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	---> MORE Destinations: _________________________________ New Perspective of Chiang Rai at Latitude 19 VISITING A BORDER TOWN: Mae Sot – then and now The Poy Sang Long Festival in Mae Hong Son The Samoeng Strawberry Festival Far Out and Cool in Fang District PICTURE PERFECT Mon Jaem Chiang Mai Reflections and a Night Safari Adventure Wat Palad: The Temple below the Temple The Bua Tong Waterfall Park The Cave and Hot Springs of the Mae On Area A DAY TRIP TO DOI INTHANON Two wheels good four wheels…er… The Sino-Thai Dragon Temple of Wat Tha Ton Doi Inthanon - Thailand’s Highest Mountain Kad Mua - an all-you-need market Chiang Dao High! Chiang Mai’s Red Cross and Winter Fair Loy Krathong at Tak A RETREAT TO... Kwan Yin Bodhisattva Hall Living with nature: Galyani Vadhana District Treasures of Myanmar A Journey to Shangri-La Pha Wing Choo – A Lover's Cliff Wiangtakan – The Past Remains Rural Life and Natural Mystery in Chaiprakarn Taking Aim at Chiang Mai's Shooting Gallery Chiang Mai - Maerim - Samoeng Route Hot Springs (and eggs) Ratchaphruek Festival 2009 The 5th Lanna - Japan Festival 2009 Make a Day of it at the New Look Night Safari Mae Sa Snake Farm Marine Lives in a Mountainous Zoo X-Centre Mae Hong Son, Pang Oong and much more along the way... Mae Kampong Village Tiger Kingdom Pai: The Hub of Joy Flower Festival Annual Bo Sang Umbrella Festival at Bo Sang Village Wiang Kum Kam: The Underground Ancient City Loy Kratong: The Town's Joyful Festival Monkey Centre Maerim, Chiang Mai Baankwai Thai Maerim Queen Sirikit Botanic Garden THE ROYAL PALACE ON DOI SUTHEP The Night Safari Ban Saonak Chae Son National Park Lamphun's Wat Chamathevi Doi Tao Lake Mae Sai Bai the Beautiful Wieng Kum Kam Mae Klang Luang Village Doi Pui - Hmong Tribal Village Nan Province Wat Suan Dok Chiang Saen: a city in myth and reality One Night in Chiang Rai and a day across the border A trip full of tour guides Two Days and a Night in the Country The Sumptuous Angkhang Gourmet Tour AWAY FROM IT ALL IN NEARBY MAE WANG Children's Day at the Westernmost Point of Thailand To Lamphun Along the Road of Histories ESCAPING TO PAI A WINTER TRIP ON THE PING RIVER To the Back of Beyond, right on your doorstep Visiting the Shrine of the Elephant-Headed God Visiting Samui Back to Nature at Opkhan National Park Lost in the Chiang Mai Zoo Three Days through the Northern Countryside DOING A NINE-TEMPLE KARMA TRIP - Right Here in Chiang Mai An Early Summer Trip to the Thi Lo Su Falls Nan: Forest, Temples and the Salt of the Earth TREKKING AND TUCKING IN: Wawee Coffee Plantation Mai Long Yee - Lovely Whatever Else You Call It Magnificent Creatures at Wat Changkham Off to See Some Mural Paintings in Lampang The Salawin and the People of Tha Tafang A Hike in the Forest A Journey back in time A Long Night of Luxury in the Chiang Dao Valley Ice-cold in Omkoy A Quick Visit to a Karen Wedding Strawberry Fields Forever A quick ride to Jaesorn National Park A Journey to Wawee A Birding Trip for Newbies Nam Bor Phi Cave A Breath of Sea Air Shopping With a Difference: Kad Luang Airport ELEPHANTS AND ORCHIDS AND THE SNACKS IN BETWEEN Monsoon Miscellany MAE RIM LAGOON AN IMPRESSIVE TRIP - to the Sukantara Resort Visiting Luang Prabang, the Pearl on the Mekong River Phrae: refreshing trip, auspicious visits Up on the Mountain (again) at Khun Wang UP THE MOUNTAIN TO THUNG LUANG SINGAPORE - City of Parks A Short Sight-Seeing Trip to the Monkey Centre GIVE PAI A TRY! You won’t regret it A BUSY DAY’S VISIT TO SANKAMPAENG A Rainy Day Outing to Phrao Monsoon Miscellany TRIPPING AND TASTING ALONG THE HANDICRAFT HIGHWAYS

PICTURE PERFECT Mon Jaem
A great place for strawberry-picking

December is the month in the North when the cool breezes are blowing, which makes it a great time for tourists – both foreign and domestic – to bai tio (go on trips) to Chiang Mai. It’s also the Christmas / New Year holiday period so – sorry! – it’s also the time when things get pretty crowded here, both where people and traffic are concerned.

So how about a trip out of town – just up north a short distance to a place called Mon Jaem, specifically to the Nong Hoi Royal Development Center in Mae Rim district? If you decide to make use of the camping facilities there, don’t forget to take your woollies, because as well as getting on for the coolest time of the year at the Chiang Mai city level, you’ll be up on a 1,350 meter hill, where you can take a deep breath of chilly mountain air and get closer to the clouds.

Before becoming as it is now, planted horticulturally in accordance with the King’s concept of sufficiency, Mon Jaem was a virtually deserted area overgrown with weeds. The Royal Project that has been based here has given the local and hill peoples the opportunity to take part in various occupations, as you’ll see when you’re there.

The first striking impression of the location is its splendid panorama, though the neat little market of stalls with their offerings of fresh vegetables, grapes and strawberries will also interest you. The colourful costumes of the people tending the stalls will also catch your eye, as will the children, also traditionally dressd – playing, laughing, chanting songs in their various languages.

But it is the views that really grab us visitors – in the mornings the sunrise over the Mae Rim and Mae Taeng districts, if you can get yourself out early enough. And if you’re still here in the afternoon and evening, and have got yourself a place in the sala (pavilion) specially constructed for the purpose, you can watch the light on the giant canvas of sky and cloud fading, and the first of the myriad stars begin to appear – which inevitably reminds you that “Nature is the greatest artist”. “If only,” you may find yourself saying, “if only I could take the picture home with me.” As of course you can, and free too, on film and in your memory.

There are also side trips you can make from Mon Jaem. One of them is a visit to the shrine of the Raming Nakorn ruler, using either your own vehicle or one of the resort’s cars, down near the entrance to the project.

Then again, you might decide to stroll down the narrow road to the Royal Project Development Center nearby, where brightly-colored exotic flowers and plants welcome you, and you can pick strawberries and grapes, admire the numerous vegetables and herbs being cultivated all round - chamomile, rosemary, mint, tomato and lettuce. One of the ways of helping local business is by loading up on the fruits and vegetables before you leave: and don’t neglect to get some jam, made from organically grown fresh fruits. It tastes superb.

For tourists who are interested in staying overnight, tents are provided in a compound which has private bathrooms, hot water, electricity and all the other normal facilities. The tents here come in two sizes: the smaller, for two people, costs 800 baht and the larger, for four persons is 1,200 baht. And if you forgot to bring your own food supplies, don’t worry! There’s a restaurant here serving dishes made both from the local resources and those from wider afield.

Mon Jaem, you’re going to tell yourself – a great day away when the city’s crowded.

How to get there:

From town use the Chiang Mai - Fang Road (highway no. 107) and at kilometer 17 turn left onto the Mae Rim - Samerng highway (no. 1096). Keep going for another 15 kilometers and then turn right at Pong Yaek Village and follow the road for 6 kilometers.

Remarks:

The road up to Mon Jaem from Pong Yaek Village is very steep with very sharp curves, and quite narrow. You are recommended to drive carefully at low speed. For more information, please contact 081-806 3993 or 053-810 765 ext. 108 or visit www.thairoyalprojecttour.com

Text : BB & Note
Images : SP