Suan Supatra Land Fruit Farm
I’m not obsessed with durian or anything like that…
I really think Southeast Asia is one of the best fruit producing destinations in the world (and not just because of durian… though that’s a big part of it)!
Every single tropical fruit you can imagine (or even fruits you’ve never imagined) are grown and eaten in this magical fruit filled southern portion of the Asian subcontinent.
If you’re looking for beef, head to Argentina or Uruguay, but if you enjoy fruit, you’ll have the time of your life in Southeast Asia!
When I heard “fruit buffet,” I couldn’t hold back my flaming desire to drop everything and head to the farm.
While tropical fruit is available year-round in Thailand, May through July is when the season really booms at full force.
Trees produce fruit like it’s their job to feed us humans – it is!
No, I’m not a health freak, but I just can’t help but continually be amazed that edible things so delicious and sweet are naturally produced by trees.
No human could ever create a dessert or snack as overall amazing as a natural piece of fruit (you may disagree, but really think about fruit – could someone make a mango? …no way).
Anyway, on to the juicy fruit buffet!
Suan Supatra Land
It took about 2.5 hours on the bus from Bangkok to Rayong and about 30 minutes on a local rusty bus that dropped us off at the gates of Suan Supatra Land.
Though I was expecting a little peaceful fruit haven where I could roam the farm freely and eat natural candy straight from the arms of the tree, when we I arrived there were a few other massive Chinese tour groups – so it was a bit of a tourist attraction.
But luckily that didn’t takeaway from the greatness of the trip, nor did it hinder my fruit buffet demolishing ability (I just had to be a little more food aggressive – something I learned to do well in Vietnam).
Taking the trolley around Suan Supatra Land Fruit Farm
After buying our tickets we were ushered off in a provided trolley that took a few minutes to the first stop: the rambutan station.
This was actually the only fruit we could pick ourselves straight from the tree. They were extremely sweet and equally juicy.
Beautifully colored rambutan…
A trolley would pass every few minutes, so after spending a few minutes in the rambutan tree area, we hopped back on and headed to the fruit buffet station.
Everylasting fruit buffet!
The Everlasting Fruit Buffet
Imagine walking into a fruit market and being able to devour anything you set your eyes on – that’s about what the fruit buffet was, but instead of having to cut everything yourself there was staff slicing and dicing ferociously so we could focus strictly on important things… like how much fruit we could put away.
Santol Fruit
I began eating a few halves of santol fruit.
You just kind of suck the white fuzzy stuff off the seeds. The flavor is slightly sour and quite sweet and the texture is like a slimy cotton ball.
I won’t say no to a mango!
Of course there were plenty of perfectly ripened mangoes, and despite the fact that living in Bangkok I eat 2 – 4 mangoes daily for breakfast, I would never say no to such a gorgeous fruit.
Nicely acidic snakefruit
Snakefruit was another one of the plentiful fruits offered at the buffet, and these were some of the juiciest I’ve ever had. Snakefruit is highly acidic and very juicy, quite sour with a bite to it.
All you can eat of the king of fruits!
After finishing the child-play with the other fruits, it was time to move on to the real deal, the king of all fruits.
Now a durian buffet is something that should be handled with respect, once you start eating it’s virtually impossible to hold yourself back (due to its deliciousness), yet if you overdose you may end up with hot flashes and heart burn.
There was a stockpile of durian so grand that it probably could have fed the 5000, but luckily it was all for us!
After thoroughly enjoying a few ciabatta sized loaves of durian paired with a few kilos of mangosteen, I exercised self control so I wouldn’t embarrassingly collapse from fruit exhaustion.
Section of pre-cut fruit
For the fruit that was easier eaten in bite sized pieces, like papaya, pineapple, jackfruit and starfruit, were sliced and provided on trays.
Rose Apples
Growing up in DR Congo we used to have a rose apple tree in our yard. When I was kid I remember climbing the tree just about every single day for years so I could grab a few of the juicy fruits!
Next Station…
Hallucinating off fruit, we proceeded on to the next station – the som tam (green papaya salad) section of the farm.
Suan Supatra Land not only grows fruit, but also a selection of organic vegetables.
My own personal som tam provider!
When the trolley dropped us off, there were about 6 ladies lined up, mortar and pestle in hand and ready to immediately pound whatever we demanded.
And I demanded it all (politely of course).
Big fresh plates of green papaya salad
I could seriously taste the quality and freshness of the vegetables that were surely picked just hours prior to being served.
The green papaya was exceptionally crisp and the chilies were pleasantly scorching.
Shoveling som tam into my mouth!
I indeed devoured the som tam without hesitation, knowing I could get free re-fills!
Mouth overjoyed and belly stuffed, we hopped back on the trolley, back to the entrance of the farm, and eventually made our way back to Bangkok.
Though my stomach bulged with fruit pregnancy, I couldn’t have been more satisfied with the fruit buffet farm in Thailand!
Address: Suan Supatra Land, Nong Lalok, Ban Khai, Rayong 21120 Thailand
Do you love fruit too? Leave a comment!
NOTE: If you’re coming to Bangkok, please be sure to check out my Thai food guide and my 101 things to do in Bangkok guide!
Amazing!! How did I never know this existed. You have now given me a mission when I head back to Thailand
Haha, excellent Shannon, I know you’d enjoy it!
Hey Mark, are you still in Thailand? I will be in Thailand by the end of Aug.
Hi, I’m in Thailand but with my schedule I’m in and out of the country quite frequently.
My friend is hooking me up with a new job in Thailand. I have about a month of free time in Thailand before I start my new job. Maybe once I’m there you can show me places to eat? That would be awesome.
Wow I can’t wait to show this to my 9 year old son. I think it will jump to the top of his list of places he wants to go.
Great to hear that Chris, you son must be a fruit lover too!
Hi Mark, you are right. The best place to these tropical fruits, is on the fruit farm, fresh and juicy.
I missed the santol fruit, I love this fruit, and July is the month of santol, and it has a lot of uses. From the flesh u can make into a santol candy, santol in coconut. Just like the papaya, where you can make into many dishes. Love to see you enjoying all these tropical fruits.
Thank you so much Maria and glad to hear that you also enjoy fruit and santol. In Thailand they also pickle the santon and then serve it with sweet syrup, onion, chillies and dried shrimp – it’s wonderful! Are you able to get santol where you are now?
Ooohh.. Love Santol and Rose Apples.. though we call it “tambis” in Southern Philippines – Mindanao.
Great post!
ciaRaysabeL (@cosmicais) recently posted..Enchanted River – A Photo Essay
Good to hear that – I know you’ve got some great fruit in Mindanao too, and I’m hoping to taste Mindanao durian someday too!
WOW. This looks unreal! I had the spiky fruits in China and they were the most delicious thing I’ve ever had..and now I finally know their name! Thanks for the great post. I’m moving to Thailand in August and I will have to check this out!
Wow Jamie, that’s fantastic that the spiky fruit is the best thing you’ve ever tasted and I fully agree, it’s just so good it’s hard to describe. Well, you’ll be glad to know that durian is very widely available in Thailand!
I went to Berlin in March for the ITB event. In the evening we went shopping for food. This is what I bought as fruit
http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-NC4HvBuNJJk/T1z1B8LGKFI/AAAAAAAABiY/KtW2-3EZjdI/s400/P1080966.JPG
I put them on my bed and stared for a good deal of time. The question was: how do I eat them? I see them for the first time in my life. Are they edible completely? Or is the skin out? Where do I cut them? I was like O________________O HELP. I wonder is there a printed illustrated guide to eating fruit?
Ele recently posted..Bubble the City
Haha, thanks for sharing Ele! When you do find a new exotic fruit it can be difficult to know what to eat or how to cut it – that’s happened to me as well!
mark: i wanna nom nom on those fruits. So when are we all going to be expecting your fruit babies?hehehe
sully86 recently posted..lucky escape in China
Ha, very soon!
mark: and mark i dare u to sleep, eat, shower with a few durians..ahhahaha since you like them so much.
sully86 recently posted..lucky escape in China
I was thinking about durian perfume…!
I love fruit too, sound like a great way to discover new ones in Thailand.
Ayngelina recently posted..I’m so over hostels
Yah, it was a great fruit experience, just being able to see the trees that the fruit comes from and eating them. Great to hear you also love fruit!
Mark,
I would love to visit this place. Wow, the variety is amazing. I have never tried the snake or santol fruit. And let me say (you are going to hate me), I haven’t tried durian either. Agree that Southeast Asia is a paradise for fruit and vegetable lovers. I have to admit I even ate some stuff without knowing what it was. Central America is full of tropical fruits too (I recently wrote a post about this). It is a place you would like to visit.
Ruth of Tanama Tales recently posted..Is it worth to travel to that country?
Thanks Ruth, I went back and found your article, sounds like central America, El Salavador in particular, has an outstanding selection of fruit as well! I would love to explore that area of the world too! That’s OK, I won’t hate you for not trying durian!!
Was there any passionfruit? That’s my absolute favorite! Mango would have had me very happy, though.
Ava Apollo recently posted..How to Spend a Weekend in Santa Barbara
You know, there were a few passion fruit vines at the farm, but I guess none of them were ripe at the time. I’m with you, passion fruit is another one of my all-time favorite fruits. Unfortunately it’s not overly popular in Thailand, you can find it, just not everywhere like mangoes or rambutan.
Mark, someone recommended there that you shower with durians since you love them so much
ohhh man
DUDE. thank you for this link, but i am actually upset with you right now. literally upset, dude… i cant even put it into words. but you will understand my situation.
I am sitting here in the USA, looking at your pictures of the king of all fruits followed by snakefruit, starfruit, gratawn, mankut… and if that is not enough, THEN you get to pack your stomach with ready made all you can eat som tam!!!!!!!! ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh dude. its midnight but i am HUNGRY after these pics.
that is why i am mad at you right now
Joel Bruner recently posted..A Week on a Virtual Food Tour with Bangkok Fatty in Review
Haha, yes, I think I (and you) would be willing to enjoy a durian spa treatment, or even take a durian bath, while eating it of course. Man, I understand, the States does have some good fruit, but it just can’t be compared to any tropical destination, and the added organic som tam just capped things off nicely!
BEST IDEA EVER.
Naomi recently posted..it’s official: i’ve survived the jungle
Yes!
I feel like I have finally found someone who loves fruit as much as I do. I was JUST writing a post about my visit to the tropical fruit farm on Penang before I read this. Have you ever read the book Fruit Hunters? It’s like literary porn for people who are fruit obsessed.
Jeff recently posted..Our 7 Super Shots
Awesome Jeff, thank you for sharing that you’re also a fruit lover and what a coincidence that you just visited the farm in Penang! No, I haven’t heard of Fruit Hunters, but thanks for the recommendation and I’ll check it out now. I’ll be waiting to see your post on the fruit farm in Penang!
Great pictures. I literally wanted to lick the screen
I agree the fruit variety in south east asia is phenomenal however I can’t say to love the pungent durien.
Not surprisingly many hotels especially in Malaysia ask their guests from bringing in their favourite fruit… My favorite is the delicious mango. The once back at home are just not the same.
Martin Pietrzak recently posted..Trip Pulse: Australia Part 1/3 – Western Australia with Kids
Thanks for the comment Martin. Yes, from what I heard it can take a long time to remove the smell of durian from a hotel room, so I guess it is understandable. Great to hear you love mango though, I enjoy eating mangoes just about every single day!
Really unique and delicious! Nothing beats having a sweet piece of fruit. I will definitely check this out if I’m in Thailand. Great photos too!
Josh @ Green Global Travel recently posted..10 Amazing Lakes For Your World Travel Bucket List
Thanks Josh, fruit is just one of the great natural delights on this earth!
I can’t wait to get to SE Asia for some of the awesome fruits there. And a fruit buffet? Holy crap I’m in! Sounds and looked amazing.
Talon recently posted..An Interesting Question
Cool, if you enjoy fruit you really will love SE Asia, it’s cheap and wonderful. Yah, it just doesn’t get much better than a fruit buffet!
I really want to try the snakefruit! It looks so interesting.
It really is interesting Laura, I’m sure you’d like it!
Oh. My. God. This looks like absolute heaven.
And I spent three months in Thailand and never even heard of it! That’s it. I need to go back.
Thanks for the awesome article.
Micki@TheBarefootNomad recently posted..Watching the Salmon Run of the Century at the Adams River, British Columbia
No problem, Micki, thank you for reading it! I think the fruit farm is not really advertised that much, apart from Chinese and Thai tour groups, because I had never heard of it on my own either (if it wasn’t for my Thai girlfriend). Sounds like you also love fruit!
Ooooh and aaah – I just wish I was bit more of a fruit eater (well, i hate sticky fingers) but the images look drooling!
Cool, thanks for checking it out Conrad!
Wow Wow Wow thanks Mark. I’m sitting here in South Africa and my mouth is watering!!! I’m coming to Thailand next month and will definitely be visiting this place. Thanks for the great info. Keep it up.
Steve
Thanks! We got a group of friends (9) will be in Bangkok for 5 days and then Phuket for 6 days in a few days. I’m glad I stumble over your fruit buffet. It’s very interesting and love the pictures. It looks like this will be a full day trip if we’re staying in Bangkok yes? It’s my mission to scope out this place for sure! Thanks a mil!.
Great to hear that Jane! Hope you and your group have a wonderful time traveling in Thailand, and be sure to enjoy lots of good SE Asian fruit while you’re here!
Well this fantastic, a fruit eaters paradise and it’s just 30 minutes drive from me, not going to tell the wife though, we’ll be there every day.
BlogDaz recently posted..Ghostly Encounters and Spiritual Offerings
Haha, thanks for checking this out, and hope you enjoy it!
I’ll be backpacking SEAsia in just a few months and one of the things I’m most excited for is the fresh fruit. I check your site all the time, torturing myself with pictures of foods I have yet tasted. I might just have to make a detour to this buffet, it looks amazing.
-Wil
Wil recently posted..Travel Plan – Leg 1 – Central Thailand Travel Itinerary
Hey Will, great to hear you’ll be traveling around SEA soon. The tropical fruit is wonderful!
I have been stalking your blog for a few months but didn’t come across this article until i googled thailand fruit farm. So even when i’m not stalking your blog, i’m redirected to come back. Lol. Love all your posts and insights. Definitely putting this on the to do lists for my july vacay. Thanks!!
Thanks a lot Lai, I appreciate your support. It’s really fun to visit this fruit farm, hope you can make it!
As usual, it seems we have similar interests! (that is, durian, heehee) Thanks for this visually inspiring look at Suan Supatra Land Fruit Farm. I’m hoping to check it out this year. Think its worth going, at least to experience something really touristy?
Hey Lindsay, yah, it’s worth it to go once, though a bit touristy!
Yum! Will be adding this to my must visit for my next trip to Bangkok. Is there anything similar near Phuket?
Hey Kim, great, hope you can make it here. I’m not sure about Phuket, but you could probably find something like this there.
Mark,
i will visit to pattaya next month,
is it easy to find local bus or other transportation which go to Supatra Land and come back again to pattaya???
Thank you
Hey Fery, hmm, I’m really not sure, I’ve never gone there from Pattaya, but I’m sure if you go to the local bus station you can get there. Have a great trip!
is it easy if i go from Rayong???
Thank you
Yes, you can take a local bus from Rayong!
Hi Mark,
I definitely need to visit the place.
Could you help to provide me details on the transfer from the Rayong Bus Terminal to Suphattra Land? Which bus should we take? and are there plenty of trips?
Thanks for the help!
Hey Erwin,
I took a bus from Ekkamai station to Rayong and from Rayong I took another local bus, but not sure which number or where it was heading. You may just have to arrive there and then ask for a bus that goes in the direction of Suan Supatra Land. There are plenty of trips, starting early in the morning – maybe 6 am or so.
Enjoy!