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She said she decided to develop an attraction that had the best
of traditional Thai ways with a hint of luxury for the discerning guest seeking peace, natural surroundings and tranquility.
She said: "Tourists can come for overnight stay. The accommodation
consists of four large double bedrooms with fans and western style toilets.
" Here, we do not need air-conditioning because the house is
open, so the air can circulate through the windows."
Khun Yaowanit is well versed in catering for foreign guests as
she was once a tour guide for French and English speaing tourists.
"In the social traditions of the countryside, the buffalo is
a sign of wealth, so we established the Buffalo Bank Project for conserving Thai buffaloes and helping the people," she said.
" We bought some buffaloes and then we started giving the local
farmers pairs of baby buffaloes to rear. The first offspring are kept by the farmer-owners, second offspring are returned
to The Buffalo Bank, third offspring belong to the owners and so on in rotation."
" Lanna Farm also produces educational funds for poor kids in
the village and the Novice Buddhist School to support their education," she said.
I enjoy resting in the camping area in the garden. The area is
close to a small stream that runs all the way down to Mae Ngad Dam in Mae Taeng district.
As I wandered around a chicken farm and fishpond I met a group
of tourist just cycling back from the fields.
The farmhouses emphasize the rural traditions celebrated in the
villages. Cycling is available to explore the countryside and hamlets. Thai cooking courses, traditional Thai weaving or rattan
and bamboo basket making, in the fashion of the local villages, are provided.
That evening I had a fantastic traditional Northern Thai
dinner served in the 'Khantoke' style. The food is served on small round rattan tables with five different kinds of Thai dishes.
It was a romantic dinner, sitting under the night sky in the garden and having a delicious meal with lyrical northern music
played by a local band from the village.
Throughout Southeast Asia, mechanization is rapidly replacing
traditional agricultural method - the pick- up truck is replacing the ox-cart, the motorized plough-the water buffaloes. I
do not hesitate invites you to enjoy the ancient, peaceful ways in comfort whilst they still exist in this quiet corner of
Thailand.
Although I only an overnight stayed, this place felt like
home.
Many thanks to Khun Yaowanit Boonchoosin the
owner of Lanna Farm and Khun Rachet Wapeeta, the Chiang Mai branch Manager of East West Siam. For information please contact: gomase@gmail.com
Story & photographs by Gomase Theenanon
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