Mae Klang Luang

Mae Klang Luang is a Pgakenyaw Karen village on the eastern slope of Doi Inthanon at around a thousand metres, and its terraces are the reason people come - stepped paddies worked by hand around the contours below the houses, flooded and reflective from around June, deep green through August and September, and turning gold before harvest in late October and November. The village also grows arabica coffee under the royal project that replaced opium here, processes it locally, and sells it at village cafes. Homestays in family houses are the accommodation and are the point: money reaches households directly, and the arrangement has been running long enough to be well organised. Nearby are the Mae Klang and Pha Dok Siew waterfalls and short walking trails, some requiring a local guide. It is inside Doi Inthanon National Park, so park fees apply, and nights are cold.

What you actually see

• The rice terraces - hand-worked paddies stepped below the village.
• The coffee - arabica grown, processed and sold in the village.
• The homestays - accommodation in Karen family houses.
• The seasons - flooded from June, green in August, gold in late October.

When to go

August to November for the terraces - green in August and September, gold before the late October harvest. Outside that they are bare. Nights are cold at a thousand metres.

Honest expectations

Homestays are simple with shared facilities and basic bedding. Cold at night. National park fees apply on top. Some trails need a local guide, arranged in the village. The photogenic season is short.

Nearby

Doi Inthanon's summit and the twin pagodas are up the mountain; Chom Thong is below.