WHERE IS BAN RAK THAI, THAILAND?
Ban Rak Thai, also known by another name, Mae Aw, is a small village nestled next to the green tea hills, in Mae Hong Son province, Northern Thailand. It is only about a kilometer from the Myanmar border. The people living in the village are mainly Chinese, originally from Yunnan, China, who migrated here many generations ago.
Ban Rak Thai is also known by another name, Mae Aw.
The winding roads leading to Ban Rak Thai
I returned to Ban Rak Thai in the afternoon, which was one of the four days I conquered the Mae Hong Son Loop with many experiences. The twisting curves like caterpillars to get to Ban Rak Thai made me sweat. I have fought with my motorbike for so many days in Ha Giang, Vietnam, but when I was on this road, sometimes my heart felt weak.
The road was a real dirt bike. The sharp turns constantly made my steering wheel tired. Luckily, the pure white Wave rented in Chiang Mai was obedient and did not “act up” on the difficult roads.
The constant sharp turns tired my steering wheel.
The weather in Thailand is currently over 40 degrees Celsius, I was driving hard while enjoying the scenery. Near Ban Rak Thai, purple and pink flowers welcomed me enthusiastically. Next were lush green cabbage gardens. People near Ban Rak Thai mainly grow cabbage for a living. This area is extremely large and every house has a cabbage garden. Perhaps, from here people distribute cabbages throughout the country.
Then the Welcome to Ban Rak Thai sign appeared, and the traditional tile-roofed houses of the Yunnan ethnic group appeared. I had really arrived at Ban Rak Thai.
Traditional tiled-roof houses of the Yunnan ethnic group appear.
Architectural style imbued with Yunnan culture.
A WALK AROUND BAN RAK THAI LAKE
The first thing I did when I arrived at Ban Rak Thai was not to go to a tea shop to cool off but to ride my motorbike around the lake.
The lake in Ban Rak Thai is very clear, there are Chinese style boats below to pick up tourists. I heard from the locals that if tourists want to walk around in a circle for about 45 minutes, it will cost 350 Baht for 1 person. If there are 2 people, the number will be 450 Baht.
On the shore of the lake, a few people were fishing. They were waiting for the sound of movement in the lake so they could pull up the catch of the day.
The houses here are close together, with yin-yang tiled roofs, in the Mahayana Buddhist style. Some sections are thatched with leaves, and the walls seem to be built mainly of earth.
The peaceful lake scene captivates many visitors who come here.
LEE WINE RUK THAI RESORT
Perhaps, coming to Ban Rak Thai without “raiding” Lee Wine Ruk Thai Resort is a huge mistake. Because the beautiful scenery you see when rowing on that clear blue lake is mostly concentrated in this resort.
I bought a ticket for 20 Baht to visit. There were many red lanterns hanging on both sides of the road. At this point, it was hard to tell which was Thai and which was Chinese.
The right row is full of still-warm wine vats, the left row is full of ancient houses reserved for tourists. The price for one night can be up to several million, but this area is always fully booked. Tourists can only stand on the side of the road and watch, but are not allowed to enter, because it will affect the sleep of a guest in the resort.
Perhaps, coming to Ban Rak Thai without "raiding" Lee Wine Ruk Thai Resort is a huge mistake.
I went up the stairs to the top of the stairs, where there was a Chinese-style viewing pavilion. I leaned back against a wooden pillar and looked out at the vast green tea hills. In the afternoon, the remaining rays of the day shone down on the lake, reflecting a perfect color.
Although, a few hours before, I was still driving hard on the road and wondering why I came to this godforsaken place to suffer. However, right now, the rustling wind still pushed the young buds of the fresh green tea leaves below, making me forget all my fatigue.
The sunset that afternoon was picture perfect. I put on some Chinese music I often listened to and danced to a traditional dance I had learned. Luckily, no one was around to disturb me. All the tourists had gone.
The setting at Ban Rak Thai is truly peaceful and perfect for a slow-paced trip.
ENJOY TEA WITH SEVEN
5:30 pm, after having satisfied myself with doing what I like, I decided to do the last thing at Ban Rak Thai, which was to go down to enjoy tea.
Among the countless specialty shops here, with all kinds of tea, candy, traditional Chinese medicine, Chinese clothes. I chose the tea shop of a friend named Bay.
This friend is very good, knows 5 languages, just returned from a 20-day trip to Myanmar. He said he had just attended the water festival in Chiang Mai and returned last night. It was so funny and coincidental, because I did the same thing, only we didn't meet in Chiang Mai, but met right at his tea shop.
A tea shop at Ban Rak Thai.
Bay told stories about his village while making tea. He said that most of the tea in Ban Rak Thai was grown by the people here. Ban Rak Thai has four large tea processing factories. The villagers mainly do agriculture, growing tea and cabbage. Since tourism here has developed, the people's lives have improved.
In Bay’s opinion, winter is the most beautiful season in Ban Rak Thai. At this time, the lake water is clear and the steam rising makes the lake surface as beautiful as a painting. Winter passes, spring comes and flowers bloom in abundance. The green color of the tea is embellished by the color of wild flowers.
The villagers mainly do agriculture, growing tea and cabbage.
I picked up the cup of tea that Bay had made and slowly sipped it. Bay made me a cup of Oolong tea, the taste was astringent but then sweet on the tip of my tongue. Looking at Bay’s tea shelf, there was no shortage of tea, the prices were very diverse, ranging from 100 Baht to 600 Baht. He also sold teapots and hot and cold water dispensers of all kinds.
The best trip is not the one where you can only talk to yourself. It is the one where you open your heart, tell the locals about the wonderful things in life. The journey may be difficult on the road. But the moment you meet strangers, enjoy a cup of tea with them, and talk about your common interests. For me, that is a complete trip.
You open your heart, tell the locals about the wonderful things in life.
I left when it was getting dark. Actually, I still had many things to ask Bay, but because of limited time and the room I booked was about 7km from Ban Rak Thai. Right now, I regretted it, wishing when I booked a room in Vietnam, I hadn't hesitated between staying in the center with an expensive price, or staying a few kilometers away but with a much more reasonable price.
One day, I will definitely come back and book a room right in this area to fully enjoy the beauty of Ban Rak Thai. To truly “Go where the wind is”, and enjoy sips of local specialty tea.
SOME MORE INFORMATION
- Vehicle:You can choose to go from Chiang Mai to Ban Rak Thai by motorbike or van. But the road is really winding and difficult, so you need to be mentally prepared. For those who get motion sickness, it is recommended to buy medicine in advance because the road will really shock you. For those who choose to go by motorbike, you should choose a manual transmission to change gears flexibly on this road.
- Homestay:There are also many places to stay inside Ban Rak Thai, the most special is Lee Wine Ruk Thai Resort but the prices are usually quite expensive. I chose Mong Homestay Resort 7km away to stay.
