Baan Hom Samunphrai A Small Herbal Health

Chiang Mai is one of the most intriguing cities in the whole of South Asia. Located in the foothills of the Himalayas at the meeting point of Thailand, Burma and Laos, this remote 'Shangri-La' is justly famous for its fresh climate, dramatic scenery, vibrant ethnic complexity, exotic rituals, and extraordinary sense of fun! Our Centre, Baan Hom Samunphrai, is only 9 kms from the Chiang Mai city centre, and that means the full range of its wonders are easily available to our students, clients, guests and conference groups. Moving in the opposite direction is easy too, as we're only an hour away from unspoiled hill-tribe settlements, mountain torrents and real jungle. Finally, we're not only just 15 minutes from the Chiang Mai International Airport with direct flights to Bangkok, Hong Kong, Seoul and Singapore, among other places, but at the end of one of the last great adventure train rides left in the world--the snail-pace Bangkok-Chiang Mai Express!

Hill Tribe women selling handmade silver These hand-woven skirts can still be seen There is a festival almost weekly in Chiang Mai with
in the famous Chiang Mai Night Bazaar. in the streets of this ancient royal city. extraordinary displays of crafts and costumes.

Our small village of Hang Quae (rhymes with 'air') still relies upon agriculture for its livelihood. There are rice paddies, longan orchards, vegetable gardens, irrigation canals and fish ponds all around us, and herbal medicine is still used widely by our neighbours. We ourselves grow most of the herbs we use in our garden, and the fruit we serve at our tables is either picked from our own trees or brought home early in the morning from the village earth market.

Walks and bicycle rides are a delightful way to explore the countryside, and we have a whole fleet of bicycles for our guests.

You push your bicycle through our back gate and over the irrigation canal to get started. The buffalo have just finished grazing and are settling down in the mud to chew their cuds. Faithful and tireless workers, the Thai water buffalo is among the most contented creatures on earth, especially when unemployed!

Homprang's husband, Christopher, introduces some guests to the ancient Kingdom of Lanna, "Land of a Million Rice Fields," with its blue hills and electric green rice. The farmer on the right has just dug up some turmeric for a new mother in the village, and Smokey Lyons from Vermont can't believe his nose -- and it's also a very important herb in our steam baths!

An important footnote to all this. Baan Hom Samunphrai's fees are low, reflecting as they do the simple fact that 'folk medicine' evolved not in sophisticated resort-hotels and beachside spas but in real-life agricultural communities like the ones you see in these photos. Indeed, we are proud to be part of this timeless baan noc ('up-country') world, and look forward to making it more accessible to all those who feel the need to keep in touch with it too.

Maw Hom is assisted by her husband, Christopher Woodman--click here for a bit more about him. He's fascinated by the local Thai community, and if you ask him will lead you into it anytime, on foot or by bicycle--the river, the rice paddies, the ruins, wats, sacred groves, graveyards & spirit houses.