A hidden jewel in North Thailand where you can find serenity and relaxation. Not so hidden, because it has been rewarded lot of times by several magazine and official agencies mainly for its SPA. Well, you need to have some money for that, especially if you like pool villas, but you can’t find such a place anywhere in this country. From the moment you pass the entrance you are in another world, somewhere in Middle-Age with villagers and farmers which will allow you to recharge your life batteries for a whole year !
We booked a huge Grand Villa with Pool that doesn’t worth necessary the money ; in my view even standard Grand Villa are good enough and the resort is so big as you don’t spend so much time in your villa. Moreover the pool is not heated so… Well, with 40°C outside maybe you don’t want to have a heated pool, but it is rude :) Thanks to some resort partners, you will be able to find different kinds of tour or excursion. We personally experimented a gold temple excursion and a Royal Flora visit with free tickets given by the resort.
Lot of packages exists for this resort, do not hesitate to look deeply in the Mandarin Oriental website; we booked a Romance Package that includes a bottle of Champagne and chocolates upon arrival, breakfast for 2, one romantic dinner in the villa per stay and a 120min treatment at the SPA.
Living
I don’t know how to describe it… In my case, I have looked so many pictures in several websites that I knew what I was going to see at arrival and even with that I have been so impressed ; I cannot image what could feel someone that didn’t see any picture before coming !
The different buildings – I should say monuments – are like Middle-Age castles, the 2 pool areas are amazing, you can find lot of “out of times” statues in the resort and some people with plows and oxen. For all pool zones you can find sunbeds and free water/fruits.
The SPA is just OUTSTANDING, do not miss it and take at least a short treatment as the SPA ceremony is a must-do. We took a relaxation massage in Lana old style with wood hammers and chisels, it’s an experience !
Room
300sqm 2-storey villa with garden, a 9x13m pool and a heated plunge pool. What else ? A living-room, a large bathroom with shower and jaccuzi, a canopy bed and a terrace at second storey… All in a typical Lana wooden style and overlooking rice fields ; it could be heaven if the main pool had been heated.
Avoid the villas closed to the lobby or the SPA as everyone is passing here with buggys and it can be noisy. By the way the whole resort is globally quiet and it is more or less peaceful everywhere :) A true 5-star property several times rewarded and once there you understand why !
Dining
Thanks to the Romance package we had the chance to envoy a romantic dinner in our villa closed to the pool ; so cuuute ! People arranged this dinner earlier in the afternoon with candlelights, a beautiful table and an entire buffet with fresh dishes directly inside the villa’s garden. And best of the best, a personal cooker that brings you some hot food at your plate.
The international full buffet breakfast at main restaurant is prepared by a french cooker that goes easily among customers and asks if everything goes well. I appreciated it a lot. Food can’t be reviewed badly as it was perfect.
Level of exigency
As I said in introduction, if you have money you have consideration. I say this because I didn’t like so much how they ask for my debit card upon check-in and check-out. They were too insistent and not pleasant, you just feel like a piggy bank…
By the way during the stay staff people were just perfect at the restaurant, the SPA or even when you come accross on the way to your villa. Well, this is why I love Thailand.
Stay from February 22th to 25nd 2012
The Dhara Dhevi Chiang Mai is an historical resort renewed in 2002, composed of 54 suites and 69 villas. For our stay we opted for the Grand Villa with Pool (300sqm) with a Romance package at 1200 USD/night.
