It's no news, I love Thailand. To me, it's one of the best countries in Southeast Asia to travel both on a tight budget or splurge from north to south.
My first time travelling in Thailand is indeed a good few years ago now and I have been back many times. For a little while, I even called the beautiful city of Chiang Mai in Northern Thailand my home.
Related Article: How To Spend 3 Awesome Days In Chiang Mai
Maybe this is not your first time travelling in Southeast Asia and you are looking for a bit of a different experience in Thailand, something a little off the beaten path, then you might want to learn more about organic farming, vegan cooking and meditation while volunteering on the Mindful Farm.
This article was put together with a reader of mine, Gabriel, who reached out to me after staying at Mindful Farm and wanted to share his experience on this green organic paradise in the north of Thailand.
Read on to hear about daily life on the farm, what it means to be mindful and meeting like-minded people from all around the world while working on an organic farm.
What Is The Mindful Farm?
Mindful Farm is an organic farm founded by a Buddhist Monk named Pi Nan, who studied in a nearby temple for over 20 years.
Determined to teach a more mindful living and create a retreat from the touristic hustle bustle, Pi Nan and his Japanese partner Noriko founded the farm in 2011. Today, they welcome volunteers from all over the world on their farm who all cook, eat and work together in nature.
Mindfulness is very important on the farm, so it meditation and learning about being present in the moment, and therefore those things are integrated into the daily routines at Mindful Farm.
What To Expect At The Mindful Farm?
It doesn’t matter if you are just after a little bit of relaxation away from the main tourist sights and areas or you want to learn serious farming skills, here you will find both, guaranteed!
As you pay for your accommodation, which is a very affordable 200 Baht per day, you will get full service which covers basic housing and food including a diverse vegan & Thai buffet.
The farm actually runs a vegan restaurant in the village as well where they promote a healthy vegan diet to the local Thai people. During Buddhist holidays, free vegan food is offered to the village. At the weekend, there are English & Japanese language classes for the children who live in the village and volunteers at the farm are welcome to join teaching.
Related Article: The Best Chiang Mai Accommodation Options From Budget To Luxury
Are You Looking For A Volunteer Project In Thailand?
Fancy helping out in a hostel, family homestay, NGO or eco-project in return for a free stay?
With Worldpackers, you can exchange your skills for accommodation!
How Does Worldpackers Work?
Worldpackers connects you with hosts around the world. You simply work for a few hours a day and get accommodation for free. What an epic way to see the world! And it's possibly the most amazing way to immerse yourself in the local culture.
You could be volunteering during your vacation time, an extended backpacking trip or even while taking a gap year, there are so many different offers and minimum stays.
What You Could Be Doing
There are lots of opportunities, from teaching English, sports, helping with tour guiding, painting or work on a farm. Yes, even your business skills can be put to work. There are volunteer opportunities such as admin work, web development and social media.
Worldpackers Promo Code
You are able to browse the Worldpackers website for volunteer opportunities for free. Once you want to apply, you pay a yearly membership fee which allows you to apply for as many volunteer opportunities all around the world as you like.
Check out Worldpackers for all volunteer opportunities around the world. Enter promo code BREATHINGTRAVEL at checkout to get USD 10 off the annual membership fee!
What To See & Do At Mindful Farm?
The daily activities focus on putting your hands on the ground and care for the farm, which is totally fun and insightful because the monk has lifelong farming experience since his childhood. You will learn things like making compost, digging and designing new farm areas, house building, making organic fertilizer and lots of other skills all around organic farming.
If you want to chill out, you can enjoy the calmness of the mountain surroundings, go for a bath in the nearby lake or practice yoga and meditation.
With an average of 20 people staying at the farm per day, boredom doesn’t really exist as the there is always someone to exchange travel stories and tips with. You will surely meet people from all over the world!
Related Article: The Ultimate Travel Guide To Chiang Mai
How To Get To Mindful Farm?
Mindful Farm is located 75km north-west of the city of Chiang Mai. To get here, you'll either take the bus towards Samoeng from Warorot Market in Chiang Mai which leaves every day around 11.15 am and takes roughly 3 hours to get you there and should cost you around THB 100.
Or you take the trip yourself by scooter or in a private car, which will take around one and a half hours from Chiang Mai.
Related Article: The Best Itinerary To Explore Northern Thailand In 14 Days
Northern Thailand is one of my most favourite part in Thailand, possibly in all of Southeast Asia!
If you are up to having a completely different experience travelling through Thailand, a stay at Mindful Farm is highly recommended. For more detailed insights into the daily life check out this short movie below presenting the farm and its people.
Are you hooked? Find all the details about the farm and how to book your accommodation here.
Have you been to Thailand or are you thinking of visiting?
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