Dokmai Gardens

Dokmai is a privately-run botanic garden outside of Chiang Mai that makes for a worthy half-day trip if you enjoy plant life, and cold beer or cocktails.

Its genial host is Swedish botanical professor, Eric, who not only runs a wonderful operation but is also fun to hang around with -- he's good natured and very passionate about plants. Dokmai grows an eclectic mix of flowers, trees, vegetables and herbs all cared for by Eric himself. You won't find neatly laid out flowerbeds here, but Eric explains the plants' properties and life cycles, allows guests to taste the berries and feel the texture of the foliage. The place is always pleasant, but it really comes to life with his guidance.

The gardens include South American and African plant species along with orchids, Mediterranean herbs and wild Southeast Asian plants, some of which are very rare and are being cultivated for (hopefully) an eventual return to the wild. No chemicals are used on the plants and the gardens are also home to a flurry of butterflies and birds.

A full cocktail bar is also found here, with drinks kept cold by frozen hunks of teak wood rather than ice cubes -- both original and sustainable. A handful of tables that just beg to have a cool glass of white wine placed on them are scattered around the garden, and Eric's wife, Ketsanee, runs a small restaurant and cooking school on-site.

Dokmai Garden is a 20-30 minute drive from downtown Chiang Mai, past Hang Dong on the side road to Ob Khan National Park, so you could potentially make this a full day nature excursion. Both the garden and the national park are well signposted if heading here on your own. A songthaew should cost around 500 baht for a return trip to the Garden only. We recommend calling in advance, in which case Eric and Ketsanee may be able to arrange cheaper transport for you.