Thailand is renowned for its variety and quality of orchids, and the Mae Sa Valley, north of Chiang Mai, is the place to go to see their beauty at the source. At the Suan Bua Mae Sa Orchid Farm, visitors can see more than 50 varieties of orchids and wander through a live butterfly enclosure filled with colorful and fragrant tropical plants.
Dedicated to the artifacts of the Lanna Kingdom, the private Oub Kham Museum has a collection that features carved thrones, embroidered costumes, Buddha images, and antique jewelry.
Run by a nonprofit organization, the Hilltribe Museum contains a wealth of information on Thailand’s hill tribes and the issues that threaten their preservation. All of the major hill tribe cultures, including Karen, Akha, and Hmong, are represented by information panels and artifacts.
Deepen your understanding of northern Thailand’s diverse hill tribe cultures at the Highland People Discovery Museum, formerly Chiang Mai Tribal Museum. The ethnographic exhibition showcases the costumes and tools of the region’s nine hill tribe groups. Outside among the tropical gardens, you’ll also find examples of traditional dwellings.
An organic tea estate in the hills outside Chiang Mai, Araksa Tea Garden produces award-winning teas on the site of one of Thailand’s first tea farms. The range spans the gamut from white and black brews to floral and herbal varieties. The garden hosts an on-site tea house with a shop, and offers tours and tea workshops.
The Thai organization Elephant Parade draws attention to the plight of the Asian elephant by exhibiting brightly painted elephant statues in international cities. At Elephant Parade House in Chiang Mai, visitors can admire sculptures painted by artists and celebrities and buy souvenirs to help save these endangered animals.
One of a wave of 3-D galleries that’s taken southeast Asia by storm, Country of Arts 3D Gallery occupies three stories in downtown Ubon Ratchathani. Visit to take a wealth of pictures against backdrops, often utilizing props, for hilarious trick-eye photos.
Translated from the Thai as “temple with no top,” this Buddhist structure got its name when the golden stupa that used to top it was removed more than a hundred years ago. The lush gardens and babbling river surrounding the off-the-beaten-path temple are ideal for meditation.
On the outskirts of Chiang Rai, Akha Hill House is a guesthouse in the hill tribe village of Akha. Though the bungalows are made from natural materials such as mud and bamboo, they still offer creature comforts such as hot showers, fans, and Wi-Fi.
The quiet town of Lamphun offers travelers a charming escape from the busier streets of Chiang Mai. Shallow moats and the peaceful River Kuang border the provincial capital, where local longan fruits are said to be the sweetest in the country; each August the town comes to celebrate its harvest during the annual Lam Yai festival.
The Queen Sirikit Botanic Garden conducts research to conserve Thailand’s extensive natural plant resources. Visitors can walk through an indoor southern Thai forest, see the country’s largest public display of orchids (more than 400 species), and stroll footpaths past azaleas, rhododendrons, and many other flowering plants.
Set amid the hills and rice paddies of Northern Thailand, the village of Baan Thong Luang is home to four hill tribe groups including the Karen tribe, known for wearing brass rings designed to elongate their necks. The village was established as a cultural preservation project in 2005 to help maintain the traditions of ancient hill tribes.
