If you're a big fan of day trips and have already hit up Ob Khan National Park for some cold beers and a refreshing swim, or spent a hot afternoon overlooking Huay Tung Tao Lake with friends, then you would definitely enjoy a lazy Saturday or Sunday spent at Tweechol Botanic Gardens in Chiang Mai.
The peaceful gardens are only half an hour away from the centre of the city and are extremely easy to find - they are literally just a straight drive northeast out of Chiang Mai. Once you arrive, you will have to pay an entrance fee of ฿80, which gives you access to the entire property, including the small "zoo", the charming maze, the old Lanna-style wooden house and museum, and all the different garden areas dedicated to various plants like herbs, cacti, palms and cycads.
You can also rent bicycles for ฿40 for 2 hours, but every time we've rented them the friendly guards said we could just ride them all day. The bicycles are a great way to see all the different attractions, and if you'd like to explore on water, you can rent paddle boats for ฿50 each. They carry two people and allow you to glide around with the swans on the beautiful lake. Lastly, you can hire a golf cart, which can be a lot of fun but also makes you feel like a big lazy lump! They're ฿200 for two people for your whole stay, or ฿300 for up to five people. Remember, opening times for the park are from 8 am - 4:30 pm every day.
Because of the care that goes into the gardens, pets are not allowed to join you, and you should keep in mind that there are hotel guests staying on the property. This isn't really the place for a rowdy drunken picnic with your buddies, but it is perfect for a day trip as a family, a couple, or with a few nice friends who won't swing around from the palm trees.
All I can really say about Tweechol is that once you've spent a day there you will definitely be back a few weekends later. Here are a few pics from my various days wasted away at this beautiful place:
Beautiful place, don't know why it's not advertised more in Chiang Mai. I would never have known it exists =)
ReplyDeleteWent here recently with the family and had a good time eating by the lake, bicycling to the animals and seeing the gardens which were very well kept quiet and nice to stroll around in. Thanks for the map and info good work, keep it up
ReplyDeleteNot many people know about this place, sadly because I've been here a number of times with friends, good spot to eat and enjoy the scenery in the shade. I know that exact spot next to the lake where you got that photograph!
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