Rachamankha… The Rose of Chiang Mai

If Chiang Mai is the Rose of the North, then Rachamankha is the Rose of Chiang Mai. The boutique hotel is so fabulous (Angelina Jolie was a guest, so it has to be great) that I have stayed there twice!

A Relais & Chateux member, Rachamankha is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful hotels in the world. Its stunning Lanna-style architecture has been featured in countless coffee table books and interior design magazines. Every part of the hotel has a unique Lanna decoration be it a lantern, porcelain vases, birdcage or wall hangings. You’d feel like you’re in an art gallery.

The rooms are spacious and comfortable with simple but elegant Lanna-style furniture. It has amenities similar to a 5-star hotel – a DVD player, a mini-bar, quality toiletries (including an insect repellant made of essential oils to keep the mozzies at bay) and turndown service.

There are plenty of spaces to chill out at – the pool, the main lounge and a study cum library where you can help yourself to free flow of cognac. Or you can grab a book and spend the morning or afternoon in one of the gardens where beautiful flowers are in bloom.

At night, the hotel is very tranquil and atmospheric – there is hardly any sound from outside traffic, just peace and quiet. Its customer service is efficient, professional, warm and friendly. And I must add the staff members are all very good looking.

Rachamankha has both style and substance, and truly deserves to be in Conde Nast Traveler’s Hot List for 2005.

Three Monks

The Chedi Chiang Mai 2

Here are more pics of The Chedi Chiang Mai. All the little details including top notch service make this a wonderful hotel.

The Chedi Chiang Mai 1

Chiang Mai has many lovely boutique hotels and resorts, and that is why it’s one of my favorite holiday destinations.

Set along the banks of the Mae Ping River, is the superlative The Chedi Chiang Mai. Designed by Kerry Hill Architects, the hotel cleverly fuses modern-day and local architectural elements together. The centerpiece is the former British Consulate built in the 1920s. The colonial building now houses the hotel’s restaurant and bar.

Needless to say, I had a field day photographing this gorgeous property. And staying there for three nights was an unforgettable experience. I missed lounging at the balcony reading my favorite book, The Alchemist.

Baan Klang Wiang - Home Away from Home

When I was in Chiang Mai, I stayed at this very photogenic boutique hotel, Baan Klang Wiang. With only 10 rooms, the lovely hotel is both intimate and homely. The service is also excellent. The staff would literally go out of their way to make your stay comfortable.

Baan Klang Wiang is definitely one of Chiang Mai's best kept secrets.

Flora Fantasy

This pic was taken with my Canon Macro Lens EF 100mm. The location was at Baan Klang Wiang, a lovely boutique hotel in Chiang Mai's old city.

One Fine Day

These pictures were taken one fine day in Chiang Mai. It’s a rarity considering it was the rainy season when I was there. I decided to do something different and came up with the idea of using leaves to frame my objects. I love plants and light – they help enhance or soften a picture.

Enchanting

Wat Chedi Luang

This is Wat Chedi Luang, built in 1391 during the reign of King Saen Muang Ma, eighth ruler of the Mengrai dynasty.

This picture is framed by a massive tree to the left of the temple with a burst of late afternoon light creating a spectacular glow. It is said that should this same tree ever fall, a great catastrophe will occur…

Lost in Chiang Mai

I recently travelled to Chiang Mai for some soul searching… I’ve been overwhelmed with my marcom work which explains my long absence from the blog. Anyway, I had a wonderful time in Chiang Mai, met a few nice people and learned many things along the way… all thanks to a book I brought along – Paulo Coelho’s The Alchemist. This classic which has sold over 20 million copies worldwide is about pursuing one’s dream/personal legend. One of my personal legends is of course photography. About a year ago, I launched my website limchih.com. It was one of my proudest moments… I want to thank all my friends and fans for their continuous support. Without your encouragement, I wouldn’t have fulfilled my dream…

Anyway back to Chiang Mai. The weather there was capricious. One day it’s raining, the next it’s sunny – what to expect, it’s the monsoon season! I was lucky to capture the following pictures on a gorgeous sunny afternoon. I decided to take these pictures in black and white to show a side of Chiang Mai (in the old city) that tourists do not usually see.

Sleepy in Chiang Mai

This picture was taken in Chiang Mai, early 2007. I don’t know what was in the air that lazy afternoon, but I saw quite a few sleepyheads dozing off behind shop counters, catching a few winks in tuks tuks etc. Any guess what the man in the background is dreaming of? Northern Thai hill tribe girls like the pretty dolls in the foreground perhaps?