Houseboats at Mae Ngat Dam

About an hour out of Chiang Mai, you can find yourself wobbling on a houseboat in the middle of a picturesque dam,
 surrounded by calm waters and softly swaying forests. You and your friends could be cradling a beer on the tan-friendly deck, or jumping off a platform into the cold dam. A perfect way to spend a long weekend, or even just a day.

You will have to pay to enter the Sri Lanna National Park, where the Mae Ngat Dam is located. When we went, we got in for free because there was no one collecting money. But usually there is, and the current rates should be 100 Baht per adult, and 30 Baht per child. However, I have heard a few claims that the two-tier pricing is in place, and as a farang you might have to pay up to 400 Baht. It's an unfortunate fact about Thailand, and it happens no matter where you go.

Once you arrive, you will need to take a long-tail boat to the actual houseboats, which are nestled further away from the mainland. When we went it cost 500 Baht, and there were 7 of us so it worked out pretty cheap. We arranged with the boat-steerer (what else do you call him?) to have him pick us up the next morning, but you can arrange whatever time suits you best.

We had booked our rooms with Eakachai Houseboats beforehand, and we arrived to be greeted by some friendly staff who, although they didn't speak much English, were very eager to accommodate us in the usual Thai fashion. We had beers on hand, and snacks from the restaurant, although for dinner we did get a few muddled up orders (which were probably our fault). The rooms themselves (which cost between 200 - 300 Baht) don't sway as much as the decks, but they are strangely soothing to sleep in, although you might need to bring an extra blanket for the beds. The walls are made of weaved bamboo and either have two single beds or big double beds and well-decorated bathrooms. However, the power goes off in the evening as the houseboats are powered by generators, so bringing candles or torches is useful.

It's a fairly easy drive from Chiang Mai - here are my directions from the old city as many directions elsewhere online seem to be completely wrong, and you don't want to land up in the middle of nowhere out in Mae Taeng:


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Here are my photos from our houseboat holiday:

Where you arrive and arrange to be taken to your houseboats by a longtail boat.

A view of the dam from the longtail boat.

White people + sun = ecstasy!

The beautiful Mae Ngat Dam.

Floating past some other houseboats.

A lonesome houseboat in the distance.

Some friends enjoying their beers on the deck.

Eakachai houseboats - lovely.

Another view of the houseboat, complete with deck and eating area.

Swimming with beers in hand: this is how it's done!

Chillin'.

View of the sunset from the deck.

And then a misty sunrise the next morning.

The beautiful Mae Ngat dam in the cool morning.