Cafe. It was a nice cafe with relaxing mountainous view from the balcony.

The iconic Phu Langka viewpoint

 Campsite


There are campsites for camping but one has to bring own tent. As we did not have tent, I was lucky to find a chalet nearby. It was a wonderful chalet with magnificent valley view. Sitting at the chalet balcony with the lush mountainous green valley below felt like a luxurious holiday indeed. 

Our guesthouse

View from chalet balcony

In the afternoon, I explored the quaint village in the valley, along the main road and the upper slope and climbed to the rooftop of a guesthouse for a sunset view. There are many guesthouses and campsites down in the valley. It was quite chilling at night though.



Glamping



Creativity

Campsite

The only main road

Petrol station in the middle of nowhere


View from a rooftop

Waiting for sunset

Road below

View from the highest point

Sunset

Early the next morning, I woke up to the beautiful twilight with sunrise slowly setting in and the whole valley turning into a heavenly scene with magical sea of clouds. It was the Phu Langka viewpoint. Then, it was time to explore the surrounding the last time. 

Twilight

An exciting moment

Breakfast is ready

Sunrise

Countryside

A privileged view

Overall, Phu Langka is indeed a treasure to experience. 


Sunday, June 15, 2025

Exploring Kawaguchiko Part 2 - Lake Saiko and Iyashi No Sato Nemba

One can explore the west side of Lake Kawaguchi (Kawaguchiko) by getting a one day pass riding the green line sightseeing bus.


The first attraction is Lake Saiko. One can see the colorful lake along the bus journey. There is a bus stop where one can drop by to take a picturesque scenery with Mt Fuji in the backdrop. The deep blue water provides a sense of serenity.

View from inside the bus

Surreal country road

Lake Saiko


Autumn color everywhere



The most popular stop is Iyashi No Sato Nemba, a rebuilt tourist traditional village at the northwest of Lake Saiko. There are 20 thatched roof shophouses that serve as museums, handicraft shops and restaurants. The rewarding part is the surrounding scenery that provides tranquility with Mt Fuji as backdrop. 


Entrance to Sato Nemba




Mesmerising scenery

A decoration


A peaceful view


Upon returning to Kawaguchiko, one can explore and walk around the lake. The best time to visit is in early Nov during autumn, where the trees and flowers turn into bright red and yellow colors along the main road. There is a Momiji Corridor, an autumn color tunnel filled with red color maple trees along a canal, perpendicular to the main road on the northern shore of the lake.

Autumn color everywhere around Lake Kawaguchiko

Momiji Corridor




The end of the tunnel





Lake Kawaguchi

View from hostel

Kawaguchiko Station