Neil Aronson In Lamphun, just a short drive from Chiang Mai, we found not just one unique restaurant, but two. Since we live in Chom Thong, Lamphun sits sort of half way between our house and Chiang Mai, making it an easy place to explore for a day trip.
Besides the famous temples and history, Lamphun offers some hidden gems most tourists don’t know about. If you are willing to make the short drive, about 40 minutes from Chiang Mai, you will be happy you did. These are also great places to take the kids, as they offer grounds and spaces kids will love.
The Terracotta Gardens is one unique restaurant located close to Chiang Mai and close to downtown Lamphun along the Ping River. While The Lamp Lamphun Farm Cafe is another unique restaurant that is located further south of Lamphun city.
The Terracotta Gardens
Spread over more than 100 acres in Lamphun city, The Terracotta Garden is a sculpture park featuring hundreds of figures made of terracotta. This permanent exhibition boasts one of the most extensive collections of outdoor sculptures in Thailand.
Located some twenty kilometers from center of Chiang Mai, this garden is an outstanding example of art and one of the must-see attraction. Painstakingly sculpted from clay using traditional techniques, each piece there is unique. The canopied garden is filled with clay sculptures of varying style and size, from Buddhist statues to figures of the Lanna kingdom along with sculptures of Ganesha, Shiva, Vishnu, Singha and Nagas.
The Terracotta Garden is own by the same family; it is actually the factory from where each pieces of art in this shop came from. Mr. Sutthipong Maiwan, the founder, started creating this garden in 1975. While using it as a factory for the shop and export market he also produced some of his masterpieces there. Today, the garden is a serene place, a museum, a gallery, a workshop and a relaxing restaurant; it is also a lifetime project with plans for further creations for the next forty years.
You can spend hours walking the grounds, which we did. It is made to look like an old Cambodian temple. And when we got there not knowing much about it, I thought it was hundreds of years old. Only to find out from the staff it’s only decades old and built by its famous artist owner.
Surrounded by waterfall, trees and terracotta, the restaurant at Terracotta Garden offers an innovative take on local cuisine with a focus on seasonal ingredients. Signature dishes are Pad Thai with Shrimps and Beef Khao Soy. Belle had the Pad Thai, which was pretty fancy!
The Lamp Lamphun Farm Cafe
Another unique restaurant we discovered is also sort of located in the middle of nowhere. The Lamp Lamphun Farm Cafe is more in a local neighborhood than in town. Located south of Lamphun city, toward Chom Thong, and in a really nice area. The good thing is Google Maps took us right there. Even my Thai relatives had never been. This unique restaurant has only been open for a few years.
At first when I suggested to the family to go have lunch here, I thought it just looked like a unique restaurant and not much more. But upon arriving we realized there is much more. To start with, the two of the staff members greeted us at our car outside the property to guide us in with their friendly Thai disposition.
Once inside the grounds for the first time, your eyes start looking all around at the many features, the large ponds, and of course the animals.
As stated on their Facebook page, “A farm-style cafe & restaurant built in a garden with a large pond and small canals winding throughout the area. There are many kinds of pets, ducks, geese of various breeds, mini-pygmy goats, delicious food, excellent service, good atmosphere, catering services, and farmstay accommodations, the most complete in Lamphun”.
Most guests are sat in their own private cabana like Thai hut along the pond, with fans and what seemed like your own private server. And we even had our own little chicken hanging out and watching us eat. I suppose he was waiting for food.
The grounds are fun to walk around, and the many animals are so used to people, you can get right up close to them without them running away. Kids will love this. On either side of the property are small farms with more animals.
And no surprise the food was excellent, with a large Thai menu to please everyone. There are many tame western style Thai options for those who don’t want to eat the very local flavors.
All in all, it is a perfect place to bring a date, your family and the kids. No problem keeping everyone entertained. Well worth the drive there.
Resources
Agoda is the best place to book cheap affordable hotels in Thailand, especially near national parks. They also book flights as well.
Expedia is my favorite place to book flights, hotels, cars, and more. Their group includes Hotels.com and Vrbo for vacation rentals.
Viator is the top choice for activities. Book everything from a waterfall tour to scuba diving, jungle trekking to cooking classes.
12Go is the top transportation source for Asia. From busses to trains to regional flights.
