Botanical Gardens of Northern Thailand (Part 2)

Northern Thailand has many attractions that may be of interest to lovers of horticulture and botany. Just outside of Chiang Mai, Thailand's second largest city and gateway to the northern provinces, two outstanding botanical gardens - Queen Sirikit Botanical Garden and Bhubing Castle and Garden, one of the possessions of the royal family. The best time is immediately after the end of the rainy season in early November, when many flowers bloom.

Queen SirikitBotanical Garden

Located in the Mae Sa Valley, a popular recreation area in the mountains just 45 minutes - 1 hour drive from Chiang Mai - Queen Sirikit Botanic Garden of 960 hectares (2,372 acres) is by far the largest and most important botanical gardens in Thailand. If you are fond of botany, so no trip to Thailand is complete if you are going to last a day or two to explore this fascinating plant. Since there is so much ground to cover here, I suggest you stay at one of the beautiful mountainsin lodges near the Mae Sa Valley Gardens rather than stay in Chiang Mai.

Opened in 1993, this botanical garden as a research center and for visitors who wanted to learn more about plants and flowers from Thailand have been created. Believe me, QSBG enormous. When I visited these gardens over two years ago, I did not have enough time to fully explore the structure, maybe next time there are a number of interesting botanical walks through the hillside property and the countywith prominent display of tropical plants and flowers. One way leads to introduce you to Thai plants and local medicinal plants, provides another route climbers and vines. Or maybe you want to make a trip to a small waterfall along the trail passes by the rock garden Thai. This road ends at the Thai Orchid Nursery, which houses over 350 species of native orchids. Even if you do not have enough time to explore each of these paths, I said to each track for about 40-60 minutes tocomplete.

While I was there I visited the conservatory greenhouse, the houses show rain forest. Complete with an artificial waterfall, electrically operated, offers this exhibition, many of the plants that grow in the forest - ginger, anthuriums, ferns, cycads, impatiens, begonias and other species. There are a number of temperature-controlled greenhouse on the hill, are each with a different group or set of plants and flowers. One of the greenhousesis an amazing collection of begonias, another features mostly Thai medicinal plants and herbs. The most unusual and exotic plant that I was discovered in the Bat plant (Tacca chantrieri), indigenous to Southeast Asia. The problem greenhouse with an eclectic selection of water lilies and lotus flowers, was very impressive. Check out the stark contrast between the marble vases clear and very strict and the big black pots (see photo). Factoid - The water lily is athe plant sacred in the Buddhist religion.

Bhubing Palace and Park

Bhubing castle and the garden is the winter residence of the royal family. As His Royal Highness, Queen Sirikit, their visits to the season to go, Northern Thailand to work on any number of community projects, which again and again in Bhubing place to rest.