Our van bounces and sways as it continues its climb along the hair-raising twisting road through the mountains in Mae Hong Son province. It’s a stomach-churning journey and our thoughts go to our beloved late monarch, His Majesty the King Bhumibol Adulyadej who made this and similarly jarring trips as he travelled to the many uncharted villages across Thailand.

Finally we reach the end of the road, clambering with relief out of the vehicle outside the rice mill in this small village nestled beside a creek. Pigs, hens and dogs sound the alert in a cacophony of cackles and barks and are soon joined by village headman, his wife and other villagers.

“Welcome to Pa Pae, a village of the Lawa people,” says Sangla Praimeekha, the village headman, warmly.

Pa Pae is a small village in the backwaters of Mae Sariang district. It’s home to some 200 Lawa, a tribe that’s been around in these hills since the fifth century. Unlike Pai or other popular destinations in Mae Hong Son, Pa Pae hardly sees any tourists. However, everyone here remembers very well their most-honoured visitor.

“Back in 1970 King Bhumibol came here with Queen Sirikit,” says the headman and shows us a coin engraved with King Bhumibol’s portrait on one side and “MS097715” on the other. “The king came to set up a rice bank for the village and handed out these coins as a form of identity document to my father and other hilltribe people.”

In those days, highlanders and hilltribe people were not formally recognised by government and thus were not entitled to any form of identity card. The late King sought to change that by giving them these special “identity coins” (Rian Ratchakarn), which guaranteed their recognition by the King of Thailand. The rice bank, a type of cooperative, was to ensure that nutritional needs were met as the villages couldn’t produce enough rice for everyone.

“The rice bank was a life-changing project,” the headman explains. “Not only did it save the children from going hungry but it also helped the villagers to stand on their own feet.”

The picture in Pa Pae is now much brighter, with villagers living well and sustainably through their farming and weaving projects.

“We have enough rice,” says one Lawa woman, smiling as she hands us glasses of throat-burning rice wine.

The Lawa no longer shy away from their tribe and identity and are proud to dress in their finest costumes to greet special visitors. Lawa bags and dresses with unique tribal patterns are among their best-selling products along with shiitake mushrooms and organic vegetables.

“We offer home-stays too,” the Lawa woman adds.

After a delicious lunch of chicken, we leave Pa Pae and head north to the royal project in Mae La Noi district. Mae La Noi Royal Project, with its beautiful terraced rice paddies stretching all along the hillside, is noted for agrotourism. Visitors come for the fresh mountain air and breathtaking views before leaving with bags full of passion fruit, coffee beans and Cape gooseberries.

“Back in the 1970s Mae La Noi wasn’t this pretty,” says Manoon Raksachon, an agricultural officer with the Royal Project. “The highlanders practised slash-and-burn agriculture to clear land for their new crops. It was King Bhumibol who told the hilltribe people to change their way of farming in order to save the watershed forest.

“It took years to convince the highlanders to accept new crops and techniques but they now recognise the benefits,” adds the agriculture officer. “The terrace steps are used to decrease erosion and surface runoff. And Arabica coffee, leeks, radishes, beets, berries and some high-altitude crops have replaced the cabbages.”

A short ride from Mae La Noi Royal Project is Huai Hom, a Karen village in Mae La Noi district, and the home of the finest Arabica coffee. The villagers are Starbucks’ partners, supplying some of their best beans to the famous coffee chain. Wilawan Nakrobprai, a Karen woman born and raised in Huai Hom, recalls the day King Bhumibol arrived at her village back in 1970.

“I was a child then. I remember my father and his Karen friends receiving the King here. Some of young people performed a tribal dance,” says Wilawan, pointing to a wooden abode perched on a mound. “The King told my father and the other villagers to dig a reservoir above the village as a way to save water for the dry season.

“The King returned to the village a few more times. Sometimes he took a lunch break under that shelter.”

Visitors and coffee aficionados can now stop over in Huai Hom village for a caffeine kick before following the King’s footsteps along the coffee trail. Wilawan leads us into the coffee plantation, where the bushes grow strong in the shade provided by Areca palms.

“Want to know what the coffee cherry tastes like?” asks our guide, tossing us branches of red berries.

Of course we do.

For people who get their coffee from the machine most of the time, it is easy to forget that coffee actually comes from a fruit. We pick up some of the red cherries and pop them into our mouths. At Huai Hom, everything is organic. We chomp happily on these little beauties that are sweet, delicate and taste rather like watermelon.

Our last stop is Pang Tong Royal Palace in Muang Mae Hong Son district. Occupying more than 2,000 acres, the palace is part royal residence and part research and development centre for cold-climate livestock. The palace is open to the public and well worth the stop to mingle with the deer, pheasants, red jungle fowl and sheep that roam freely around the open zoo. The palace recently opened its impressive fern garden.

As we follow in the late Monarch’s footsteps from the Lawa village to the Karen Arabica farms to the royal palace in Pang Tong, our respect grows for all he did to improve the lives of the underprivileged. For almost 50 years, the King and the highlanders have proved that a simple and sustainable life can live side-by-side with tourism.

IF YOU GO

< Chiang Mai province is a gateway to Mae Hong Son. From Chiang Mai International Airport, visitors can rent a car and spend a full week driving around the Royal projects without ever becoming bored. Better still, Mae Hong Son is at its most beautiful in December.