Coffee plantation visits within a couple of hours of Chiang Mai

[properjob]

We'd like to visit one or two coffee plantations/coffee roasters in the hills around here. I'm aware of the one a few kilometres beyond Doi Sutep. Can anyone recommend other, interesting plantations that are open to visitors, within a couple of hours' drive of Chiang Mai?

[umbanda]

Doi Chang coffee plantation on Mae Suai is about 2 hours driving from Chiang Mai in the way to Chiang Rai. Also, can find some by the road to Puchifha Mountain.... but..if you like to make your trip more meaningful..come to Chiang Rai to visit Doi Tung, the Royal Coffee Plantation by the King's Mother beautiful house and gardens in the way to Mae Sai.

[properjob]

Thanks Umbanda, I'll keep those in mind if we're in the Chiang Rai area. Does anyone know of any other, maybe smaller places? The more interesting the better

[properjob]

I should have known not to ask anything that wasn't about cheap cigarettes, the inability of local people to drive, or the cheapest all-you-can-eat pizza. As you were.

[CNXBKKMAN]

Perhaps the mountains and hills are not full of coffee plantations? Thailand is not famous for coffee production.

[WinnieTheKhwai]

I see some small scale coffee growing around here and there, but nothing of any scale.

[Rotweiler]

Actually Thailand IS famous for its coffee valleys. Just not really Chiang Mai where only limited coffee is grown neat the Myanmar border (Doi Luang). If you travel about 1 1/2 hours NE toward Chiang Rai you hit the coffee road. Highway 3037 starts just north of Mae Suai and leads to Doi Chang (about 23 km NW to the smaller road to the village - N19 49.029 E99 30.072) and Doi Wawee (a couple of km further NW on the Highway).

The road is good but winding, with lots of hills/mountains. A very nice drive.

[properjob]

Thanks, Rotweiler. I've been past the intersection many times on runs to Mae Sai, but never explored Highway 3037. That's something to take care of.

[Kunjay]

Got to say I prefer Northern Thailand, Lao coffee better than the so called creme de la creme (pardon the pun) of coffee from other parts of the world.

I regard myself as a coffee snob too.

Kunjay

[mebkk]

In Wiang Pa Pao area also some coffee growers. Considered to be specialty coffee. There are tours going there from Tamarind Village hotel in CM. The tours walk you through the process of growing (deep forest coffee plantations), then the processing mill and so on. Beautiful places.

[gregk0543]

Try some Doi Angkhang coffee. This is 160km north or chiangmai.

I saw coffee being processed and grown there at The Royal Nature Resort

Excellent place to visit right on the Myanmar Border.

[disagreeofit]

This is one of the best, Carina and the boys are amazing! A great experience!

http://suanlahu.org

[MESmith]

Mae Kamphong to NE of CM is a coffee growing area. All small scale farms I think. Plenty of coffee shops now, probably overpriced as it seems to have developed since Flight of the gibbon arrived in the area

[DaamNaam]

The Chiang Mai University runs a coffee plantation and coffee shop on Doi Suthep, just past the camping grounds. You need a bike to get there though. Nice spot.

[TomYumpoochai]

I was in doi angkhang 3 days ago looking at all the coffee being farmed on the slopes.

We also found some plantations in a valley on the phrao road....but it will be a while till my beans grow into bushes

[JulieM]

I should have known not to ask anything that wasn't about cheap cigarettes, the inability of local people to drive, or the cheapest all-you-can-eat pizza. As you were.

Ummm, OK. See ya 'round.

[MikePBrown]

If you are looking for smaller coffee growers there are a number of people in our village who grow coffee as one of their main sources of income, we are on the road that leads to Dragon Flight and Jungle Flight after you turn off the 3005 road (about 35km northeast of CM) there are also a couple of small coffee roasters in the village of Thep Sadet/Ban Pang Hai on the same road close to Dragon Flight.

The villagers grow their coffee in their 'gardens' which are basically areas of hill side forest they have claimed, cleared the undergrowth from and then planted coffee bushes under the forest trees, some of these gardens have up to 1000 coffee bushes. These 'gardens' are not exactly open to the public but happy to show you a couple if you come up this way.

Most of the villagers sell the coffee as picked but a few will remove the skin and dry the coffee beans before selling to add value.

[uptheos]

Doi Wawee near Mai Suay.

If you can get to the top (Doi Lan) which is Lisu, you might find it interesting.

[khwaibah]

Highway 1252 where it connects to highway 118 at GPS 19.0164672194, 99.3045206121. 1252 is on the back side of Jungle Flight. This road goes for 120 km and comes out at Lampang. There are more small coffee plantations, tobacco farms and fantastic pineapple farms than I can count. Great day out.

[properjob]

Thanks for the tips, folks. Much appreciated.

pj

[bangmai]

Perhaps the tea plantations are more famous/historic....

[khwaibah]

Perhaps the tea plantations are more famous/historic....

Actually its tobacco. http://www.thepubchiangmai.com/about-us/#prettyPhoto

[quidnunc]

This is one of the best, Carina and the boys are amazing! A great experience!

http://suanlahu.org

You should tell Carina to post GPS info and a map on her website if she's seriously interested in promoting tourism for her business.