🔄 Updated 21 Jun 2026
The name "Mon Laplae" gets used two ways. One is Mon Laplae the shop, a well-known restaurant and souvenir spot in Fai Luang sub-district. The other is the general idea of the "mon" — the hills of Laplae — with fruit orchards scattered across the slopes. This guide covers both, because most people who head up to Laplae stop at the Mon Laplae shop and visit the fruit orchards on the same trip anyway.
What is Mon Laplae, and why do people drive up the hill to eat?
Laplae grows durian high up on the hillsides, and the soil and cool air give it intensely flavoured, dense-fleshed native varieties. Locals nicknamed it "durian raised by the angels" because it grows up on the high slopes and is looked after with a hands-off, let-nature-help approach. Long and Lin Laplae durian also carry GI (geographical indication) status for Uttaradit, which means they can only use the name if they're actually grown in the Laplae area.
The appeal of coming up to Mon Laplae is getting to eat the fruit right at the orchard, not buy it from a roadside stall. Many orchards let you sit under the trees, watch the growers cut fresh durian, and crack it open right there with the green valley all around you — an experience you just can't get in town.
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Laplae fruit seasons — which month gets you what
If your main goal is eating fruit at the orchard, plan around the season carefully, because Laplae doesn't have fruit year-round. The real peak is the early rainy season, roughly late May through July.
- Long Laplae / Lin Laplae durian — out roughly May to July, sometimes stretching into August. This is the headliner people come for.
- Laplae longkong — starts a little after the durian, around June to August. Big segments, sweet with a hint of tartness.
- Mayongchid / sweet maprang — out early in the year, around February to March, a different season from durian.
- Langsat — another local fruit of Laplae, ripening around the same time as longkong.
Plan before you go
Different orchards ripen at different times, and stock can sell out fast when wholesalers come to buy. Call the orchard you're planning to visit a day or two ahead to check whether there's still fruit to eat on-site, so you don't make the trip for nothing.
Hillside orchards and cafes that are genuinely open to visitors
Laplae has several orchards open to visitors, and some have grown into cafes in the middle of the durian groves where you can sit with a snack and a mountain view even out of season. These are the orchards people review and that are genuinely open.
Long Suan Na Laplae
A cafe set in a durian orchard in a valley at Hua Dong, about 10 km from Laplae town. You sit in little pavilions looking out over hills ringed by durian and longkong groves, and you can walk up close to see how the orchard is run. Standout menu items are the cheese pizza, khao pan pak (steamed rice rolls with veg), and blended mayongchid juice. There's also a homestay on-site. Open roughly 09:30-18:30.
Suan Pa Rian (Summer Green Cafe)
A durian orchard turned into a cafe for durian lovers. The draw is the menu made from fresh durian — durian ice cream, durian cheesecake, durian grass jelly with fresh milk. In durian season you can go in and eat at the orchard; out of season there's still a full lineup of durian dishes to try.
Mon Laplae (souvenir shop + cafe)
In Fai Luang sub-district, this is a restaurant, cafe and souvenir shop all in one, split into a souvenir house, a cafe and a dining area. It's decorated in Laplae style within a shady garden, and there's even a corner showing teen chok woven sarongs. Open 9:00-21:00 — a good stop before or after the orchards.
Straight talk
The orchard cafes are open all year, but eating durian straight off the tree only happens in season. If you come out of season (Aug-Apr), don't expect to pick durian yourself — but you can still relax at a cafe with the view and the durian-based dishes.
The mountain road — how to drive up to the orchards
From Uttaradit town it's about 8-10 km to Laplae district. The district itself sits in a valley, while the fruit orchards are higher up on the slopes in the Fai Luang, Mae Phun and Hua Dong sub-districts. The road up is narrow and paved, winding along the hillside, and some stretches are steep and only wide enough for one car to pass at a time.
- Sedans can make it — the main road is paved the whole way, but drive slowly, watch the curves and steep sections, and take extra care when rain makes the road slippery.
- Check the pin before you set off — each orchard has only small signs at the junctions, so set the GPS pin for the orchard you're heading to. It's much easier than guessing.
- Long Suan Na Laplae — take the Khao Nam Tok road to Wat Hua Dong, turn right at the bend, go about another 200 m, and turn left when you see the sign.
- Motorbike — more nimble and easier to park, but the road is steep and winding, so be confident on the bike and wear a helmet.
Fuel and your vehicle
There are no petrol stations up the mountain, so fill up in Laplae town or Uttaradit first, and check your brakes before heading up — you'll be using them often on the way down.
Long Laplae vs Lin Laplae durian — what's the difference?
These two are the names you hear most when people talk about Laplae. They look similar but differ in taste and price — worth knowing so you choose the right one when you buy.
Lin Laplae
Fine-textured, deep yellow flesh, sweet and creamy with thin seeds and lots of flesh. It's the one people hunt for and costs more, since it yields less than Long.
Long Laplae
Yellow flesh, sweet and creamy in just the right balance, with a milder smell than Monthong and easy to eat. It's the famous pairing with Lin, slightly cheaper and easier to find.
The prices above are rough ranges that move with the year and where you are in the season. Early in the season fruit is scarce and prices run high; by mid-season, as more ripens, prices ease off. Buying at the orchard usually gets you fresher fruit at a better price than the roadside stalls in town.
Beyond the fruit — what else is there to see in Laplae?
Laplae isn't just orchards. On the way up and down the hill you can fit in other stops on the same trip, and the old town of Laplae itself has a charm of a town out of legend that not everyone has reached yet.
- Laplae old town + the city gate arch — stroll and take photos, and try local snacks like khao kaep (crispy rice crackers) and mi phan.
- Mae Phun Waterfall — a tiered rock waterfall near the orchards, shady and relaxed, good for an afternoon break.
- Temples around Laplae — there are hilltop temples where you can make merit and take in the valley view.
- Local souvenirs — teen chok woven sarongs, durian fruit leather, dried longkong, all available at Mon Laplae and shops in town.
Pacing a full day
Spend the morning half in the orchards eating fruit while the air is still cool, then come down in the afternoon to walk the old town and stop at Mae Phun Waterfall — just right for one day without wearing yourself out.
An easygoing half-day trip to Mon Laplae
Up the hill, into the orchards
Down the hill, into the old town
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