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.
I vy můžete na farmu vyrazit, a dokonce zde nějakou dobu bydlet přímo v pralese, kde si můžete v naprostém klidu užívat zdejší přírodu. Nabízí tu totiž bydlení v krásných bungalovech. Jen musíte přijet ve správnou sezonu – ideální je listopad až začátek ledna. Pak už začíná sklizeň a na farmě mají plné ruce práce, takže by se vám nikdo nemohl věnovat.
Co vše tedy na farmě uvidíte? Po příjezdu do kavárny, kterou majitel farmy pan One postavil přímo na hlavní trase mezi městy Chiang Mai a Chiang Rai, ochutnáte skvělou kávu a následně se stařičkým terénním autem vydáte do hor. Asfalt po chvíli vystřídají betonové panely a pak i ty zmizí.
Prudkým stoupáním vjedete do horské džungle – kávovníky odrůdy arabica se totiž dají pěstovat ve stínu stromů. I to je jeden z důvodů, proč se pan One rozhodl začít kávu pěstovat. „Mohl jsem tu vysázet jabloně, liči nebo ananasy. Jenže to bych musel nechat vykácet prales. Chci, aby tu dál rostly velké stromy, příroda je potřebuje. A s kávou je to možné,” řekl mi po cestě. Po chvíli zastavil a dodal: „Poslouchejte. Slyšíte ty ptáky? Vidíte motýly, co létají kolem? Kdybych se rozhodl les pokácet a používat tu umělá hnojiva a chemické postřiky, bylo by tu ticho. Mrtvé ticho.”
Na celé farmě roste asi sto tisíc kávovníků, každý z nich ale vyprodukuje jen malé množství červených kávových třešní, které je pak potřeba ručně sbírat. Dovedete si představit, kolik je to práce? Nine One navíc na rozdíl od běžných komerčních farem nepoužívá žádná chemická hnojiva ani postřiky.
To, co známe jako kávu, jsou vlastně pražená semena kávovníku – v každé třešni najdete dvě. Na farmě ale můžete ochutnat i samotnou třešeň, dužina i slupka se totiž dají jíst.
Po krátké procházce džunglí popojedete k vodnímu mlýnu, kde kávu zpracovávají. Je potřeba odstranit nezralé třešně, oddělit slupky od kávových zrn, roztřídit zrna podle velikosti a následně je na slunci usušit. Část sklizně se suší přímo se slupkami a zrnka se pak oddělují a čistí až po usušení.
Rádi vám tu také vysvětlí, jaký je rozdíl mezi jednotlivými odrůdami kávy, jejím zpracováním a hlavně co všechno má vliv na výslednou chuť. Pokud vás káva alespoň trochu zajímá – a věřím, že ji pijete téměř všichni – vyrazte. Nejen, že si rozšíříte obzory, ale zároveň strávíte den v nádherné přírodě a můžete výlet spojit s cestou do okolních hor.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.