Kiriwong Village

Kiriwong sits at the foot of Khao Luang, the highest mountain in southern Thailand, in a valley of suan somrom - mixed fruit orchards worked under forest canopy, with durian, mangosteen, langsat and petai grown together rather than in cleared plantations, a system that holds the soil and is the village's traditional agriculture. In November 1988 catastrophic rain triggered landslides and flash floods across this district that killed hundreds of people and destroyed much of the village; deforestation upstream was widely blamed and the disaster contributed directly to Thailand's 1989 national logging ban. The village rebuilt and later became known for two things: air quality measurements that gave it a reputation as having some of the cleanest air in Thailand, and tie-dyeing cloth with pigments made from local fruit and bark. Homestays, dyeing workshops and guided treks up Khao Luang operate from here.

What you actually see

• The orchard system - mixed fruit grown under forest canopy.
• The natural dyeing - cloth coloured with local fruit and bark pigments.
• The 1988 aftermath - the disaster that contributed to the national logging ban.
• The Khao Luang treks - guided multi-day routes up the mountain from the village.

When to go

January to April is the driest window; the southern rains fall October to December. Fruit season is roughly July to September. Khao Luang treks need guides arranged in advance.

Honest expectations

Homestays are simple. The Khao Luang trek is a hard multi-day walk requiring a guide, not a day outing. The southern wet season is severe here. Little English.

Nearby

Nakhon Si Thammarat is east; Krung Ching waterfall is in the same park.