Saturday May 2, 2009
Northern exclusive
Stories by MARK LEAN
Continental sophistication and warm Thai hospitality are the hallmarks of Le Meridien hotels in Chiang Rai and Chiang Mai.
Thailand’s numerous white-as-snow beaches attract backpackers and jet-setters alike, but the country’s hilly northern region is no slouch either when it comes to alluring visitors.
A good place to start your adventure is at Le Meridien Chiang Rai Resort on the bank of River Kok. The view from my room of the Pong Pra Bat Mountains is picturesque. Calmness envelopes me.
Le Meridien Chiang Rai is a picture of calm and elegance. After spending most of the day between airports, I find it a real treat to laze about on the balcony with a pot of freshly brewed coffee.
My fellow press friends have joined a yoga class on the lawn facing the lake, while others have signed up for archery.
I decided to give the latter a miss because it’s a bit high-risk. A major eye operation a few years ago left me with only partial vision in one eye, and the last thing I want to chance is to hit an unsuspecting sunbather on the pool deck a few hundred metres away! So I take in my surroundings instead.
A subtle umbrella design motif is evident in the resort’s 159 rooms and suites. This extends from the intricate modern patterns above the beds, to the swirling steel base of the glass coffee tables. Both resemble the spine of an umbrella. A bright green colour scheme flows through — from the cushions on the bed, to the jade green tiles in the bathroom.
General manager Anne Scott recently relocated here from the UK. She has quickly been won over by the tranquil location. On the opposite side of the river, local children can be seen playing.
“We have tried to integrate our hotel into the local community. As much as possible, we hire local associates from Chiang Rai. There is an amazing spirit of genuine hospitality in the north,” says Scott.
“There is virtually no light pollution in Chiang Rai, so the views of the night sky are spectacular. Even in the hot months of April and May, the weather is 10 degrees cooler and fresher than in southern Thailand, and so outdoor activities are comfortable and enjoyable,” she enthuses.
I discover this for myself while sitting beneath one of the two rain trees at the resort. The trees are a destination in their own right for they have a Thai-flavoured Romeo and Juliet tale to tell: that of a local prince and a Burmese girl, who weren’t meant to be. Very tragic.
Besides sentimental attractions, Le Meridien Chiang Rai’s two culinary ones deserve mention too — the all-day-dining Latest Recipe and the Italian Favola are perfect if you’ve worked up an appetite from the yoga class.
Local produce features strongly in the menus of both. The Thai flavours at Latest Recipe, notably the soft shell crab and spicy tofu, are authentic and delicious nods to the local cuisine. At Favola, the polenta cooked with chicken stock, decadent Gruyère, and topped with raisins gets the thumbs-up.
If lazing around is not for you, then you might want to take a half-day excursion to a Buddhist cave temple to offer food to the monks. The 40-minute journey is by boat early in the morning, and sounds like a real adventure.
Of course, staying put in the resort’s comfortable bed is just as tempting. So, this time, it’s the monks who prevailed.
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