Queen Sirikit Botanic Garden & Mon Cham: a green day north of the city

Some mornings the city feels a touch warm and a touch loud, and the cure is the same one we keep coming back to: head north. Twenty-odd kilometres up the road, in Mae Rim, the air cools, the trees get taller, and a whole day of green opens up in the Mae Sa valley. Our favourite pairing out here is the Queen Sirikit Botanic Garden in the morning and the hilltop of Mon Cham for the late-afternoon light — gentle, scenic, and the sort of day you finish feeling properly aired-out.

A green day north of the city

The valley sits on the road that climbs on toward Samoeng, so this is the easy, low-effort country we love for a half-day. You can do the garden alone and be back for a late lunch, or string it together with Mon Cham and a viewpoint café for a full unhurried day. Either way, the journey is part of the pleasure — winding lanes, roadside fruit stalls, and that first cool breath as you gain a little height.

Walking among the treetops

The garden's signature is its Canopy Walkway — a long steel skywalk that lifts you up into the forest crown, level with the branches, with sections of glass floor for the brave. It's one of the longest treetop walks in the region, and the perspective is genuinely lovely: you look across the forest rather than up at it, with ridgelines layered into the haze beyond. Go gently, stop often, and let the slower walkers pass — there's no rush up here, and the best bits are the quiet pauses where you just listen.

The garden itself is vast and hilly, laid out along a one-way loop road you can drive (or be driven) between the main stops, which saves your legs for the walking that's actually worth it. First opened in 1993 as Thailand's first true botanic garden, it's a research collection as much as a pretty one — so expect things to be labelled, ordered and quietly fascinating.

Glasshouses, arboretum and forest trails

The other showpiece is the Glasshouse Complex near the top of the loop — a cluster of conservatories stepping up the hillside, each its own little climate. There's a tropical rainforest house thick with ferns and palms, an arid house of cacti and succulents, and an orchid display that's among the largest you'll see anywhere in the country, with something in bloom whatever month you visit. Between the built attractions are an arboretum and a web of forest trails, from flat strolls to steeper paths for anyone wanting to stretch the day a little. Bring a refillable bottle; you'll cover more ground than you expect.

Up to Mon Cham for the views

When the garden has had its hours, we point the wheels higher to Mon Cham (you'll also see it written Mon Jam) — a Hmong-community hilltop famous for its terraced flower and vegetable gardens spilling down the ridge. It's a working agricultural project as much as a viewpoint, and that's the charm: rows of marigolds and cabbages, little café-shacks perched on the edge with valley views, and in the cool months a roaring trade in freshly picked strawberries. Come at sunrise for the sea of mist, or late afternoon for soft gold over the terraces — the midday sun flattens it all out.

A few more stops in the Mae Sa valley

The beauty of the Mae Sa valley is how much sits within a few kilometres of the same road. The most famous is Mae Sa Waterfall, a tiered cascade with a shaded loop trail that's a glorious place to cool your feet — and if chasing falls is your thing, our guide to the waterfalls around Chiang Mai maps out the rest. Push on past Mon Cham and the lanes keep climbing toward the highlands; this whole stretch is the opening act of the classic Samoeng Loop, so it's easy to fold the garden into a bigger mountain ride if the mood takes you.

Getting there and getting around

There's no kind way to put it: this is a drive, and one with real hills, so plan your transport. With your own scooter or car you get total freedom over the day's rhythm — just fuel up in town first and ride within your comfort on the bends. If you'd rather sit back and look out of the window, a hired driver for the day is the relaxed choice, and lets the whole group share it. Our getting-around-Chiang-Mai guide walks through the options and rough costs so you can pick what suits you.

When to go, and what to bring

The cool season (roughly November to February) is the sweet spot — crisp air, clear views and strawberries on the hill — though the garden is leafy and pleasant year-round, just greenest and mistiest in the rains. Whenever you go, bring a light layer (it's noticeably cooler up here), comfortable shoes for the walkways, sunscreen, water and a little cash for café stops and strawberries. Set off in the morning, take it slow, and let the valley do what it does best.

Cool air, big trees and a long view — see you back at the house with green on your shoes.

— The Ada House team