Royal Park Rajapruek is situated 10 km southwest of Chiang Mai.
Nestled in a lush mountain landscape, this 400 rai of land (about 200,000 sqm.)
is a really picturesque setting, a delicate work of art and architecture which
enriches the mind of the visitors with its seductive natural beauty along with
various plant and flower species. In 2006, the garden was the site for the Royal
Flora Expo, on the occasion of His Majesty The King’s 60th aniversary of coronation.
Ever since, the garden has been maintained and developed. It has become a resource
for agro-tourism as well
as being a learning and research centre for the public. December and January
are the months when Ratchaphruek come into bloom.
Home to a large and impressive collection of tropical plants
and exotic flowers, the Queen Sirikit Botanical Garden lies
on the very outskirts of Chiang Mai and features attractive mountainous scenery.
The garden, which was established in 1992, covers a mountainous area of
560 acres. It is located around km 12 along the Mae Rim- Samoeng route.
It features a wonderful collection of Thai and foreign plants and it
is set up to exhibit plants according to species and climate (including orchids,
cactus, lotus etc…). Visitors can drive around the area and for those who like
the exercise, the garden offers three beautiful walking trails: 1/ Rock Garden-Thai
Orchid Nursery, takes around 30 to 60 minutes on foot. 2/ Arboreta (plant study trail),
showing more than 10
species of plants including banana, palm, fern and ginger. This trail takes
around 45-60 minutes; 3/ Climb takes around 1-2 hours to climb the mountain.
