Blooms banish winter blues in Thailand

Come the dead of winter, many Brits long to see some real greenery. One way of setting eyes on beautiful blooms is to fly to Thailand for the Chiang Mai Flower Festival.

Running throughout the first weekend of February, this popular festival takes advantage of Chiang Mai's ideal conditions for floral life and attracts visitors from across the globe.

The region's plant life benefits from a warm climate, high altitudes and cool winters to produce a dazzling array of colourful flowers throughout the year.

Travellers to this Thailand event can see a wide range of flowers, including orchids, tropical blooms, carnations, marigolds, celosia and more.

A number of flower and landscaping contests will take place over the weekend, as well as a Miss Flower pageant and numerous cultural performances.

In addition, visitors can take a little bit of Thailand home with them by purchasing seeds and blooms for themselves.

For more information, see the Chiang Mai Flower Festival website.

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