Chiang Mai Retreat

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4^TH DECEMBER: Azaya Villas, a beautiful sanctuary



I would highly recommend staying at the Azaya Villas in Mae Rim, Chiang Mai. It is located about 40mins away from Chiang Mai airport and 30mins away from the city centre and the night markets.



We stayed in the 4 bedroom villa which is very modern with a touch of Balinese influence. The layout of the villa was practical and conducive for family bonding. There is great outdoor space with your own private pool, garden, bbq pit and pond. All bedrooms have attached private enclosed space leading to the garden or swimming pool. My bedroom overlooked the swimming pool and the whole ambience was luxury mixed with comfort.



I have to commend the service. Thailand in general spells great service as Thais are generally very polite and accommodating. Even though this is not your typical hotel as it is run by a management company, the staff looks after you very well and is ever ready to meet any of your requests. We had private dinner catered and cooked for us as well as daily breakfast and massages set up in the villa. The only gripe I have is because it is not a hotel, there is practically no service or a receptionist you could call after 10pm. In addition the loft bedroom had an en suite bathroom which was outdoors. This was a bit awkward for me. Besides these minor complaints, we had a fantastic stay at the villa.



The hotel also provides private tours/transportation and a driver/guide with this company - Mr Dew Sightseeing. The driver we had was a gem – very patient, friendly and easy to talk to. If you stay in this hotel, it is necessary to get a driver as it is not walking distance to the town centre.



That evening, we went to the Sunday market which only opens on Sunday. This is a different affair to the daily night market which opens every night. You can find handicraft, souvenirs, T-Shirts, Art, Fake leather goods etc…sold at these night bazaars at very cheap prices. Definitely worthwhile to take a look. A warning – the Sunday market was so crowded, you had to push your way through the crowd.





5^th December: Doi Suthep Temple



The drive to the temple from the villa was approximately 1 hr. Upon arriving, you could either take a lift car or walk up the hill to the temple. It was very crowded today as it was the King’s birthday and also a public holiday and many of the local people were there to give their offerings and make prayers.



We also visited the Tiger Kingdom - a tourist trap for visitors to get up close and personal with the tigers. When I say up close and personal, I literally mean lying on these big cats, kissing their lips and taking cheek to cheek photos with the tigers. What alarmed me was the docility of these animals. They appeared tame, drugged and were just lying listlessly on the floor. When I quizzed the keepers, they informed me that the tigers were sleepy as they were fed a huge meal in the morning and hence were too exhausted to disturb any of the humans who came in close contact with them. Well, imagine whacking the tiger, n the only response you get was watching it change its sleeping position.



We made it back to the villas by 4pm to have our in house massage in our bedrooms. I chose the 2hr herbal sensation massage which was a total bliss. The masseur used some hot bundled cloth to press the pressure points all over my body and the warm sensation was very therapeutic.



Dinner was a private bbq set up in the patio of the villa where we were served by the villa staff. The table was set up to overlook the swimming pool and the garden and the whole ambience was intimate and relaxing.



6^th December: Tong Luang Village



We visited the Tong Luang Village in the morning where tourist had a chance to interact with at least 6 of the tribes located in Thailand. The more prominent names are the Hmong tribe and Karen tribes whose distinctiveness is marked by their long necks and heavy gold rings they wore around their necks. I was surprised to see a church in the village but was told that a lot of the people in this these tribes were Christians due to the influence of missionaries who brought the religion to these villages.



We went to a shooting range in the afternoon followed by an adventurous afternoon at X Centre where we had fun driving the drift karts. Other activities include bungee jumping, ATV in the jungle, dirt bike in the jungle etc…



We ended off the afternoon by heading to the Oasis Spa where I indulged in possibly one of the best massages of my life. I am a typical spa junkie and yet this was a heavenly experience. It was a 2 hr 4-hand massage where 2 therapists massage you at the same time – spa treatment combined with body massage and foot reflex. I have never considered massage a form of art until today. The 2 therapist were performing a synchronized movement massaging my body. It was beautiful and the whole act was almost choreographed as I was drifting into dreamland by the 1^st half hour. But do note this is a very expensive experience compared to most other spas in thailand.



We ended off our day with more shopping at the thai market.

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Photos

Azaya Villas
Huge 4 bedroom bungalow