Four Seasons Resort Chiang Mai, Chiang Mai, Thailand

The Regent Chiang Mai Resort and Spa offers shelter in an area famed for its distinctive culture. And you can get one of the world’s best massages there too, says Kamin Mohammadi.

Chiang Mai may be Thailand’s second largest city, but with a population of around 225,000 – Bangkok has 10 million – and its own distinct culture influenced by nearby Myanmar and Laos, it can feel a lot further from Bangkok than 700km.

Established as the capital of King Mengrai’s Lanna Kingdom in 1296, Chiang Mai is the hub of an area of lush and mountainous beauty. Packed with temples, the city has a sleepy charm that is a world away from the bustle of the capital or the sun-drenched pleasure of Thailand’s beaches.

In 1995, on the eve of 700th anniversary of foundation of the Lanna Kingdom, The Regent Chiang Mai Resort opened its doors, some 20 minutes outside the city, drawing a different sort of traveller to the mountains and their hill tribes. Since then the hotel has added the Lanna Spa, designed like a temple in the traditional style and, with its wonderful treatment suites (bigger than my flat in London) and fusion of Thai and western therapies, easily one of the finest spas in the world.

The design of the whole resort has been inspired by the layout of a traditional northern Thai village, with the hotel’s rice paddies the focus of its lush landscaping. They can tailor any sort of excursion, be it an elephant safari, a visit to one of the region’s six hill tribes, or shopping for local handicrafts. But best of all is standing on the terrace looking out over the Mae Rim Valley, the rice paddies bubbling quietly below and the mountains hazy in the distance… Chiang Mai is the ‘rose of the north’ indeed.

Make sure you visit during November to coincide with The Loy Kratong festival (18-20 November. Probably the most beautiful of all Thai celebrations, ‘Loy’ means ‘to float’ while ‘kratong’ refers to the lotus-shaped receptacle that floats on the water, containing food, joss sticks and a candle. After lighting the candle and joss sticks, the kratongs are released into the water with a wish. Some 20,000 kratongs float down Chiang Mai’s Mae Ping River, and the riverside fireworks, boat and bamboo raft racing and other events make Chiang Mai the liveliest place to be for the festival. The Regent hosts its own Loy Kratong evening on 18 November, with traditional northern Thai dance, music and plenty of spectacle.