You can't travel around Thailand and not get lost at least once. Or worse, go on a wild goose chase trying to find that stunning place you had a glance at in a travel magazine, a blog post, or on your Instagram feed. Well, that's what happened on my latest road trip around Nan. In the end, my friend and I managed to find what we were looking for: the oh-so-scenic spot known as Ban Tai Lue Café. Or as Google knows it as Bantailue ( กาแฟบ้านไทลื้อ). Oh, but the hunt was worth it!
Thailand continues to amaze me. Each new town I visit I find some unique viewpoint or gorgeous stopover such as Ban Tai Lue Café.
But finding it came with a price. For this particular place, I found it while doing a bit of online research about the different things to do in Nan, one of the lesser known provinces in Northern Thailand. Unfortunately, I had a hard time figuring out where the café was but decided to go on a mission to find it.
Getting lost among Thailand's rice fields...
If you've ever hopped in a car or on a motorbike and driven yourself around Thailand, one thing you've undoubtedly struggled with is getting to a new place on the first try. On a positive note, you can have some pretty cool views along the way.
Even with the help of a GPS, sometimes there are some hangups when exploring Thailand. For starters, Google Maps doesn't register Thailand's street addresses (at least, not when they're written in English.) And if you don't use the correct Thai-to-English transliterations (and there can be several variations) of whatever restaurant or site you want to visit, you're SOL, too.
Unfortunately, we were stumped when we tried to find Ban Tai Lue Café. Not one guide provided the correct English spelling (it wasn't Baan Thai Lue, Baan Tai Leu, or Baanthailue...), its name in Thai script, or a map. Can you believe it!?
After some aimless driving around another similarly named spot, we succumbed to asking directions from the driver of a local tourist tour group. To our pleasant surprise, he knew where it was! This is what we ended up finding.
Coffee and Rice Paddies at Ban Tai Lue Café
All of that hunting was well worth it in the end. That's because the café turned out to be our favorite stop during our day trip around Nan.
Three coffee shops dot the edge of country road Rt 1081 in the Pua District of Nan including Ban Tai Lue Café. Whichever you choose, they all provide a stunning panoramic view of rice fields with mountains in the distance.
What makes this particular place so unique are the stilted, thatched-roof salas suspended several feet above the rice paddies and fields of Cat's Whiskers. Each hut is connected by an interlacing network of bamboo and wood bridges, too.
It was such a cool perspective looking down onto the rice from above. Normally, to get this angle, you'd be knee deep in mud and worrying about bugs and snakes.
The landscape was incredible. Several handsome water buffalos and a rustic waterwheel rested at the edge of the rice paddies. Woven banners and bolts of fabric gently fluttered in the wind and brought a pop of color to the scene.
The onsite cafes brew espresso drinks from locally sourced Arabica beans. And there's tea, too. For anyone who prefers something a little less caffeinated, get lemon iced tea or the green tea latte.
Whether you fancy sitting at a table, a Thai-style floor cushion and triangle pillow, or prefer to lounge in the hammocks, this is a beautiful place to roam with a camera in hand or to relax with a good book.
Locally woven fabric from Lamduan Textile
If you're into locally sourced products, be sure to take a peek into the Lamduan Textile warehouse just next door. The large shop features Thai Lue woven handicrafts that are unique to the Pua District.
Colorful and inexpensive, this is shop has something for anyone. There were lightweight, casual tops and fisherman pants as well as formalwear starting at 180 THB.
Bantailue Café Homestay
This little roadside viewpoint keeps getting better because guests can enjoy the views of rice paddies and mountains from the time they wake up until sunset.
It wasn't until after we left that we learned the stilted buildings along the perimeter of the property were part of the Ban Tai Lue Café Homestay. They share the same gorgeous views as the café.
A little more digging revealed that the price is 1,500 THB per night. This includes dinner and breakfast for two people as well as up to six drinks (coffee, tea) from their cafe. We just might have to stay there for a night the next time we're in town.
How to get to Ban Tai Lue Café, Homestay, and Lamduan Textiles
You'll find these places in Pua District of Nan Province, which is about an hour's ride north of Nan City.
If possible, go to Ban Tai Lue Cafe on a weekday to beat the crowds. We know it's a popular place with locals on Saturdays and Sundays! We went there in the middle of the week and we were lucky that there were only a handful of people.
19.145823, 100.940665
Cafe: (089) 264-6058 or (081) 882-7767 (Open 8am to 5pm daily)
Homestay: (062) 308-4010
Now that I know where it is, I plan to make it a mandatory stop during future trips to Nan. This part of Thailand is incredible and I only wish I'd visited sooner. Travelers looking for something off the beaten path or expats who want to get away from the traditionally touristy cities should definitely add this to their list.