Tourism Authority of Thailand and Maeban magazine partnered up to curate a luxurious trip in the northern city
What’s your perception of Chiang Rai, that northernmost province of Thailand that’s blessed with picturesque mountains and a cool climate? The charming Lanna town with its alluring traditions and unique culture. Home to temples, beautiful flowers, pristine plantations and hilltribe villagers. The new destination for a slower-paced lifestyle. Chiang Rai is all that and more. But despite all its notable features, this small town has often been overshadowed by other bigger cities.
Hoping to present another side of Chiang Rai—that it’s more than just a destination to hike up to for the cool breeze and colorful flora—the Tourism Authority of Thailand partnered up with long-running food and lifestyle magazine Maeban to invite lifestyle travelers to experience the more luxurious side of Chiang Rai on “Luxperience @ Chiang Rai.”
Apart from boutique stays at world-class resorts—Le Meridien Chiang Rai or Anantara Golden Triangle—and “boutique” pampering by Bangkok Airways, travelers on the trip got a chance to visit Chiang Rai’s most notable cultural attractions. These included the Mae Fah Luang Art and Culture Park, where priceless Buddhism antiques are enshrined at the Ho Kham Luang (grand pavilion); the Hiranyawas Temple, home to the sacred statues of Phra Singha San Chana Marn and Khua Silapa; Ban Dam, an art space exhibiting contemporary artwork by local masters; The Black House, a private museum founded by the late award-winning artist Tawan Duchanee; and the Hall of Opium, which exhibits everything you need to know about the addictive plant that’s surreptitiously grown in the Golden Triangle.
The well-curated itinerary also featured visits to slow-life, food-focused venues such as Rai Ruen Rom, the brainchild of the Kitapanich sisters, who turned their parents’ farmland into Chiang Rai’s most famous organic farm. The experience includes a tour and a meal cooked from the freshest home-grown ingredients. The Chiang Rai Tea Institute was also part of the itinerary. Guests were given a chance to witness the tea oil process initiated by HRH Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn.
For nourishment, travelers were treated to dishes prepared by some of the city’s best local chefs and restaurants, samples Chiang Rai’s best coffee brews, and a cooking workshop with Kulapat “May After You” Kanokwattanawan, one of Thailand’s most famous food entrepreneurs. Travelers also got to participate in a morning detox session to cleanse their bodies and mind before returning to the hectic life in Bangkok with memories of the charming, natural lifestyle Chiang Rai has in store.
