Bird Watching Doi Inthanon

Spend an awesome morning with Joe at Doi Inthanon. With lovely weather and expert guidance from Joe, i spotted 10 lifers (for me) in just a short span of time. Would highly recommend Joe if you heading to Chiang Mai, Doi Inthanon to have a great birding experience.

Great tour, Joe was very patient, gave explanations and we saw lots of endemic birds !

My son and me had a very pleasant birdwatching trip into Doi Inthanon with Joe on 25/07. Admittedly, not the easiest day for birding in the forest, but we had gorgeous views on emerald-green leafbirds (two species) and red-billed magpies on the foothills and on a number of endemics around the summit area including a magnificent Himalayan Shortwing hopping through the leaf litter of the hauntingly beautiful swamp forest around the Ang Ka trail. Many thanks to Joe for his knowledge, passion and hospitality ! Would definitely go again.

Joe was an excellent guide who new all the right places to stop to see and identify many species. One nice stop was the Karen village, the Wachirathan waterfall was a bonus,one of the best I have seen! The excellent day was topped off with an excellent lunch of a local dish Khao Soi.

We had an amazing time with Joe! Joe picked us up at our accommodation, and we had breakfast before heading to Doi Inthanon for birdwatching. We also had delicious khao soi for lunch. Highly recommend this tour as Joe is very friendly and knowledgeable. Even though it was raining, we were still able to spot some endemic birds and have a great time. It's also great to support a locally-owned business!

Joe was great! Super knowledgeable about the local birds and knew where to go. He focused on the local experience which we greatly appreciated. If you want to see birds, definitely do it with Joe!

This was a great tour. Joe was so knowledgeable, friendly, and kind. We learned a lot about birds and saw many species. We had a nice lunch on the way back. I would highly recommend if you want to see birds!

We had a wonderful day with Joe! He’s extremely knowledgeable after working in the area for over 20y. The day was very pleasant and very well organised AND i got to photograph more than 15 species unknown in europe. I had not enough time to take pics of everything - that’s how rich the park is! don’t second guess it, go!

We had a great day out with Joe, who was very knowledgeable about the birds we saw and knew which habitats to find them in. He accommodated us being vegan and even brought home made fruit snacks, which was very kind. We saw some rare endemic birds and were very lucky on the day. I would highly recommend this trip to anyone with an interest in birds. It was refreshing to get out of the city too for some tranquility.

Doi Inthanon is a very nice place to see birds and a nice getaway from Chiang Mai. Do not forget to bring a warmer vest as it can get cold at the top (7degrees of C when we were there). Itinary as in earlier posts. We especially loved the first stop at the Karen village, where we saw a variety of birds and could als0 enjoy local coffee! Thanks Joe!

Birdwatching at Don Iathanon. Joe was an experienced guide. Flexible in itinerary when we wanted to see the waterfall. Good lunch provided.

We started at 5:30 a.m. when Joe picked us up at the hotel. After a one hour drive we had breakfast at a gas station near the national park. After that we drove to a village in the national park where we did one hour of bird watching. The next stop was at the road side which was a bit noisy but we saw some birds as they like that area and it's pretty open near the road. After that we went to the top of the mountain where we saw the Green-tailed Sunbird. We did one other spot in the forest as well. After that we drove for lunch in a local restaurant which was very nice. We returned to the hotel at 2:30p.m. Although we didn't have the best luck with many species, but still had a great time with Joe who knew the species and always showed us the birds in his book afterwards as well. Birds we saw (plus some other common species): Small Nintava, Spectacled Barwing, Flavenscent Bulbul, Verditer Flycatcher, Scarlet Minivet, Black-crested Bulbul, Ashy Drongo, Mountain Bulbul, Large Woodshrike, Bar-throated Minla, Dark-back Sibia, Green- tailed Sunbird

Our day birdwatching with Joe on Doi Inthanon was one of the highlights of our Thailand trip. We are casual birdwatchers rather than experts and Joe gave us a great experience. As well as spotting some gorgeous birds we visited a fascinating Karen village, did a lovely walk at the summit and learned a lot about life in Thailand from Joe who is a very interesting fellow. It was great to support a locally owned business. The day was well organised. Joe lent my husband binoculars and provided breakfast, locally grown and brewed coffee and a delicious lunch at a local Khao soi restaurant.

We had a great day with Joe! It was an early morning but very relaxed. We went to 4 stops in the National Park and Joe knows where all the cool birds are and where to spot them. He also knows a lot about them. It was very nice just walking in nature and listening to all the birds. Would recommend if you like birding and a relaxed day!!!!

Thanks to Joe for taking us up into Doi Inthanon for a birding trip. He provided both os us with binoculars which was obviously crucial. With the Merlin bird long app not really working in Thailand, Joe’s knowledge of birds in the region was key! We identified 20 birds on the tour. And he was gracious enough to add the temples at the top into the tour for us which were breathtaking. The actual tour consisted of 3 locations. One at the beginning of the road, which wasn’t much to look at but definitely gave good views for birds. The second was halfway up the mountain in slightly more jungle environment. And the 3rd was on the nature walk at the top of Doi Inthanon. Don’t expect to be hiking around Doi Inthanon as 2 of the spots are just off the road. But DO expect for Joe to help you find beautiful birds of the area.

A very professional and enthusiastic guide. Joe picked us up early morning and took us to the Doi Inthanon national park. Stopping enroute at some birding spots. Not the most glamorous of sites, but Joe knew where to find the birds. Numerous sightings were spotted plus some endemic species also. Visited the summit, take a coat it gets cold early morning, then back for a fine lunch at a local restaurant. If you like birding choose GoWithJo.

Had a wonderful morning birding with Joe along the road up Doi Inthanon. He is very knowledgeable about the best locations (and times) for finding birds and has a keen eye for spotting them. He was very accommodating and understanding, as my travel partner was unable to fully participate as hoped but content to rest in the car at most stops.

Had a great day’s birding with Joe, A very knowledgeable guide who knew the best locations on the mountain to see a good selection of birds, Highly recommended.

I had a great time with Joe. He speaks excellent English and is clearly passionate about birds. We saw a variety of birds; many of which are unique to the area. We also had a good breakfast on the way up and a great lunch on the way back. I highly recommend this trip with Joe.

Wonderful day with Joe! It was well organized and full, but not rushed. We saw lots of birds in 4 locations, including at a large waterfall, with ample time to hear, see, and enjoy. We had sunrise at breakfast, local coffee on the mountain, and a delicious khao soi lunch before heading back to Chiang Mai. Joe is very easy to talk with , quite knowledgeable and his English is great. It was truly a lovely low-key beautiful day for all 4 of us.

We had a great time. Joe was warm, friendly, and knowledgeable about the birds and locations. He packed a light breakfast for us, which we ate on the way to Doi Inthanon. He picked us up at 5:30am at our hotel in his private car. He mentioned that he picks people up at 5am when the sun rises earlier. We visited 5 locations in the park at different altitudes and identified 30 bird species overall. Two of the locations were on the side of the road, which was a bit busy for my taste, but the other three locations were really nice - along a river, in a viillage, and on a boardwalk near the summit. We appreciated that the tour felt like a holistic tour of Doi Inthanon, including some local coffee and a visit to the top of the mountain, in addition to the birding. Joe has 5 years of birding experience and knew most of the birds that we saw. I would recommend this experience especially for intermediate birders.

Joe is knowledgeable of the region and birds within the area. He certainly knows the best spots to see a range of unique local birdlife. He's also good company for a morning's hike. Good for beginner's and people who enjoy the outdoors.

Mr. Joe is a formidable person. He is a nature lover and professional. We loved taking the tour with him. We recommend 100%

Joe was great! He was very knowledgeable about local birds and location of different species in the park. We loved the stop at the mountainside village where we tasted local coffee. Overall we saw over 20 different birds on the trip. Thanks for a great day!

We signed up this birding adventure with Joe. From the moment we met Joe at the hotel lobby till end of trip, we were very impressed with Joe's hospitality and his arrangement of the birding itinerary. We spotted 30+ birds and most of them are endemic in Doi Inthanon. He was as excited as we were, searching and spotting them for us. In his itinerary, there were 5 stops starting from the base of Doi Inthanon and working our way up to the submit, which was the highlight of the entire trip, where we spotted most of the star birds of Doi Inthanon. We were expecting and worried that Joe's transport to be the typical red-top pickup truck since it was about 2 hours drive to destination but was pleasantly surprised to see Joe came to our lobby with a fully air conditioned mini van. (Please refer to attached photo). I highly recommend to Go with Joe if you are in Doi Inthanon and wanted to see birds of Doi Inthanon.

I was a little nervous since it was my first time in a place, but the guide was very familiar with it so I felt at ease. I thought he really knew birds because of how quickly he found targets and how accurate his identification was. 初めての場所で不安がありましたが、とても慣れているガイドなので安心でした。 目標を見つける早さと、同定が正確なので、本当に鳥に詳しいと思いました。

The views driving up the highest mountain in Thailand were amazing and we were happy to go early with Joe to beat the crowds. We had an opportunity to talk with Joe, who has excellent English, about my sore knee. So he adjusted our tour to bird watch along the roadside to avoid the steep trails. Like Thai locals, we had thick jackets and hats to enjoy the coolest place in Thailand and we were delighted to spot two rare birds on the mountain top.

My wife and I had a fantastic birdwatching tour with Joe, a local thai birdwatcher who knows of great spots to view various species of birds! On our tour, we saw Gray Wagtails, beautiful orange and yellow Minivets, Blue Whistling-Thrush, Green billed Malkoha, Black-backed Sibia, Yellow cheeked Tit, the cute and tiny Slaty-bellied Tesia, beautiful Green-tailed Sunbirds, and also heard the calls of a great Barbet but unfortunately couldn't spot this amazing bird. Joe was gracious in accommodating our requests and treated us very well. I would book again in a heartbeat! Thank you Joe!

Joe's expertise and enthusiasm contributed to the outcome of the trip. I appreciated him knowing the "off the beaten path" trails. The experience at the summit was amazing. With the exception of one bird, he produced the promised specialties. The lunch he arranged was delicious.

We had a lovely day birdwatching on Thailand's tallest mountain with Joe! Right from the start, it was clear that he shared our love and enthusiasm for birding and the outdoors. He told us all about the birds we might see on the mountain and he knew where to stop and look for them. Although it rained heavily and fog covered the summit views, we were still able to see gorgeous scarlet minivets in a hillside village, adorable yellow-bellied fairy-fantails in a moss-covered forest and beautiful green-tailed sunbirds. He also stopped to get us traditional coffee and a delicious Khao Soi lunch. After the tour, my husband realised that he had forgotten his sunglasses in Joe's van and Joe very kindly dropped them off at our hotel the next morning, which we really appreciated.

What an excellent day!! Joe was great, built the day around us, drove us in a private vehicle and we saw a fair number of birds as well. Joe liaised with us, prior to the day, to agree a departure time based upon sun rise. He was prompt and drove us 90 minutes before stopping at some services outside of the park to await sunrise. We started at 05:30 and made a total of 5 stops (some of them seemed a bit strange at first but they were great for the best chance of seeing birds). The second stop was at a small, friendly Karen village and our last stop was at the highest point in Thailand. Breakfast was provided at 09:00. We had croissant, yogurt, fresh fruit and juice. Lunch was provided on the way back into Chiang Mai, in a local restaurant on the outskirts of the city. There were no tourists in sight and the food was pretty good. Joe seems to really enjoy what he does, is a photography enthusiast, and really tries to get you the best views of everything. In addition he also offered to take us to a silk factory, a precious stone and lacquer work shop. All I can say is 'Go with Joe'.

I had an excellent trip to Doi Inthanon with Joe. It was helpful to have a knowledgeable local guide who could take me to high-yield locations and help in identification. The birding experience ended close to 12:00 PM, but the trip concluded with a nice lunch at a restaurant on the mountain. It seemed like a lot of other tours stopped at this same location for lunch. Because of the early morning start, breakfast was just a stop at a 7-Eleven. I would definitely recommend booking with Joe for birding near Chiang Mai.

The minute you meet Joe, his passion for birding will be immediately palpable. He carefully curates the locations he takes you to for the best chance to spot noteworthy birds at Doi Inthanon, and shares in your excitement when there are rare encounters. He is truly an invaluable guide for helping one navigate the otherwise overwhelming and intimidating foggy peaks of this wonderful location. Highly recommended for both serious and casual birders!

We enjoyed a wonderful day of bird watching with Joe. Everything was very well arranged. Nicely picked up at our hotel, we even got breakfast, very nice and expert guide, beautiful surroundings, we had a fantastic day with Joe and saw a lot of different species of birds, also some unique ones. This tour at GowithJo Travel is definitely recommended!

My wife and I had a great day birding on Doi Inthanon with Joe. Saw many great species, visited the summit and a few other trails and spots. Joe was a friendly, interesting and knowledgeable guide. We stopped off for a great meal to top the trip off nicely. Many thanks, Mike.

Joe was a great guide and the birds in Doi Inthanon are wonderful to see. We were novice birders and Joe geared the trip accordingly. Walking was very easy so don't pay attention to the upper age limit (I'm way past it!). Be warned, it's cold up in the mountains!

Great trip, great guide, fantastic birds and scenery! Joe will get you to the top and put you on all the birding hot spots on Doi Inthanon!

Incredible experience. Joe is very kind and he is an ultra-competent guide. He is attentive to our requests and our questions. He knows an enormous amount about his region. Everything was absolutely perfect. We recommend without hesitation!!!

Very good tour with four stops and very bird. “GoWithJoe” is a knowledgeable and very nice guide. Please bring a good telephone on the first three stops, on the fourth at the top of the mountain were the beautiful sunbirds so close that a telephoto of 100-400 mm would have been perfect. I had one of those with me but it was still in the car! Had my 400 mm with 1.4 extender. Even when I removed the extender, the birds were too close.