The climate in the mountains in the north of Thailand is very different to the south of the country. Mountains usually rise as high as 1500 meters. Temperatures can easily drop below 10 degrees Celsius in winter. That's why strawberries are grown here, for instance. The mountain climate is great for high-quality arabica coffee as well. About 50 kilometers from Chiang Mai town, there is a coffee plantation I went to visit. It was there where I finally realized how much work is behind one simple cup of coffee.
You too can go to the farm and even live in the forest for a while, where you can enjoy the nature in complete peace. It offers accommodation in beautiful bungalows. You just have to arrive in the right season - November to early January is ideal. Then the harvest starts and the farm is busy, so there's no one to keep you busy.
So what will you see on the farm? After arriving at the café, which the owner of the farm Mr. One has built right on the main route between Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai, you will taste great coffee and then head into the mountains in an old off-road car. After a while the asphalt is replaced by concrete panels and then they too disappear.
A steep climb takes you into the mountain jungle - the arabica coffee trees can be grown in the shade of the trees. That's one of the reasons Mr One decided to start growing coffee. "I could have planted apple trees, lychees or pineapples. But then I'd have to cut down the forest. I want big trees to keep growing here, nature needs them. And with coffee, it's possible," he told me on the way. After a while he stopped and added: "Listen. Can you hear the birds? Do you see the butterflies flying around? If I decided to cut down the forest and use artificial fertilizers and chemical sprays here, it would be quiet. Dead silence."
There are about 100,000 coffee trees on the entire farm, but each one produces only a small amount of red coffee cherries, which must then be hand-picked. Can you imagine how much work that is? Moreover, unlike conventional commercial farms, Nine One uses no chemical fertilizers or sprays.
What we know as coffee is actually the roasted seeds of the coffee tree - you'll find two in every cherry. But on the farm you can also taste the cherry itself, because the flesh and skin are edible.
After a short walk through the jungle, you'll drive to the water mill where the coffee is processed. You need to remove the unripe cherries, separate the skins from the coffee beans, sort the beans by size and then dry them in the sun. Part of the harvest is dried directly with the husks and the beans are then separated and cleaned after drying.
They will also be happy to explain the difference between the different varieties of coffee, its processing and, most importantly, what all affects the resulting taste. If you're at all interested in coffee - and I believe almost all of you are - go. Not only will you broaden your horizons, but you'll also spend a day in the beautiful countryside and you can combine the trip with a trip to the surrounding mountains.
Krabi province in south Thailand has been more and more popular. Ao Nang resort and Ko Phi Phi are its greatest attractions. They offer splendid sceneries around limestone cliffs, many great bars, restaurants, and nearby are beaches like Railay, Ko Poda, and Ko Hong which are among the most beautiful in all Thailand.
An ancient city in northern Thailand, the history of which dates back to 1296, was famous for its more than three hundred Buddhist temples. Wat Chedi Luang in the very center of the city is one of the most famous, oldest and most visited, so let's take a look at it together.
Even in case of Thailand, the Chinese influence is felt very present. But the town of Mae Salong was founded by the Chinese in the mountains in the north of the country in the 1960s. From the beginning, he was mainly opiate, but today, you have an ideal opportunity to look at tea plantations and taste great food from Yunnan Province in South China.
Most visitors to North Thailand visit only Chiang Mai and its surroundings. A bunch of daredevils go to Chiang Rai or Mae Hong Son, sometimes someone stops at Phayao. Few people, however, take a trip to the province of Nan at the border with Laos, yet there are countless places to find.
The Phu Hin Rong National Park is home to countless beautiful places. Among other things, the unique stone formations Lan Hin Taek and Lan Hin Pum. Many Thais come here for the unforgettable sunsets and exits of Phu Tubberk.
Approximately 450 kilometers north of Bangkok you will find several unique table mountains, most of which protect national parks. One of the most interesting is Phu Hin Rong Kla, predominantly in the Phitsanulok province. Here you will find the unique rock formations of Lan Hin Taek, to which we are now going together.
Approximately 400 kilometers north of Bangkok, you will find the once powerful and fabulous but long-deserted city of Sukhothai. In the 13th and 14th centuries it served as the center of the first major empire on the territory of today's Thailand and Laos. Even though it has been abandoned for more than 200 years, it still breathes old glory and is definitely something to admire. Let's take a look at it together.
As you may have already noticed in the past works of the Thai series, I went to places where strangers would really come across by chance. You have already seen that the entire region of northern Thailand along the Laos border has much to offer. The Provincial City of Phitsanulok serves not only as an excellent base for further trips, but is also one of the oldest in the country.
Let's end the latest series of articles and videos from near-uncharted by tourists parts of northern Thailand to end up in a region that surprised me most of all. In the vicinity of Loei and Phetchabun, you will find beautiful table mountains, beautiful jungles, waterfalls and amazingly nice and hospitable people.
Let's explore the other less known places of northern Thailand together. Mountains, lakes, jungles, sunken villages and excellent food. This time in the video and the story, we head south to Chiang Mai to the interesting sandstone formations and the Doi Tao Lake.
The north of Thailand consists, for the most part, of beautiful mountains that rise to over 2 000 meters above sea level. Here you will find waterfalls, karst caves, ethnic villages and secluded Buddhist temples. Let's now go together to the Chiang Dao National Park and at the same time to the 3rd highest mountain of Thailand.
Most of us, when we say Thailand, think of the famous Thai islands of Phuket and Samui. But have you ever heard of Koh Chang in eastern Thailand? Koh Chang is one of the largest islands in the Gulf of Thailand, located near the border with Cambodia. Not only is it full of white sandy beaches, but it also offers unique natural attractions. The shape of the island's promontory resembles an elephant's trunk, and it was the elephant's head that inspired its naming, even though the elephants did not originally live in the area.
Ang Khang is an astonishingly beautiful area in the mountains slightly over three hours of ride from Chiang Mai. Thousands upon thousands of visitors from Thailand travel here. We didn't meet any foreign tourists during the whole day. Villages where ethnic minorities live, a botanic garden, tea plantation, and amazing vistas are all worth the long journey.
80 kilometers north of Bangkok there is Ayutthaya, former capital of the Siam empire, today's Thailand. Many historic temples and palaces make it one of the most popular tourist destinations in the area. We take a peak at it today.
When I was arriving at the center of Krabi province I didn’t expect much. Guidebooks don’t mention it at all and it is rather an obligatory stop for many travelers while transporting to local islands or to nearby Ao Nang resort.
The capital of Thailand belongs to largest cities in southeast Asia as there live 8,3 million people. Cheap flight transportation makes it a natural place from where to start travels to the region including countries like Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, or Malaysia. In my opinion, too bad than many travelers spend there a day or two and move on.
When talking about Thailand many think of beaches with snow white sand and never ending party in Bangkok. Only handful visit the north of the country and if they usually don't go anywhere beyond the towns of Chiang Mai, and Chiang Rai. The entire north of the country has beautiful mountain ranges, wild nature, beautiful native villages, and best conditions for making a trip by bike. So let visit the northernmost national park in Thailand today - Doi Pha Hom Pok.
In the very north of Thailand, there is the town of Thaton laying on the River Kok. The river flows here from Burma. It flows at the edge of Doi Pha Hom Pok National Pakr. Then, between the mountains it runs to Chiang Rai, and then to the borderline with Laos where it flows into the Mekong. If you are one for some adventure, take a small boat from Chiang Rai to Thaton. The journey is great. It is an adventure which can continue in Doi Pha Hom Pok National Park.
Countless shrines, dozens narrow streets with beautiful old houses, luxurious hotels, museums, omnipresent food aromas, and the best coffee in Thailand. You will fall in love with Chiang Mai instantly. There are kind people, international atmosphere, and it is really clean in there.
When you say Chiang Mai people mostly think of Chinese lanterns, hundreds of them flying towards the full moon. I spend the better part of winter in this north Thai town. When I planned my journey there I didn’t hope for making it to see the festival. Eventually I made it. And it was the best experience of my life.