Wat Doi Ku Kham, or Temple of the Golden Mountain, is south of Chiang Mai and perched on a hill top. It is believed to have been founded in 687. The climb can be started in the forest below or you can drive or get a baht bus up. The forest path is shaded but at 1.5 kms long, you can expect to be dripping wet, whatever the season - then, there are the temple steps... My first essay in Thai language described the walk up from the bottom ​- new vocab for me included, 'sweat', 'mosquito bites' and 'bad mood'. My teacher got the drift. Photos here are from different days.

Left: Guaranteed, you will need a sit down if you have walked all the way up from the bottom.