Down-to-earth choices suit tourists weary of hot spots
If you are thinking about Thailand for a short break but not looking forward to the pace of Bangkok or the all-too-familiar scene at Phuket and Pattaya, why not try something different, such as agrotourism?
Agrotourism is tourism that is conducted in agricultural areas. Visitors spend time at orchards, agroforestry farms, and herbal and animal farms fitted with tourist amenities. They learn about farming activities, work with animals or help harvest crops under the supervision of qualified personnel.
Since the 1950s, Thailand has diversified into cash crops such as rubber, maize, soyabean, cassava, sugar cane and pineapple. It is also a major producer of flowers such as orchids and roses. About 70 per cent of the Thai population is engaged in farming or agricultural activities. What better way to dig deeper and get at the roots of the nation's heritage and culture?
The Department of Agricultural Extension operates tours to local farms with nature exploration and village home-stays that combine education with sightseeing and relaxation.
Rice is one of the most important crops - Thailand is known as 'the rice bowl of Asia'. Visit a rice farm and try your hand at planting or harvesting rice.
Agriculture and Royal Projects go hand in hand in Thailand. These projects were introduced in the early 1970s to promote new farming methods in the northern provinces, such as Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai and Mae Hong Son, and were an incentive to locals to stop opium production. There are currently four research stations and 34 development centres.
Visitors are welcome to visit many of the projects but calling ahead is advisable.
The Royal Projects are managed by a foundation that also advises farmers on crop selection, farm management and environmental preservation, as well as marketing their produce.
The following is a sample of what is on offer.
In Chiang Mai, there is the Royal Project Inthanon Research Station. It is one of four facilities working on research and development of cash crops, including coffee, cold-climate fruits - pears, peaches and macadamia nuts, for example - and flowers. Visitors can wander around fruit orchards at the Royal Project Research Station at Khun Wang.
The Ban Hua Mae Kham Agrotourism Centre in Chiang Rai combines agrotourism and the cultural highlights of four distinct ethnic groups - Hmong, Akha, Lisu and Muser. A mountain range separates the centre from neighbouring Myanmar.
Tours can be arranged to the farms and tea plantation while overnight visitors are accommodated in simple huts with basic facilities, including running water.
Keen horticulturalists should stop at the Doi Pha Mon Agrotourism Centre for its show garden of tulips, lilies, gladioli and more. Simple accommodation in bungalows or tents is provided to visitors wishing to extend their stay. Again, reservations are recommended.
In Loei province, Phu Rua district boasts a Highland Agricultural Research Station working with local farmers to produce cash crops such as strawberries, passionfruit, potted and table plants and cut flowers. The station overlooks a wildlife sanctuary. Down in the Gulf of Thailand, Nakhon Si Thammarat province is known for 'suan somrom' eco-farming, a technique that allows farm and forest to co-exist through the planting of crops in the surrounding forest.
