Doi Chang, Chiang Rai Province, Thailand

5Captain_Rob_D 5:00 PM Nov 9, 2014

A Hub of Coffee Growing Activity Even in June
My last trip to Doi Chaang was in December when the village is at the peak of the coffee cherry picking season and is a hub of activity, beans being processed and graded after being washed and dried in the warm winter sun. A visit in July was also equally as interesting, a group of Buddhist monks came to visit the newly renovated coffeehouse and sat sipping their espressos. Children played soccer on the patio where coffee beans would be drying in the coming season. The Akha hilltribe were busy with many other activites other than coffee, there were tea plantations to be tended and also a new Cordyceps mushroom growing facilty where a form of medicinal fungus was being nurtured in sterile growing media. Every time I visit I am amazed by the inventiveness and care about quality shown by the villagers. They formed a cooperative that became a model for other hilltribes and have focussed on two things...quality control and unitedness. This has taken their coffee to be ranked in the top 1% worldwide. Their wild civet coffee is excellent, a unique coffee produced from the droppings of wild civet that range in the coffee bushes eating the best and ripest cherries. The coffee is produced humanely as the civets are truly wild and not caged. The coffee is dark and fragrant, but mellow and low-acid, producing a top favourite of ours. We sat and enjoyed the ambiance but were reminded that the place lacks the presence of our friend Wicha Promyong who passed away this year at an untimely age, a man who lead the coffee company with his great heart and passion. A man who will be truly missed by all who knew him.

5travellingyocal 5:00 PM Sep 11, 2012

Lovely mountain views, with great coffee house at the top
From Chiang Rai take road number '1' for around 20 km South, and turn right on to road '118' sign posted to Mae Suai. Around 3km short of Mae Suai, you will see a small tuning right to Doi Chang. This is a very windy road, which turns do dirt track in places. We hired a 250cc trial bike, which made the journey easy. The mountain views were spectacular, especially when we reached cloud level. I will try and add some photos. Right at the top of the mountain, you will come across the factory of Doi Chaang coffee. Along the way you will also see the coffee being grown along the mountain tops. A different spelling of the mountain, but great place to visit. They have an academy, museum, and in peak season tours. Great coffee house which has done one of the best coffee lattes I have ever tasted. We thouroughy enjoyed our trip to Doi Chang, and plan to go back again. Not easy to find, as so many coffee shops called Doi Chaang coffee house, but the original is on top of Doi Chang mountain itself.