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If you pass through Saraburi province at this time
of year (around December), you will notice something
beautifully unusual in the scenery. Blurs of yellow
and orange, bright colours popping out of the green
farming countryside, will entice the curious traveller
to stop and take a closer look - and believe me, this
rural attraction is well worth stopping for.
Starting in November of each year, the province of
Saraburi, as well as surrounding central provinces,
hit a sunflower high season. The rural landscape fills
with vibrant yellow flowers, 72 square kilometres
of them, to be exact. As the fields blossom, the province
takes measures to ensure that tourists who come to
experience this sight will be pleased. In addition
to the flowers, there are markets and activities set
up on the roadside to offer more entertainment after
the fields have been explored. This makes Saraburi
a popular destination for Thais on car trips, and
a fantastic surprise for the traveller who stumbles
upon it.
Being a city girl by nature, the last sunflowers
I saw were in a Van Gogh print in a guesthouse bathroom.
And so, the sight of man-sized sunflowers, big and
blossoming and tall enough to make me feel comparatively
short for the first time since arriving in Asia, was
surreal; stunning in a giddy, "Lucy in the Sky with
Diamonds" kind of way.
The sunflowers are more than picturesque, though
you will easily fill rolls of film while walking through
the fields. The scene of vibrant yellow blossoms,
with lush palm trees and cool granite mountains in
the backdrop, is downright beautiful. Also, the fields
are large and uncrowded enough to explore in peace,
with the opportunity to study the flowers up-close.
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The busier
fields offer booths of local wares at the entrance,
perfect for souvenir-hunters. I would recommend
bypassing the sunflower-print blouses and umbrellas
and going straight to the roasting sunflower seeds.
Here you can sample the freshest of sweet and
salted varieties, still warm from the cooking
pan (20 baht per bag).
Some fields also offer elephant rides, a highly
recommended experience, where sightseers can perch
in a basic wooden seat and enjoy the bumpy ride
through the fields, led by friendly guides on
small but healthy-looking elephants (100 baht
for 2-3 people). |
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