A must-try adventure for coffee junkies
As one of the closest coffee-growing countries closest to
the Philippines, Thailand is a must-visit destination for traveling caffeine
junkies.
For those who can’t live without their caffeine fix, the
search is always on for a good cup of joe. Next-level coffee junkies, however,
take their caffeine obsession to a different level. They visit coffee
plantations, pick cherries, learn how to roast, and join coffee cupping
activities. In fact, the taste of coffee in the places they visit are some of
the most defining moments of their experiences.
If you are a traveler seeking this kind of experience
overseas, Thailand is one of the closest coffee-growing countries you can
visit. Though Thailand is not often linked to world-famous coffee, it is home
to many plantations where your coffee dreams can come true. Aside from giving
you a taste of Thailand’s unique coffee origins, this country’s farm tours have
fascinating stories to tell.
From bean to cup: a glimpse and taste of history
Thailand’s burgeoning coffee industry scene had a unique
role to play in the Southeast Kingdom’s history and development. For many
years, the highlands where Arabica coffee was grown used to be bleak and
barren.
This is because the tribal communities who lived there
survived from slash-and-burn agriculture, which resulted in massive
deforestation and the depletion of food sources. Poverty drove them to opium
cultivation, drug trafficking, and heroin production. It took interventions
from Thailand’s royal family to turn the tribespeople from opium to coffee,
which now provides a source of livelihood for these communities.
One such coffee plantation is Suan Lahu located north of
Chiang Mai, where you can have a short four-hour visit, a day tour, or even an
overnight stay with a host from the Lahu tribe, giving you the opportunity to
immerse in the tribe’s way of life. Here you can go on a guided hike with the
locals, pick coffee cherries, observe coffee processing, and even roast your
own Arabica. From January to December, you can even enjoy traditional
campfires.
Doi Tung in Chiang Rai Province is another of these opium
farms turned coffee plantations. This community located at 1,389 meters above
sea level is home to more than 3.5 million trees, a source of livelihood for
almost 900 families. Doi Tung’s farm to cup experience immerses you in
different aspects of coffee production, from cherry picking to roasting and
tasting. Aside from its coffee farms and facilities, Doi Tung is also home to
the Mae Fah Luang Arboretum where you can find thousands of unique temperate
plants.
Doi Chang is one of Chiang Rai’s must-visit destinations
for coffee junkies.
Another possible destination in Chiang Rai is the village
of Doi Chang, which is situated in an altitude of up to 1,700 meters above sea
level. At the village’s coffee shop, you can take a sip of the organic, single
origin coffee while enjoying the fresh mountain breeze. The nearby museum
called Academy of Coffee lets you learn more about the region’s produce.
Outside the museum, you can look at the coffee trees filling hills and plots
owned by local families. Finally, there’s the coffee processing plant, which
you can see at work during the main coffee season.
Some of the world’s finest
Many of Thailand’s coffee farm tours immerse you in a
journey from bean to cup.
Thailand’s coffee farms don’t only give you a glimpse of
the coffee’s journey from bean to cup. They also produce some of the world’s
best coffee.
Doi Chang, for example, is home to free-range,
stress-free civets that eat only the ripest, sweetest cherries. These
undigested beans are infused with the flavors of the civet’s diet and the
enzymes in the its stomach. When roasted, these beans have the flavor profile
of citrus-toned acidity, cedary dark chocolate, and raisiny fruit.
The social enterprise Akha Ama Coffee in Chiang Mai,
which also hosts a three-day Coffee Journey with the local Akha tribe, has also
produced award-winning coffee. Known for its distinct citrus notes and acidity,
Akha Ama’s coffee was selected for the World Cup Tasters Championship in 2010
and 2011.
While visiting these coffee farms let you enjoy delicious
coffee, it also lets you support local communities who are making a living and
preserving their heritage. This makes your #THAImazing story both memorable and
meaningful.
To know more about Thailand’s coffee farm tours, visit
www.tourismthailand.org, or follow us on Facebook at
www.facebook.com/TATPhilippines.
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