My best day in Thailand was at Dokmai Garden, Chiang Mai
Dear fellow travellers,
I just wish to share my experience at Dokmai Garden, Chiang Mai.
As an amateur naturalist I always go to National Parks and botanical gardens when I go to a new place. In Chiang Mai there are plenty of options, and many superb restaurants. As paintball, elephants and bungy jumping also occur in Europe, I tried to find something uniquely local. I went to Doi Inthanon national park, which is just fantastic, but there is hardly anyone to talk to, and in general the information staff of Thai national parks do not know much. Although I took lovely pictures, I did not have a clue what I saw. So I went to Dokmai Garden, which according to fellow travellers at my hotel is a botanical garden with delicious food.
My tuktuk driver could not read maps and after some confusing phone calls we finally arrived at Dokmai Garden. Already at the parking you realise that this is a very different place. Young trees, neatly labeled with scientific names and interesting descriptions adorned the parking. I have not seen such a perfection even in Scandinavia! I paid my ticket, still a bit suspicious that this would be another amusement park with soft music and mini golf. When I stepped into the garden I entered another world! This is perhaps the only quiet place in Thailand? Only bird calls and buzzing bees. I tried to order a Coke, but the charming hostess Pataramon explained that they only serve Thai products! Instead I got a glass of a bael drink, with a fantastic flavour of caramel. I asked where to buy this, and the hostess explained that she made it there from bael fruits. She phoned for the guide, but I explained the signs looked fine, and I silently thought I did not want to be followed by an idiot who would demand tip for useless information. The guide showed up, a European botany professor in an elegant panama hat, thick gloves and a big smile. I was so surprised I could not help but asking how much they wanted for the guide, and he explained he was included in the ticket fee. He took me around for two hours, and this was the most thorough introduction into tropical biology I have ever had. We admired butterfly larvae, studied African arrow poison plants, photographed LIVING jewel beetles, pet the buffaloes and tasted different basils.
The garden contains over 800 plant species, so after a while I got a red face and felt hungry, and we decided to go back. I was the only visitor, as this is a new attraction, so I asked if they served lunch. The owner, Kessanee, who looks like a movie star (Lucy Liu mixed with Catherine Zeta-Jones), had a chat with me while my food was cooked. It took longer than I expected, but Kessanee explained that they cook from scratch, even pick ingredients in their organic garden, and do not use palm tree oil nor glutamate nor a microwave. Anyhow, I got my set of dishes, and although I eat like a king almost everywhere in Thailand, this was exceptional! I asked what kind of style this red curry and Thai truffles was, and Ketsanee explained it was just their style.
After several drinks I asked for the rest rooms, expecting a dirty box and a hole in the ground. I went into a clean room with flowers and literature, and enjoyed the luxury of a toilet and soap. There was no hot water though, but that is the standard in Thailand.
I bought some literature in the tiny wooden shop, relieved that there are at least two places in Thailand where the visitor is expected to be more intelligent than an oyster (the other place is the national museum in Bangkok).
Back at the hotel I talked to some Germans who had joined Dokmai Garden's "Garden Tour" a few days earlier. They agreed Dokmai Garden is the most awesome place in Chiang Mai. They told me that Dokmai Garden's "Garden Tour" actually contains more jungle trekking than the jungle tour they had taken with another company previously. This modesty is in accordance with their name, which does not show that they are de facto a real botanical garden. The professor told me that he did not look upon Dokmai Garden as a botanical garden because they have no herbarium, but who cares when the Thais even refer to golf courses as botanical gardens?
To me, Dokmai Garden is a shy rose bud, but prettiest of them all!
Anton Leuwenhaupt
