The magnificent Dhara Dhevi—staying in a virtual historic park.
His Majesty the King was once asked 'What is your favourite food? and his simple answer was 'rice!' Indeed rice is the foundation of the Thai Kingdom, and if ever there was a fitting theme for a resort environment in Thailand a rice paddy is it. To sit among five star service gazing out at a terraced fields, accompanied by the sound of water softly trickling through the delicately crafted canals and dykes, must surely be the quintessential rural Asian experience.
There is nothing romantic about the back-breaking work of rice harvesting but the newest Mandarin Oriental resort has turned a peasant pre-occupation into a wonderfully themed experience, where the cereal bowls of the nation blend effortlessly with ultimate luxury. As wine glasses tinkle and Lanna-costumed staff pad quietly about on teak 'al fresco' decks, guests of the Dhara Dhevi in Chiang Mai are treated to a resort experience quite unlike anything the international hospitality industry has ever seen before. For sheer effect it rivals the Palace of the Lost City in South Africa's Sun City complex, or the Atlantis sea-themed resort on Nassau's paradise island, and sets a new benchmark for cultural ambience among Thailand's hotels.
But there's so much more to the grounds than the pretty rice terraces that lie beneath the main breakfast deck and swimming pool area. The sprawling 60 acres of this extraordinary hotel boast more than 10,000 trees and saplings, each one specially brought in to cover a landscape that was, quite ironically, formerly a rice field. It has been a commendable undertaking over the past four years to transform waterlogged fields into an established garden that boast enormous ficus trees and towering 15-year old coconut palms. And at its heart is a patina of green -the working rice field, complete with local farmers employed for effect.
At a cost of $800m the hotel has been developed on a Lanna and Burmese theme, recreating temples, palaces and royal villas in the grandest of style. But it is the gardens that really provide the character and wonderful tropical atmosphere. Giant rain trees (Samanea saman) and colourful flamboyants (Delonix regia) recreate the charming character of Chiang Mai, while masses of heliconia foliage add a tropical feel. The grounds are an attraction themselves, covered in water features, glades populated with grazing deer and endless rows of frangipangi trees (Plumeria obtusa) to provide a dazzling display of flora. You can choose a secluded villa with its own private garden and pond, or stay among the purpose built 'vegetable garden'. The soon to be completed colonial wing boasts rolling lawns fronting a pretty lake, while the prime villa locations are those that sit on the edge of the pretty amphitheatre of rice terraces.
Nominated on the Conde Nast Traveller Hotel hotlist for 2006 and voted 'Hideaway of the Year' by Andrew Harper's Hideaway Report, The Dhara Dhevi magnificently recreates the glorious past of Chiang Mai's Lanna Kingdom. Typified by architectural lyricism and distinct wealth, this Northern Kingdom thrived during the 14th and 15th centuries and was considered one of the first civilised kingdoms of Siam. With Chiang Mai as it's capital, Lanna attracted the region's best artisans from as far and wide as Lanchang (Laos) and Pagan (Burma), leaving an incredible legacy of craftsmanship which the architects of the Dhara Dhevi have faithfully reproduced in astonishing detail. At the entrance are a series of Northern temples replicated from famous viharns in Lampang. They are so authentic that they drew the ire of pious locals who protested the copying of their sacrilegious Buddhist landmarks.
The spa pavilion, located at the heart of the resort, is an incredible work of art modelled on a Shan styled palace with its multi-tiered roof finished in delicate teak filigree. Other vernacular styles such as Thai Lue and Haw Luang have been borrowed from for inspiration, and the soaring spires of the main lobby building peek above the tree tops and can be seen from all over the resort.
To create this, conceptual designer Rachen Intawong assembled a team of fellow graduates from the Department of Fine Art at Chiang Mai University to study the Lanna style in detail. 'We are not just building a resorts' he says, 'we are aiming to create a legend'.
'For me this is a place where we can create the past and let people touch history'. Since graduating several years ago, this surprisingly young architect has made Lanna historic architecture and art his passion, expanding his interest to the greater Mekhong region. He spends his time travelling to remote villages or sites and reading ancient books to seek out rare or lost styles, in order to deeply understand the long lost glory of Lanna.
The Kingdom eventually fell to the Burmese in 1558, and they sacked the capital, destroying many of the fine teak royal villas in the process, so that only the sturdy temples remain from its hey day. With the aid of a wealthy philanthropic investor, The Dhara Dhevi Company has been able to recreate a luxury that has long since been forgotten in the region.
'There was no master plan' Khun Intawong admits, 'It was more like a jigsaw puzzle, just like the city of Chiang Mai, we built it up over a long period, it was a natural growth process'.
Located a 10 minute drive from the city centre in the Sankhampeng district, the hotel is certainly an environmentally low-impact development thanks to the gardens and flora that have transformed the neighbourhood. A team of 70 grounds staff, under the supervision of 'Khun Jack', have been responsible for landscaping the entire 60 acres, including undulating levels, a complex water management system that provides a network of canals and streams, and the transplanting of dozens of 40 foot trees.
The largest of these are the stately kapok trees (Bombax ceiba) - with their lofty upright trunks that create a timeless tree-lined lane leading to the spa and current reception area. Inspiration for this likely came from the well known avenue of trees that lines most of the 35km Chiang Mai-Lamphun road. The hundreds of giant Yaang Naa trees that flank either side of this road are centuries old and purported to have been planted by a Lanna prince in an unsuccessful effort to woo a girl from Lampun. Antiquity is the essence of the Dhara Dhevi, and without aged trees the effect simply wouldn't be complete. However, transplanting 30 year old rain trees, with their enormous canopies, is complicated by the sheer size of their root systems. "Since creating the 'Kingdom' needs a lot of big trees to replant around the resort we didn't have time to wait that long for them grow" says Khun Jack, who oversaw the process. "Replanting old big trees is the biggest challenge. We had difficulty to keep them alive." Replanting a big tree causes damages, and the older trees are weakened when moved", he explained.
Yet they have succeeded. The showpiece nutmeg tree (Myristica fragrans), in front of the spa is one they are particularly proud of transplanting, and it's ancient twisted form resembles a prop from Lord of the Rings. Even a medium sized banyan tree (Ficus annulata) has been placed near the colonial suites. But the magnificent giant banyan specimens that stand sentinel at the main gate - some 30 feet in diameter with hundreds of aerial roots - are originals. Some rare trees have also been included, such as the Sal trees (Shorea robusta) and Bombay Laurel (Codiaeum variegatum).
It all combines to create a wonderfully natural environment that guarantees guests their privacy, and blends in well with Northern Thailand's wilderness appeal. For added authenticity they have recreated a typical Thai styled house of a well-to-do farmer, dismantling a teak relic from nearby Lamphun and rebuilding it complete with humble antiques and local villagers who sit about all day weaving baskets for effect. It's all part of a pro-active theme where you can shake off your bourgeoisie guilt by learning a traditional craft for a token half hour while the kids get their hands dirty planting rice.
There are several themed sections to the resort, with accommodation ranging from colonial suits to private villas with their own garden, jacuzzi and pool, or even the multi-roomed luxury pavilions that mimic palatial Burmese palace quarters. With each comes a private butler service, state-of-the-art multi-media systems (and individual CD/DVD library), and a host of standard services that accompany five star luxury. In addition there is an enormous spa staffed by dedicated specialists in Ayurvedic and other popular treatments. Recent guests have included HRH Prince Albert of Monaco, HRH Prince Andrew, the Duke of York, His Majesty King Letsie III of Swaziland, Colin Powell US Secetary of state, tennis star Maria Sharapova and violin vurtuoso Vanessa Mae.
With rooms starting from US$390 a night, the Dhara Dhevi might just be an experience out of most people's reach. However, the resort complex has five restaurants open to the public, and for a luxurious, yet affordable, evening you get a peek at this exclusive other-worldly 'theme park'. The Fujian Restaurant serves up a good value 'all you can eat' spread of Cantonese dim sum for 500 baht (lunch only), and is located at the Kad Dhara - a gentrified replica of a turn-of-the-century Siamese trading street. Across the parking area is The Grand Lanna, an alfresco and sala venue serving excellent Thai and Asian fusion food in a lush traditional Lanna garden environment.
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