 Northern Thailand has about 28,000 hectares of Tea Plantations.
While not as picturesque as other tea countries we have visited in places like Sri Lanka and Malaysia’s Cameron Highlands, it was still a pleasant hike walking through the terraces of this Northern Thai village.
Meeting Locals of Doi Mae Salong
We came across a Hill Tribe Village where the eldest grandmother loved to have her picture taken. When we saw us coming, she grabbed her pipe, sat down on a bench, and gave us a big smile.
Our guide Scott of Smiling Albino told us that he has visited this village before and gave her a copy of a photo once. She has loved getting her picture taken ever since and looks forward to her visits from the Smiling Albino groups. We promised to send Scott a copy of the photo so that he can give it to here the next time he goes through.
It was a very pleasant visit even though none of us could communicate with each other. Even Scott who speaks Fluent Thai couldn’t break through the language barrier as this tribe only spoke Akha. Read more: 35 Amazing Things to Do in Thailand
But we exchanged smiles and laughter as the whole family came out to say hello. It is definitely one of the few Hill Tribe Villages of Thailand that haven’t seen an onslaught of tourists pass through yet. They were genuinely happy for the visit and we were very grateful for the honour of being allowed to sit with them for a few minutes.
Walking Through the Tea Terraces of Thailand
The walk through the farmland and tea terraces took us about 3 hours and ended with a couple of ice cold Chang Beers on the terrace of our hotel room. As the sun went down we made our way to the dining room where we continued with a bottle of wine and some delicious Chinese/Thai fusion dishes. It was indeed, a very good day.
- Where to Stay in Bangkok – A Guide to the Best Neighborhoods
- The Importance of Responsible Tourism in Thailand
- 9 Massively Tasty Thai Dishes
- 20 of the Best Things to do in Koh Samui, Thailand
- Best Things to do in Phuket, Thailand
- Best Things to do in Krabi, Thailand
- A Visit to an Elephant Sanctuary in Chiang Mai