Khum Lanna: Rice, Cooking & Country Life in Northern Chiang Mai

In the morning, your English-speaking local guide and driver meet you at your hotel in Chiang Mai before travelling north into the peaceful countryside of Phrao.
Upon arrival at Khum Lanna, the local team welcomes you with a refreshing herbal tea or fruit juice prepared from produce grown in the garden.

Traditional Thai farmer shirts are provided for you to wear during your stay, helping set the scene for the rural experience ahead.
The morning then turns to one of the foundations of Thai life: rice. You learn about the history of rice cultivation, different Thai rice varieties and the traditional tools and equipment used in the fields. Khum Lanna presents this aspect of its work through its “Rice for Life” philosophy.
You also prepare steamed sticky rice, one of the staples of Northern Thai cuisine.
Later, walk through Khum Lanna’s organic garden, where vegetables, fruit and herbs are grown. The chef shows you how to collect ingredients that will later be used during your afternoon cooking class.
Lunch features a Lanna-style country barbecue, accompanied by the sticky rice you prepared earlier and other Thai dishes.

Your host also teaches you a few simple Thai words that may prove useful during the local market visit the following morning.
Afternoon
Choose one activity from a selection, including:
-a guided bicycle ride through the countryside around Khum Lanna
-creative fruit or vegetable carving
-a local herbal steam bath
-a therapeutic hot herbal compress massage

Later in the afternoon, join the Thai chef for a hands-on introduction to Thai cooking and learn how to prepare simple, authentic dishes.

At the end of the class, you receive a copy of Khum Lanna Thai Recipes, featuring Thai recipes together with information about the nutritional properties of local herbs.

In the evening, enjoy a four-course Thai dinner with your host and fellow guests.
Transport: approximately 95 km — 1 hour 30 minutes
Accommodation: Khum Lanna
Meals included: lunch and dinner

Begin the day with your guide and set off by bicycle at sunrise along quiet country roads towards a village market.
With your guide’s assistance, you may purchase local biscuits and flower garlands to offer to monks during a temple visit.

Continue on foot to a local hardware shop selling agricultural tools, farming supplies and rice seeds. The owner, himself a farmer, shares insight into the history of Thai rice and explains some of the different varieties and their characteristics.

On the way back, visit a Buddhist temple where a revered Buddha image is enshrined beneath a sacred tree.
Continue cycling back to Khum Lanna along a scenic route of canals and rice fields.
Upon your return, a Lanna-style breakfast awaits beside the river.

After breakfast, say goodbye to Khum Lanna and return to Chiang Mai.
Cycling distance: approximately 10–15 km
Cycling duration: approximately 2 hours 30 minutes
Level: 1

Return transport: approximately 95 km — 1 hour 30 minutes
Meal included: breakfast