Baan Sapan: a tranquil northern vaccine for lockdown fever

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Baan Sapan: a tranquil northern vaccine for lockdown fever

By Thanachai Sangchan
Special to The Nation

 

 

Caged like tigers in our homes for months, many of us are craving wide open spaces and natural surroundings. One powerful cure for lockdown fever is Baan Sapan in Nan province, a small village nestled in a forested northern valley of pure air and pristine rivers.

 

This area was once carpeted in cornfields, which damaged the ecosystem and sucked up natural resources. But the village has now turned to homestay-style tourism as a sustainable way of earning money, supplementing farming revenue while keeping its fascinating traditions alive.

 

The tranquil and secluded atmosphere is perfect for reading a book, or just tuning yourself to the natural rhythms of trees and river. Choose to sleep in a tent under the stars beside the river, and you will be sung to sleep by the wind and the splash of water on stones. Next thing you know, sunlight and the smell of coffee will be poking you out of your slumber.

 

There are more places to stay in the foothills, where the valley views are truly spectacular.

 

Buncha Ruenmanee, manager of the Baan Sapan Retreat, says the vistas are most beautiful in February, when the black sky is strewn with bright stars and visitors wake to the sight of mountains poking from blankets of mist.

 

Between May and June, the valley is dyed bright green as the rainy season arrives in Thailand.

 

Amid this serene atmosphere, the village comes to life each morning on traditions that are centuries old. Locals gather at the market to choose meat, vegetables and fruit that traders bring in from the city. The shopping expedition is also a chance to swap the latest village gossip, which brings smiles and laughter all round.

 

This friendliness is a rare sight in Bangkok and other big cities, and the locals are generous enough to share it with travellers and passersby.

 

Villagers here see nature as the most important thing in their lives, while money is only secondary. The small tourism industry in the village allows new-generation residents to maintain that age-old harmony by staying in the village instead of leaving to work in a big city.

 

Methawat Bhuddhathadakul, the chief of Dong Phaya sub-district where Baan Sapan is located, says whole valleys in Nan province have been stripped of trees to make way for maize fields. An estimated 900,000 rai of forests had been felled for maize cultivation in 2010, but that destruction has accelerated in the past 10 years.

 

This commercial agriculture has taken a severe toll on natural resources. In the rainy season, soil once stabilised by tree roots is now being washed away into rivers and streams. In summer, forest fires shroud the valleys in a smog that chokes villagers and maize growers alike.

 

Locals are now collaborating with the government to solve these problems.

 

“The destruction of nature is not an individual problem but a problem for everyone,” said Methawat. “We must preserve the precious resources that nature gives us, so we can pass them on to our future generations.”

 

For those inspired to travel by this column, please don’t forget to stay on your guard against the Covid-19 virus.

 

Source: https://www.nationthailand.com/travel/30389658?utm_source=category&utm_medium=internal_referral

 

-- © Copyright The Nation Thailand 2020-06-15

 

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