Chocolate Making, Vintage Cafés, and Lampang Nights

Today’s journey took us from the peaceful Sapan Retreat to the lively city of Lampang, with a handful of memorable stops along the way. We started the morning with a quiet walk through the local village, followed by breakfast surrounded by mountain air that felt almost unreal. Once we packed up, we hit the road with a loose plan and a lot of curiosity.

Our first stop was Cocoa Valley Café, a place that feels like a chocolate lover’s dream. We grabbed some coffee and then Pook joined a hands on class to learn how to make a chocolate bar from scratch. Before the class even began, they let us taste freshly crushed cocoa seeds that were pure 100 percent cocoa. The flavor was intense and earthy. Then we tried cocoa beans that were sixty seven percent cocoa with the rest sugar, which gave us a whole new appreciation for how chocolate evolves from bitter to sweet. Learning about the chocolate making process while sipping coffee made the experience even better.

After our chocolate adventure, we continued to Rong Bom Pua Cafe and Eatery for lunch. The place used to be a tobacco curing facility and now it has been transformed into a vintage style café with so much character. The food was good, but the atmosphere is what really makes the stop worth it. It felt like stepping into a piece of history.

Once we finished lunch, we continued toward Lampang. Before meeting up with Pook’s brother, we checked into the Tree Tara Hotel. It turned out to be a great value with a comfortable room and a surprisingly good breakfast buffet included. Later that evening, we met Pook’s brother and his wife for dinner at a Thai restaurant. I could not read the name, but the food was tasty and the conversation was even better. It was the perfect way to end a full day of travel, food, and new experiences.