Doi Tung Royal Villa and Mae Fah Luang Garden

About this place

The summer residence of the late Princess Mother, mother of two former kings of Thailand, built in 1987 on the slopes of Doi Tung at about a thousand metres, in a style blending Lanna timber houses with the Swiss chalets she loved from her years in Switzerland. From here she launched a famous project to turn the mountains' opium fields into alternative crops of coffee, nuts and crafts. Visitors walk through the villa's simple, elegant rooms with carved ceilings, then descend to the Mae Fah Luang Garden in front of it, one of Thailand's loveliest gardens, with beds of colourful flowers laid out like carpets that change with the seasons. On site are a cafe and a shop selling the project's products. The villa and the garden each have a separate ticket of about ninety baht, with a combined ticket available, and the site opens from seven in the morning to five in the afternoon. Modest dress is required inside the villa. The mountain is much cooler than town, especially in winter, so bring a jacket. A full-day family trip, usually combined with the Golden Triangle. The mountain road is winding, so a car with driver is best.