Mae Fah Luang Arboretum Garden
The Mae Fah Luang Arboretum crowns Doi Chiang Moob on Doi Tung, a reforested former opium field now filled with rare trees, orchids and flowering bougainvillea.
Exploring Mae Fah Luang Arboretum#
The Mae Fah Luang Arboretum covers the top of Doi Chiang Moob, a summit some 1,500m high on Doi Tung that was once a bare opium field. Huge old trees were relocated to the peak and many more planted, including rare species and masses of flowering bougainvillea, completing the reforestation of the devastated area.
A refreshing scent of pine pervades the cool mountain air, and well-structured paths weave through sections of garden filled with rhododendrons, Himalayan cherries and many kinds of orchid. Benches and pavilions offer welcome rest, which is needed as the gardens climb a steep slope. The pathways are lined with ferns and mosses, and there is even a garden of strange-shaped stones - altogether a horticulturalist’s dream.
Perhaps the best thing about the arboretum is how quiet it usually is: as the furthest of the Doi Tung attractions, few visitors venture this far. If you are visiting the Doi Tung Royal Villa nearby, it is only a short diversion here and well worth the effort.
Mae Fah Luang Arboretum: Getting There & Need to Know#
- What is it? A hilltop wonderland of exotic plants.
- Opening hours: 07:00 - 18:00 daily.
- Entrance fee: 50B, or 220B including admission to the Royal Villa, Mae Fah Luang Garden and Hall of Inspiration.
- Where: about 10km north of the Doi Tung Royal Villa on Doi Tung.
Continue north from the Royal Villa complex on Highway 1149 for about 10km along a hair-raising mountain road until a sign to the left directs you to the arboretum.
