Siam tulip fields of Chaiyaphum

What it is

The Siam tulip is not a tulip. It is a wild relative of ginger and turmeric that Thais call dok krachiao. When the first monsoon rains arrive, it sends up pink and purple flower heads across open ground in the national parks of Chaiyaphum province, chiefly Pa Hin Ngam and Sai Thong. The flowers stand among grass and oddly shaped sandstone rocks on a plateau edge with long views. The province holds a festival for the bloom, which runs from about June to August. It is one of the few flower seasons in Thailand that belongs to the rains.

Before you go

• Go in the morning, when mist often hangs over the fields.
• Stay on the boardwalks so the bulbs are not trampled.
• Paths are wet. Wear shoes with grip.

The flowers you will see

Siam TulipA tropical perennial with tulip-like blooms from Southeast AsiaCurcumaA group of ginger relatives with edible rhizomes, including turmeric

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