A cool breeze in the morning (you may not feel that yet in Bangkok), betokening the beginnings of winter. And as the temperature drops, floral parks across the country spring up and are in full bloom. It's high time for us to reconnect with nature after spending a good chunk of this year being cooped up. Be ready to satiate your Instagram feed with nature pictures while supporting the locals at farmer's markets as Guru has listed seasonal botanic gardens and flowery routes that you could appreciate while they last.
I Love Flower Farm
Chiang Mai, Dec 24 to Apr 30, 2022
I Love Flower Farm ticks all the boxes for those looking for flowery scenery to step up their 'Gram game. With an allure of colourful flower rows orderly planted, every inch of the fields offers different moods and tones for IG moments. If the vivid flower rows are not satisfying enough, the farm also offers a couple of themed photo sets. Think of a long wooden table set decked out with tea party decorations, evoking the tea party scene from Alice's Adventures In Wonderland. The farm is noted for its imported flower plantation and last year they had different reddish shades of celosia on display.
(Photos: I Love Flower Farm)
However, the theme this year has not yet been announced but they told Guru: "It will be some flower varieties from Europe". The entrance fee is B90 per person for the flower landscape, though they are only open from Dec 24 until Apr 30, 2022, only. The farm has teamed up with Tethering Balloon Thailand to take your flower field tour to new heights for B900 for adults and B500 for children -- cheaper than a drone. Explore the farm and its surroundings with a hot air balloon ride. The balloon service will be available from Dec 25 to Jan 9, 2022.
I Love Flower Farm, Mae Rim district, Chiang Mai / Open daily from 9am-6pm / Visit bit.ly/3DwhxYf.
Manesorn Sunflower Field
Nakhon Ratchasima, until Jan 2022
"An endless sunflower field aligned with a lush green mountain backdrop" sums up your first view of Manesorn Sunflower Field. The farm catches all eyes with its vast fields of gold measuring around 500 rai and is in contrast to the surrounding arid grassland. Visiting Manesorn Sunflower Field is like entering a maze where you find landmarks and art installations hidden along each footpath. A wooden swing, windmills and cartoon sculptures, to name a few, await you to rediscover, or should I say, take selfies with. We recommend you visit the farm from 10am onwards when the sunflowers stand at attention, fully bloomed and begin their bold romance with the sun.
(Photo: Manesorn Sunflower Field)
Apart from going on a captivating photo-taking spree, there are also family-friendly farm activities. There is baby farm animal feeding, a farmer's market selling products made from sunflowers, as well as a souvenir shop. If you are lucky, you will find a flock of parrots pecking at sunflower seeds for brunch. Tickets for Manesorn Sunflower Field cost B20 for children, B40 for Thais and B80 for tourists.
Manesorn Sunflower Field, Pak Chong District, Nakhon Ratchasima / Open daily from 6am-6pm / Visit FB.com/manesornsunflower.
The Secret Garden at Kirimaya Khao Yai
Nakhon Ratchasima, until Jan 29, 2022
Nakhon Ratchasima is stealing the limelight from Chiang Mai this year to organise a winter flower festival since the annual flower festival of the North has been postponed. Khao Yai's long-standing hospitality group, Kirimaya, spruces up their backyard for "The Secret Garden", a botanical garden festival that will run until Jan 29, 2022. A gigantic bamboo dome with a zigzagging hallway set as a footbridge leads to a land of blooming beauty and it will be lit up with thousands of light bulbs at night encompassing the "Forest Of Illumination". As you set foot in the flower fields, you are sure to be stunned by the marvellous sight of colourful cosmos fields that stand out from their verdant green leaves and stems.
(Photo: Kirimaya Khao Yai)
Aside from the flowery fields that will have you going on a selfie spree, you can also enjoy the tranquil atmosphere at the Stone Garden, stone art installations or the dock by the lake. The fair also whips up various a la carte dishes like moo krata and barbecue sets with a salad bar buffet. The highlight is an open-air tavern by Within Khaoyai, which is also the bar behind The Stone Garden project, serving thirst-quenching cocktails inspired by the flower festival.
Kirimaya Khao Yai, Thanarat Road, Nakhon Ratchasima / Open daily from 7am-7pm / Visit FB.com/kirimayakhaoyaiofficial.
Faphathan Flora park
Nakhon Ratchasima, until Feb 28, 2022
Another seasonal farm that proves that Nakhon Ratchasima is in the flower power game is Faphathan Flora Park. Unlike other flower farms that deliver the well-arranged splendour of vivid flower fields, this farm stands out for its archipelago-like gardening style when looked at from above. Each island is adorned with a variety of flowering plants, blending colours of liveliness. Stunning flower lovers with purplish spiky bushes, this year's theme shines with shrubbery lavender gardens, which will fully bloom throughout December, alongside begonia and impatiens balsamina. Perhaps this is your chance to sniff actual lavender instead of the artificial fragrance from your fabric softener.
(Photos: Faphathan Flora Park)
A flowery tunnel connecting the entrance and the featured garden serves as another photogenic corner, while an indoor garden displays tropical plants like ferns and orchids. Lovebirds can get everyone green-eyed by sharing a romantic couple moment at the park's standalone wedding gate at the top of a layered hill representing a wedding cake with the flowery fields as a backdrop. There will also be a coffee shop for a caffeine and sugar fix, and a farmer's market selling Otop products from the local area. Faphathan Flora Park will be open for visits until Feb 28, 2022, with an entry fee of B50 per person.
Faphathan Flora Park, Wang Nam Khiao District, Nakhon Ratchasima / Open from 8am-6pm / Visit FB.com/FloraparkWNK.
Phu Lom Lo
Loei, from December to February 2022 (or until the flowers wither)
If you are planning a journey to experience "Japaneseness" in Thailand after reading our previous cover story "Nippon Express", give thought to Phu Lom Lo. Tucked away in the Phu Hin Rong Kla National Park, Phu Lom Lo is hailed as a "Thai sakura mountain", where the cascading valleys will be made appealing once a year by blooming wild Himalayan cherry trees. In season for only three months on the blooming calendar, starting from December to February is when you can enjoy Thai sakura viewing. Whether driving through the countryside, which is flanked by blooming wild Himalayan cherry trees or enjoying a night in campsites surrounded by the blooms and nature, Phu Lom Lo has got you covered. Pro Tip: Some of the routes are off-road, so we recommend hiring local transport services. The entry fees to Phu Hin Rong Kla National Park cost B20 for Thai adults, B10 for Thai kids, while foreigners pay B200 for adults and B100 for kids.
(Photo: Post Today)
Phu Lomlo, Kok Sathon, Dan Sai district, Loei / Visit FB.com/phulomlo.koksathon.
Bua Tong Field at Doi Mae-U-Kho
Mae Hong Son, until January 2022 (or until the flowers wither)
There is nowhere else in Mae Hong Son that bids each year a fond farewell as magnificently as the Bua Tong Fields at Doi Mae-U-Kho. This flowery hill is worth getting carsick from a ride that passes through almost 2,000 turns from Chiang Mai to Mae Hong Son. From mid-November to the end of December, the valleys of Doi Mae-U-Kho are covered with blooming Mexican sunflowers or dok bua tong, a sign that a new beginning is close at hand. The golden hills are reminiscent of dazzling fireworks when the blooms are ticked by gusts of wind. Along with the concrete steps to the top, you will find a couple of viewpoints that will expose you to ineffable panoramic mountainscape stretching along the horizon.
(Photo: maeuokor.go.th)
A refreshing, foggy morning with glistening dew reflecting in the soft winter sunlight -- is a depiction of the first thing you will see when you unzip your tent after spending a night in the park campsite, which costs B350 per tent. You can support the locals by getting yourself locally-made products such as homegrown coffee beans, Hmong apparel and accessories at stalls next to the information centre.
Doi Mae-U-Kho, Khun Yuam District, Mae Hong Son / Visit maeuokor.go.th.
The 8th Colour of Doi Tung
Chiang Rai, Dec 3 to Jan 30, 2022
As winter breeze sweeps through the grounds of the Doi Tung Development Project of Mae Fah Luang in Chiang Rai, visitors can enjoy the highest walking street in Thailand for the annual winter festival "The Colour Of Doi Tung". Organised by the Mae Fah Luang Foundation under Royal Patronage and ThaiBev, the festival returns for its eighth edition and will be run under the theme of "Forward To Nature". City-dwellers can embrace and reconnect with nature after being cooped up. Throughout December and January, from Dec 3, you can save your weekends and public holidays for this family-friendly festival where everyone will get to enjoy eating and shopping while appreciating the rich culture and nature of the North.
(Photo: Doi Tung)
Expect stalls selling traditional ethnic cuisines, organic fruits and veggies, hilltribe fashion and handicrafts and more. The highlight is cutting-edge photo/video souvenirs that allow festival-goers to capture moments with AR (augmented reality) technology. There will also be farmer's market and hilltribe dance performances, and the Doi Tung Royal Villa and Mae Fah Luang Garden, the beloved northern retreat of the late Princess Mother. Its garden path features various winter flowers, connecting to a courtyard decorated with ornamental rocks, running streams and ponds.
Doi Tung Development Project, Mae Fah Luang, Chiang Rai / Open from 8am-6pm / Visit FB.com/DoiTungClub.
