A countryside coffee tasting trip with School Coffee

Our friends at School Coffee invited us into the countryside to see where some of Northern Thailand’s coffee begins. The journey took us from Chiang Mai toward the Chiang Rai hills, past mountain scenery and into a small coffee-growing community. It was a chance to meet growers, taste the results and understand more of the work behind a cup.

At the farm and cafe

Our trip centred on Rotator Cuff Cafe and its nearby farm. We learned about coffee plants, bean processing and different ways of preparing the coffee, then sat down for a tasting. A local meal was part of the day too. What there is to see at a coffee farm depends on the season, from tending the plants to harvesting and processing.

More of the countryside

The wider area has villages, temples, hot springs and waterfalls, so a coffee visit can fit into a longer trip. We returned to Chiang Mai in the late afternoon. If this sounds like your kind of day, message School Coffee on Facebook to find out about its current countryside trips. The destination and activities may be different from the day we describe here. You can also read about another of their community outings in our 2025 School Coffee field-trip recap.

If you would like to spend time helping at a coffee farm, School Coffee can tell you whether one of its grower friends welcomes help during your visit. Planting, tending the coffee plants and other work vary through the year. School Coffee also runs barista training for people who want to learn more about preparing coffee.