Southeast Asia Coffee Tours and Tourism Are Becoming More Popular
While the peoples of Southeast Asian countries have cultivated coffee since late in the seventeenth century, Thailand’s coffee exporting industry only took off during the mid-1970s and is now known for its emphasis on organic roasts, fair trade, and sustainable practices. Thailand has risen to become the third-largest of all Asian coffee-producing countries, and its coffee is always high demand in the global coffee market.
Long a popular travel destination for its beaches and culture, Thailand is now sought out by visitors from around the globe for its coffee tourism industry in and around Chiang Mai. Read on to learn more about where and how to go about touring coffee country in Southeast Asia and Thailand.
Find Coffee Paradise at Paradise Mountain Organic Farm
Paradise Mountain Organic Farm is located north of Chiang Mai, Thailand, at approximately 3700 feet above sea level. Paradise Mountain Organic Farm operators pride themselves on the fact that their single-estate farm has been able to thrive with very little negative impact on the environment. In fact, from an airplane, you would never even know Paradise Organic Mountain Farm existed because no trees were disturbed in order to establish it.
With a climate that features warm winters with little precipitation, and high-precipitation hot summers, Paradise Mountain Organic Farm is an ideal location for the cultivation of famous Arabica coffee beans, said to be the source of the best-tasting coffees Thailand has to offer.
Visitors of Paradise Mountain Organic Farm should be sure to try Thai Peaberry, the jewel of the estate’s crops. Thai Peaberry is a full-bodied medium roast that boasts hints of chocolate and honeysuckle. In 2018, it was awarded “best new coffee” at the Peaberry Coffee Bean Fest trade show.
Village of Doi Chaang
Located in the Golden Triangle region high in the hills near Chiang Rai, in an area that was once known for its opium production and trade, visitors will find the village of Doi Chaang.
With the help of the Thai government, the families of Doi Chaang were able to swap one cash crop for another when farmers were given Arabica coffee plants. With a climate very hospitable to the production of coffee beans, Doi Chaang has gone on to become a producer of some of the world’s finest Robusta and Arabica beans.
Visit an Independent Coffee Farm in SE Asia Today
At some village farms, visitors of Doi Chaang can look forward to the experience of producing their own coffee, doing everything from picking and roasting beans to grinding them, before finally arriving at the more quotidian practice of making a cup of coffee.
Heading to Southeast Asia for Coffee Tourism? Check Out Suan Lahu
While you’re in the village of Doi Chaang, consider an excursion to a coffee farm by the name of Suan Lahu that is run by members of the local Lahu tribe. At Suan Lahu, you will not only learn about the cultivation and production of organic coffee, but you are also offered an opportunity to help out on the plantation to gain a greater understanding of the provenance of the delicious coffee you’ll later be tasting.
The Akha Ama Coffee Journey
About five hours outside of Chiang Mai, the Akha Ama Coffee Journey is a popular three-day adventure among coffee enthusiasts. Akha is the region at the end of the five-hour journey and it’s home to local hosts, the Akha people. Upon arrival on a Friday, each tourist spends their visit in an Akha home.
The Akha Ama Coffee Plantation is an hour’s walk away from the village, which tourists undertake on Saturday morning to spend a fruitful and fun-filled day with their favorite bean. Plantation tour guides give tourists an overview of the whole cycle of the coffee plant, from young seedling to fully mature trees. Tour guides also teach visitors the correct method of picking coffee beans, give visitors a chance to pick their own beans and inspect their work to see who has fully taken in the lesson.
Getting the Benefits of Thai Coffee, Without Leaving the States
You don’t have to go to Thailand to sample some of their delicious coffee. Order direct trade, shade grown, organic Paradise Mountain coffee from The Exotic Bean today!