Royal Flora Ratchaphruek has blossomed at last. Following a massive amount of preparation and a feverish rise in anticipation, the 92-day horticultural tribute to His Majesty the King has opened in Chiang Mai.
Continuing until January 31, it's a floral exposition where everything is on a grand scale, from the breadth of the show grounds and height of the pavilions to the sheer, stunning volume of plants and flowers on view.
Some two million people are expected to take in the show, including tens of thousands of foreign tourists and horti-culturalists.
The site is part of the Royal Agricultural Research Centre in the northern province's Tambon Mae Hia, not far from Chiang Mai International Airport.
Getting from the airport to the exhibition is easy thanks to the regular airport express buses, which charge a small fare, and there's a special Royal Flora Shuttle, which is free and also picks up passengers at 700-Year Stadium, the downtown provincial office and the railway station.
Visitors can also use hotel express buses that ply three routes, for which there is a small charge.
On arrival at Royal Flora Ratchaphruek, the year-long effort that went into planning and design is immediately apparent. Hundreds of exhibits are scattered throughout three zones over 80 hectares, all couched in a lush, mountain-ringed landscape.
The three zones are Gardens for the King, the Thai Tropical Garden and Expo Plaza.
The exposition is open daily from 9am to 8pm, though for the full moon of Loy Krathong tomorrow, it will stay open until midnight.
If you want to see everything, plan on spending the whole day, and avoid group tours, most of which will only spend a couple of hours at the site. If you can choose your own time to arrive, late afternoon is best - it's just too hot earlier in the day.
Most buses will drop off passengers at the entrance, where shuttle buses then carry them on to one of the 10 stops within the grounds.
Alternatively, you can walk up the small Nern Ratchaphruek hill to see the auspicious Ratchaphruek Tree - and Golden Shower tree, so named for its cheerful yellow blossoms, which inspired the exposition's name.
There are 15 shuttle buses, each capable of ferrying 60 people at a cost of Bt30 for adults and Bt10 for children.
Which spot to visit first? Right now Chiang Mai is enjoying its most beautiful season for blooming flowers, so a visit is in order to the majestic Royal Pavilion - exquisite Lanna architecture afloat in a sea of colourful flowers.
The area around the pavilion is ideal for a serene stroll, and from there it's not far to the International Garden, where there are in fact 33 different gardens, each one telling a story about its blossoms' homeland.
There are 16 Asian gardens, six European, nine African and a pair from North America. Some are indoors, some out, but all showcase their sponsoring country's culture with both visual delights and live performances.
Tulips bloom in the Netherlands garden, of course, while a splendid miniature version of Wat Xian Thong rises in the Lao garden, and Japan appeals with a restful zen garden.
More than two million different plants are on view in the exposition, including tens of thousands of orchids in a special "Orchids of the World" pavilion, where enthusiasts - growers as well as photographers - will vie in weekly competitions.
Also not to be missed is the Corporate Garden. Singha Corp has set up the Royal Tea Exhibition Garden opposite the Orchid Pavilion, complete with tastings and displays on tea cultivation and uses around the world.
Krung Thai Bank has a Water Orchid Garden, and Toyota Motor Thailand an exhibition on bio-diesel research and rice milling the way it's done according to the King's recommendations.
Around dusk is an ideal time to climb the green tower for a panoramic view of expo, and then you can head to the Royal Pavilion for the 7pm "Electric Parade" multimedia show.
If you find yourself running out of time, make sure to have at least a quick look at the Thai Garden.
When Royal Flora Ratchaphruek ends, many of the exhibitions will remain, but much of the grounds will became a recreational park. A whole new landscape will blossom anew.
Nation Nov.06
