Wish You Were Here – At The Regent Chiang Mai

We checked in for the first fight of day with Bangkok Airways for their flight Bangkok to Chiang Mai with a stopover en-route at Sukhothai. The nice touches that I like about flying with the airline is that in their lounge they offer passengers complimentary tea, coffee, juice and pastries, access to the internet and off copies of this magazine to read while waiting to be called to board.

Our flight departed to schedule. I do find that Bangkok Airways possibly has the best in-flight catering on domestic routes in Thailand, tasty light well presented snacks.

The Regent is located the lush Mae Rim Valley, a 20 minutes drive away from the city. I would recommend anyone staying at the resort to consider the option of transport. As we were looking to travel extensively in the area we hired a car and found it an in valuable asset.

Arriving at The Regent is as if you are stepping into another world, once describe by a friend as Disney World for adults. The concept is that of a traditional northern Thai village. As we checked in our first experience was the entrance Lobby Pavilion reflects the main temple found in traditional northern Thai village. Its design is simple, open to all passers-by, and would be the main gathering place for the people of the village. As a gesture of welcome a jasmine garland is placed around my neck.

It was then time to be shown to my suite. The main part of the resort is sixteen clusters of two storey buildings woven around a rice paddy field. The architecture style is Lanna, a blend of influences from Burma, India and China. Each building contains four spacious Pavilion suites, each a living space of polished teak wood floors, rich Thai furnishings and exquisite Siamese art.

The focal point of the bedroom is the armoire, containing the entertainment center, positioned opposite the bed. These are in bright primary colours of blue, red or green with intricate gold stenciling. Having the rotating fan over the bed ensured a comfortable nights sleep.

Leading from the bedroom area on one side a dressing room area and oversized bathroom. A justifiable indulgence is a long soak in the deep tub looking out onto the garden, - disturb me at your peril.

On the other side, doors opening onto a walkway leading to a private Thai sala with an oversized elephant bed with colourful triangular pillows to relax and luxuriate. The overall is a “village-like” feel in a very tasteful relaxed and comfortable style with a very calming view. Just being here helps with the de-stress process.

After a good nights sleep, I am awake just after daybreak. Having had another indulging soak I make my way to the terrace, overlooking the paddy field, comfortably sitting in the valley with mountains beyond. Just around 8am the air is cool, fresh and invigorating the prefect start to a great day.

The entire design is also environmentally sensitive both in its use of materials and how it fits into the environment of the rice paddy fields of northern Thailand. It’s architect Ajarn Chulathat Kitibutr prides himself on being able to incorporate the ancient Thai architectural style into modern, practical buildings.

Chiang Mai, on the Ping River, 700km north of Bangkok, is spectacularly located in a fertile area of great beauty. According to legend, King Mengrai chose this spot not just because of its natural advantages, but because the signs were auspicious. Shortly before he made his decision in 1296 on the site of his new capital, a gathering of rare animals had been seen there – two white sambar deer, two white barking deer and a white mouse with a family of five.

The city often called “The Rose of the North” is famous for its history, culture and ancient temples. Although a traditional Thai city, the cultures of the bordering countries of Myanmar (Burma) and Laos have greatly influenced Chiang Mai’s unique heritage.

Chiang Mai is today Thailand’s second largest city and the capital of northern Thailand. The northern Thai province is made up of 17 districts (known as Amphurs in Thai) with a population of around 2 million people. The city of Chiang Mai has a population of approximately 252,000 people.

Local handicrafts such as silk, cotton weaving, umbrella making, silverware, wood carving, pottery and lacquer ware have turned Chiang Mai into a cottage industry capital.

Northern Thai food is quite distinctive from the rest of the nation. For example, in the north, a steamed glutinous rice is preferred, curries are generally milder and the influence of neighbouring Myanmar is evident.

The traditional way of entertaining guests in the north is with a Khantoke dinner – Kahn means bowl in Thai and toke being a round table made of lacquer or rattan. The host and guests sit on the floor around the table and help themselves to an assorted selection of dishes including glutinous rice, local curries, laab – a minced meat dish seasoned with chillies, salad, fried pork rind and various sauces and condiments. Don’t expect to find any cutlery, as the meal by tradition is eaten with bare fingers.

The city of Chiang Mai is famous for its centuries old temples (wats in Thai). Hundreds of temples are scattered throughout the area embracing Buddhism as the chosen way of life and reflecting the Lanna Thai architectural style.

The most famous temple in Chiang Mai is the Wat Phra That Doi Suthep. Built in 1385 and 16 kilometres up Doi Suthep Hills, it overlooks the entire city of Chiang Mai. The temple’s golden chedi can been seen sparkling brightly from the city below. Local legend has it that unless you have visited Doi Suthep, you have not really visited Chiang Mai. To make it even easier to complete that task a cable car has been installed to transfer visitors from the parking area to the temple for a notional fee of 20 baht.

From the top, with a bird’s eye view of the runway, it comes immediately apparent how close the airport is to the city below.

Returning to the resort after a day of sightseeing and shopping I head for the Lanna Spa. Its seven treatment suites are elegant and exceedingly spacious, offering total privacy for couples or individuals.

I decided to try a Lanna facial, starting with deep herbal cleansing, exfoliation, massage for the face, neck, shoulders and hands. Then a revitalising mask was spread over my face using extracts of Prai (the Ginger family), and Khanin (Cumin) to nourish, hydrate and balance the skin. It took an hour and the result did make me look and feel younger. Having had my face worked on it was now time for the massage. I opted for Orient Blend a pressure point massage based on the oriental theories of energy meridians. I was told this massage was effective in relieving tension, aches and pains. The combination of soothing aromatic oils and gentle kneading and stretching left my body feeling totally relaxed and refreshed. The lady giving me the massage professionally suggested that if I removed my underwear I would enjoy the massage more. So I slipped out of them and did enjoy the treatment but luckily it wasn’t physically noticeable. Don’t be shy when having a massage, being naked does make you feel better. When the treatment was completed I relaxed sipping hot ginger tea.

No peace for the wicked as its was time to explore the dinning scene of Chiang Mai. The selection we discovered was most impressive.

Le Coq d’Or

The original restaurant opened 32 years ago by English property developer Alan Telfer. The current location was the site of former British Consulate and does have the feel of an English manor house. Restaurant Manger Kitti Changpeam, is a graduate of the best hospitality school in Thailand, he worked at The Oriental’s Le Normandie. Clearly he has brought to Chiang Mai the skills the acquired there. The food and wine superb, he service was faultless and exceeded expectations. A rare gem. White linen, silver, crystal and minimum clutter on the table.

Le Coq d’Or Restaurant, 68/1 Koh Klang Road, Chiang Mai 50000. Tel 0-5328-2024, fax 0-53281981.

Baan Suan

The feel is so comfortable and relaxed its almost as if you are dinning at a friends house. Ideal for romantic couples or for a group of good friends seeking to share precious moments together.

The restaurant has been perfectly sighted with a stunning view across the Ping River just before the sunsets behind Doi Suthep. The tables as set in an uncluttered fashion with individually hand painted plates imported from Germany lying face down. In the dry season the restaurant can sprawl comfortably over the terrace, but when the rains come, much of the furniture has to be cleared away so that the guests can take shelter while eating. It just oozes style and good taste in a comfortably relaxed manner.

With a smart restaurant one could have expected smart prices to match but this is not the case. Chicken Curry with Potato 120 baht, Pizza topped with Chicken Green Curry 150baht. The most expensive dish on the menu is a US Sirloin Steak Café de Paris at 650 baht and the signature dish of Chiang Mai Koh Soi Gai at just 110 baht.

Baan Suan, 25 Moo3 San-Phi-Sua, Chiang Mai 50300, Tel 0-5385-4169, Fax 0-5385-4171.

La Casa

The restaurant opened in 1991 and the style is Italian Thai , cooked the Italian way with a Thai flavour. An example being Rum-Tor-Nur – three Northern pork sausages, lemon grass, ginger, onion, peanut, lime and mozzarella. Local Thais found authentic Italian food to be too bland so the chef has adapted his dishes to suit.

The restaurant is extremely popular with senior ranking Thai ministers. Her Majesty Queen Sirikit has dined her on three occasions. Their philosophy is that the food should be cooked fresh and that the guests leave satisfied. The emphasis is on the combination of good food and service. The wooden beams and stone ceiling give the feel of an Italian farmhouse with a subtle Lanna style influence. The food is honest and wholesome presented in a family style. Spaghetti Khi Moa is an excellent example of how a traditional bowl of pasta can be adjusted to suit the Thai taste.

The salad has the crunch that clearly demonstrates the quality of produce from the Royal Projects. What missing from the table were bread and grated cheese but then they are ingredients that Thai’s don’t really like.

Before I knew it, I had to pack my bags and head back to Bangkok. Any stay at The Regent is never long enough, but I will return.