Doi Tung

Doi Tung

We journeyed to the border area of Thailand and Burma to meet with the Director of the Doi Tung Royal Projects. The Royal Projects were started by the current king in the 1970’s to help indiginous hill tribe people have economic alternatives to growing the opium poppy.

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These projects have grown to an amazing 40 intitiatives which focus on providing skills in agriculture, horticulture, floriculture, textiles and celedon pottery. Markets have then been developed for the tribe-people to sell their products.

(photo 196) Tribesman working at arboretum.

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This is a mountainous region, with an altitude of over a mile. The arboretum showed several endemic species of trees that are being used to reforest land damaged from generations of slash and burn agriculture. The programs have grown in success as the native people have learned the Thai language in addition to their original tongue.

Mae Fah Laung

Mae Fah Laung is a high altitude botanical garden carved out of a mountainside. The gardens were absolutely breathtaking. The horticulture aspect would have been stunning alone, but one could not imagine a more beautiful place as they are set in a location that provides panoramic mountain vistas. (photo 230)

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(photo 236) Orchids at Mae Fah Laung

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(photo 249) Mountain setting of gardens

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