Nestle into nature in the land of Arabica Coffee Teen Tok Royal Project Development Center
A small district in the outbound of the famous Chiang Mai with about 40 km distant from the city town. Teen Tok Royal Project Development Center is a landmark that we mentioned above is a favorite natural attraction in Chiang Mai that has become popular among the travelers who yearn for the location with the pure beauty of nature.
Teen Tok Royal Project Development Center is another developed site resulted from graciousness and vision of HM belated King Rama IX. The project situates over the land with approximately 700 – 1,200 m above the sea level resulted in the site is the pleasant atmosphere with sweet air and fresh, gentle stream run through the area all year round. The average temperature at the place is 23 degree Celsius.
A highlight of Teen Tok Royal Project Development Center is to nestle in the bed of nature surrounded with the greenish forest and cool gentle breeze. The cottage style accommodation at the site is available with the price starts from THB1,500. Furthermore, there is plentiful of the tourist attractions that are not far from the royal project base, i.e., Fermented Tea Plantation, Arabica Coffee Plantation, Experience slow life at Mae Kam Pong Village, Shop seasonal vegetables and fruits fresh from the farm, and more. So, don’t you think this is enough to lure many tourists to visit this rustic, charming place?
Background of Teen Tok Royal Project Development Center
Teen Tok Royal Project locates in Amphoe Mae On, Chiang Mai which the site established in 1981 by King Bhumiphol (Rama IX). The king donated his personal found about THB300,000 to found a development center at Teen Tok Village to serve as the development and demonstration center with the goal to be the learning center of mushroom cultivation and Arabica coffee plantation. It is a part of the development project to initiate and promote part-time job for the dwellers besides the fermented tea leave planting.
The land of Arabica Coffee that the coffee lover must not miss!
Fragrant aroma and intense body of a cup of fresh brewed Arabica coffee are a perfect definitely of “the Royal Project Coffee” that renowned in its taste. Besides a good selection of the coffee beans to roast and brew to serve the visitors of the royal project. The place also allows the tourist to stroll around the plantation of Arabica coffee that plants under the shady trees, including the process of harvest and processing until getting the finest coffee to the end customers.
Teen Tok Royal Project restaurant:
Apart from the most excellent coffee, inside the property of Teen Tok Royal Project has a restaurant with the nature-friendly design. The dining room decorated with the various shape of the stone wall that is very eye-catching to the visitors. The restaurant serves a broad array of delicious menus that are all cook from fresh and hygienic ingredients that are seasonal productivity from the local farm. And for anyone that is health concern you can enjoy your meal with a diverse kind of fresh green and fruits that the chef creates to the variety of delectable dishes.
After enjoying with the nice meal that is both delicious and healthy, then you can walk to the opposite side of the restaurant that is the greenhouse of potted plants. Lots of rare species of plant that you can find here such as Lady Slipper Orchid, Phalaenopsis, Cymbidium, Bromeliad, and kinds of ferns, for example.
Demonstration Farms:
Moreover, there are many demonstration farms of the winter plants that is very exciting to see like Vanilla, Fancy cherry tomato on the vine, various species of the mushroom greenhouse, and more. And if you come to visit the place during the winter, you might spot the Blooming Himalaya Cherry Blossom, too.
The surrounding area of Teen Tok Royal Project is vigorous with diverse species of plants which is an ideal place for the nature trail. Cutting through the natural space along the water stream with the melody of bird’s song is such a delightful moment to die for.
In case you still have time, there are 3 options for you to continue your trip here. First, you can go to the herb garden which is created by the folk wisdom of Mae Kam Pong Village with about 3 km from Teen Tok Royal Project. Mae Kam Pong Village is a perfect site to see the rustic way of life and traditional culture of the local that is also considered to be the ecotourism destination, too.
Interesting Adventure:
Otherwise, for one who seeks for something called “adventure” you can find here, as well. The adventure activity “Fight Gibbon” playing like a gibbon that swings and hung over the trees in the deep forest. Then, you can go to enjoy with the splash at a 7-tier Mae Kam Pong Waterfall. Alternatively, the Buddhist temple in the middle of the water titled “Wat Kantaruksa” and explore the making of tea leave pillow is also a good idea.
Reasons that you should not miss “Teen Tok Royal Project.”
Beautiful scenery with good food and safe
The cottage and restaurant in Teen Tok Royal Project nestle in the greenish forest with a stream running pass in front of the building. The restaurant here serves only safe and free from the chemical that planted in the royal project and bring to cook in various delicious menus for the visitors to taste. To enjoy the moment there, we suggest you forget about the same old way of the local food that you might think it would be so simple. But it is not something offered here, at Teen Tok Royal Project serves you with an array of creative menus that have not come with the taste only but it looks really aesthetic.
Not far from many tourist attractions
Around the area of Teen Tok Royal Project are many tourist attractions that you can enjoy such as “Muaeng On Cave” that the local people believe that the place is where Naga serpent lived resulted in the site is very worshipful among the residents. Otherwise, the well-known coffee shop that locates over the gigantic tree called “Giant” that becomes one of the most famous check-in spots of the tourists who come to visit Chiang Mai, recently.
Experience the rustic life of the villagers around the royal project site
Numbers of the small wood house that line orderly with lovely traditional decoration are waiting to welcome the guest from other lands. Whether little shops or a hip coffee shop of the community “Chom Nok Chom Mai” that you can have a seat and indulge in the top view landscape while sipping an aromatic fresh brew coffee before you continue your journey to other sightseeing. Chom Nok Chom Mai is a lovely café’ serves coffee, tea, and homemade bakery which is a very famous spot in Ban Mae Kam Pong. There is plenty enough chill out corners at the café’ with a relaxing and beautiful landscape. Plus, the shop also offers homestay style accommodation, as well.
Mae Kam Pong Village:
About “Mae Kam Pong Village” home of the rustic way of life that is a very charming experience for the tourist to touch for once. Mae Kam Pong Village situates just only 7 km from Teen Tok Royal Project Development Center with a convenient route to access. Although the road is quite narrow, it is good condition with tar and concrete. Mae Kam Pong Village is well-known among the tourists as “homestay tourism destination” with the abundant nature, a water stream runs through the community, and lush forest resulted in the climate here is pleasant all through the year. Mae Kam Pong is accepted as the tourist attraction that still maintains its pure beauty of nature and rustic way of life of the community that is the remarkable charm to lure lots of visitors to come here and fall in love to this lovely hidden gem in the mountain.
The picture of numerous wooden houses stands among the towering trees once we access the village terrain. Some open as the homestay guesthouse that you can notice from the name tag hung in front of the house. Mae Kam Pong is plentiful in its tourism resource that one of the top ranks should not miss “Mae Kam Pong Waterfall” which locates on the way to go to Chae Son National Park in Lampang Province.
Mae Kam Pong Waterfall:
Mae Kam Pong Waterfall is a 7-tier fall with bright and fresh water. The place mainly is covered with numerous ferns and moss which serves as the source of water to produce the tap water that created by the dwellers of Mae Kam Pong Village. Even though it is just a little cascade without any exciting thing but the environment surrounding the fall is pretty and relax enough to take some breath and immerse to the pure beauty like this. And on the way to walk back from Mae Kam Pong Waterfall, you will pass Chom Nok Chom Mai café’ that you can stop by to grab some coffee and snack.
Wat Mae Kam Pong:
Next place that is not less attractive is Wat Kantaruksa or locally called “Wat Mae Kam Pong”. The temple is an only Buddhist holy site at Mae Kam Pong Village that established at the same time of the community settlement. The temple features the Lanna architecture of an old Vihara that its whole structure made from wood. The pediment of the roof is engraved timber in the delicate traditional northern style of art. A highlight of the temple is its Ubosot (ordination hall) that situates in the middle of water environed by greenish plants and trees.
Beside Wat Mae Kam Pong is the local shops to sell the products and handicrafts. The famous item of Mae Kam Pong is “Tea Leaves Pillow” with its benefit of anti-bacteria, equilibration to the body, absorb staleness from cigarette and any other smell. The fragrance of the tea leaves also can decrease the stress and make you relax and refresh. When the fragrance of the tea leaves gone just dry it in the sun to recover the aroma. So, it such an “IT” item that you should not miss with its incredible benefits and of course it is not expensive, too.
Ban Him Huay:
Another attractive place at Mae Kam Pong Village that we would like to introduce to you is “Ban Him Huay” coffee shop runs by a lovely couple “Uncle Pood and Auntie Peng”. Stands next to the main street leading to the village, Ban Him Huay is a cute café with lots of relaxing corner for you to chill down and capture some photos to post on your IG. Definitely, the café’ provides many tasty drinks and food with delight atmosphere of nature and water stream; also, the place offers the homestay accommodation, too.
Natural Spa and Soft-Boiled Egg
Not far from Teen Tok Royal Project is a renowned hot spring site “San Kam Paeng Hot Spring” a must not miss location for the healthy concern travelers. As known in general regarding its benefits to motivate the blood circulation, muscle and tissue remedy, and rejuvenate to the body, thence anyone who yearns for somewhere to pamper yourself San Kam Paeng Hot Spring is not so bad for you to check-in. Otherwise, you can find something to have fun by making the soft-boiled egg in the hot spring that would make your day as well.
The royal project to aid and promote the life of local people
The belated king of Thailand, King Bhumiphol initiated the development plan to introduce and encourage the dwellers to plant coffee and other potential plants such as Arabica coffee that is the famous coffee globally or White Jelly Mushroom and Vanilla, a flavoring species derived from orchids that are becoming the commercial plant in the future.
Summarily, anyone who has a chance to visit here would fall in love to the unique charm of the place hidden in the rolling mountain range surrounding with the greenish tea plantation. The area that is home of the four villages have resided for over a century. Imagine you in the early morning to witness the first dawn of the day with the scene of the farmers are picking the tip of the tea, it is such a delightful moment, isn’t it?
Checklist of the must-not-miss when visiting Teen Tok Royal Project
- Wat Khantapruksa (Wat Mae Kam Pong), explore the classic architecture of Lanna and a charismatic Ubosot in the water.
- Ban Mae Kam Pong, a famous village as “homestay destination”. You will experience the rustic way of life and local traditions and culture of the residents closely.
- Flight of the Gibbon, exciting activity on the 5-km zip-line that is considered as “the longest zip-line in Asia”.
- Sip the best cup of espresso coffee at the Royal Project Café’.
- Nature trail to visit the 7 levels waterfall at Mae Kam Pong Waterfall.
- Agritourism at coffee and fermented tea plantation that the royal project promoted the local farmers to grow. Besides, there are the various kinds of demonstration farming such as winter plants and potted plants – Begonia, Orchids, Lipstick Vine, Flamingo Flower, Bag Flower, Purple Woodsorrel, and Vanilla. You can visit, taste, shop, and take pictures of the plants here. The plants in the farm are rotating by season all year round.
- Cultural Tourism by the discovery the simple life of Mae Kam Pong villagers which features you the folk wisdom in the making traditional fermented tea leaf, native performing art, and “Baai Sri Su Kwan” the Thai traditional blessing ceremony, for example.
- Delight in the natural attraction at Doi Mon Lan Viewpoint that the location is the verdant forest with plenty of Agarwood, Wild Orchids, and Wild Himalaya Cherry that will blossom in the winter.
Transportation to Teen Tok Royal Project
There are optional to go to Teen Tok Royal Project Development Center which are;
Route 1: (Curvy road up to the mountain)
From Chiang Mai town, drives on the road number 118 which heads to Chiang Rai. And when you arrive at the 27th km makes the right turn and drives pass Ban Pong Kum and Ban Mae Tao Din until you meet the intersection to enter Ban Tarn Thong. Then, you turn left and heads to Teen Tok Royal Project with about 43 km in total.
Route 2: (Straightway)
From the town of Chiang Mai, drives on the highway route Don Chan – Mae On and passes San Kam Paeng Hot Spring. Then, you drive more about 14 km with the total distance is 55 km. The route is accessible for any kinds of the vehicle (there is no any public transportation service to the destination). The road is paved and convenient to travel throughout the year; also, it is the way to go to Chae Son National Park in Lampang province, too.
