Royal Park Rajapruek

The park was built for the Royal Flora Ratchaphruek exposition of 2006 and 2007, held to mark the sixtieth anniversary of Rama IX's accession and recognised by the international horticultural body, and rather than dismantle the site afterwards the province kept it as permanent gardens. It covers around eighty hectares south-west of Chiang Mai with a central axis leading to Ho Kham Luang, a large gilded Lanna-style pavilion built as the exposition's centrepiece and now holding displays on the king's agricultural work. Around it are themed gardens - orchid, tropical, arid, water, a Lanna garden - and around thirty international gardens contributed by participating countries, plus royal project displays on the crop research that replaced opium in the north. It is large and spread out, with a tram running the circuit. A winter flower festival brings the planting to its peak. It is a formal exposition site rather than a natural garden.

What you actually see

• Ho Kham Luang - the gilded Lanna pavilion at the centre of the axis.
• The international gardens - around thirty contributed by participating countries.
• The royal project displays - the crop research that replaced opium in the north.
• The themed collections - orchid, tropical, arid and water gardens.

When to go

November to February; the winter flower festival is when planting peaks. Half a day, using the tram - it is too large to walk comfortably in the heat.

Honest expectations

Large and spread out with a lot of walking or tram riding. It is a formal exposition site, laid out rather than natural. Ticketed, with the tram sometimes extra. Some international gardens are poorly maintained.

Nearby

Wat Phra That Doi Kham is on the hill above; Chiang Mai is north-east.