huay tung tao lake (ห้วยตองเต่า), Chiang Mai (เชียงใหม่) Thailand – Best one day trip from Chiang Mai - Local’s preferred destination out of best things to do in Chiang Mai

Huay Tung Tao Lake: Best Day Trip from Chiang Mai

In case you are looking to spend your time in Chiang Mai by a splendid and peaceful place, head to Huay Tung Tao Lake – A perfect day outing from Chiang Mai.

Click here to read all blogs from our Thailand backpacking trip.

Located around 15 kilometers from the main city, this lake is quite popular with locals and you will find only few tourists around. After our outing to Wat Phra That Doi Suthep, we headed to Huay Tung Tao Lake and by the time, we reached here, sun was setting behind mountains with crimson sky and its shadow in the lake.

huay tung tao lake and reservoir (ห้วยตองเต่า), Chiang Mai (เชียงใหม่) Thailand – Best one day trip from Chiang Mai - Local’s preferred destination out of best things to do in Chiang Mai
Splendid Sunset at Huay Tung Tao Lake, Chiang Mai Thailand

Being on the out-skirts of the city, only few people head to the lake. There were only few people out there, some having party in the huts on lake side and other sitting in solitude enjoying the peaceful environment around.

huay tung tao lake and reservoir (ห้วยตองเต่า), Chiang Mai (เชียงใหม่) Thailand – Best one day trip from Chiang Mai - Local’s preferred destination out of best things to do in Chiang Mai
Sit by the lake side and enjoy the peaceful settings

There is a road encircling the Huay Tung Tao Lake which is perfect for a biking. Actually road leading to the lake is a bike route only. There is another route parallel to the main road that is demarcated only for walk and run. So much before you reach lake, you start getting the feel of the place you are heading to.

huay tung tao lake and reservoir (ห้วยตองเต่า), Chiang Mai (เชียงใหม่) Thailand – Best one day trip from Chiang Mai - Local’s preferred destination out of best things to do in Chiang Mai
You can also choose to cycle to Huay Tung Tao Lake from Chiang Mai city – A pleasant ride

Best part of an outing to Huay Tung Tao Lake is that you can have enjoy delicious Thai food sitting in lake-side bamboo huts. There are a lot of restaurants on lake side which serve you meals in these huts. Also, you can bathe inside the lake. Bathing area is well demarcated. There were people who were enjoying their meals in these restaurant huts while also taking a bath in the lake.

huay tung tao lake and reservoir (ห้วยตองเต่า), Chiang Mai (เชียงใหม่) Thailand – Best one day trip from Chiang Mai - Local’s preferred destination out of best things to do in Chiang Mai
Huts by the Huay Tung Tao Lake – Have a sumptuous meal here

We were a bit late and by the time we reached, all the restaurants were wrapping up. Yes, they close by 6 PM so plan to be early in case you want to enjoy a meal or beer here.

huay tung tao lake and reservoir (ห้วยตองเต่า), Chiang Mai (เชียงใหม่) Thailand – Best one day trip from Chiang Mai - Local’s preferred destination out of best things to do in Chiang Mai
Reach on time in case you want to have a meal at Huay Tung Tao Lake

We missed on our chance of delicious Thai food but we enjoyed the beautiful sun-set views as we sat on the side with our ice cream :). Calm and peaceful, this is a favorite relaxing spot for Thai people and you could see many Thai families having an outing here. Huay Tung Tao Lake is a must visit place on your Chiang Mai trip – certainly an offbeat destination.

How to reach Huay Tung Tao Lake

Click here to know the location of the lake. Lake is around 15 kilometers from the Chiang Mai City Center and it will take you around 30 minutes to reach there. We had hired a scooter from Chiang Mai and it was a nice road till the lake. You can also hire a Songthaew/tuk-tuk for the lake. There is no direct public transport available till lake as it is around 5 KMs detour from Chiang Mai Outer Ring Road.

Enjoy your trip and do comment below in case you need additional information or have more to share with fellow travellers.

Huay Tung Tao Lake: Timings

7 AM to 6 PM – All restaurants wrap up by 6 PM, so please reach well ahead of time in case you want to enjoy Thai delicacies sitting in lake-side bamboo huts.

Huay Tung Tao Lake: Entry Fee

There is an entry fee of 50 Bahts for foreigners and 20 Bahts for Thai residents.

Happy Exploration!!

Happy to have your comments