The art of slow living in Chiang Mai

Housed within a vaulted space, finished in earthy brick and stone, this ethereal collection of Botticelli-esque stone sculptures is the work of contemporary Thai sculptor Chamnian Thongma. Here, among a well-curated mix of French antiques, Mid-Century Modern furniture and cool ceramics, Thongma serves a delightful Western menu featuring homemade pastas, salmon steak and French toast.

Zigzag through tree-lined country lanes to get to this picturesque restaurant, which focuses on homegrown ingredients. Grab one of the tables dotted around the tropical garden filled with birdsong. On the menu are Western dishes infused with Thai flavours, like soft shell crab salad with Thai herbal vinaigrette and a few straight-up Thai classics. Homemade chocolate cakes and fruit tarts plus tasty coffee drinks complete the meal. They also recently opened a B&B, offering bungalows filled with contemporary artwork.

Siringam Yavirat applies her experience designing storefronts in Luang Prabang in this boutique run out of her pretty Lanna-style teak home, where she also serves coffee and homemade kanom (sweet snacks). The self-taught designer’s contemporary clothing line is cut from locally woven hemp, cotton and linen and is inspired by traditional Thai silhouettes – think wide-leg culottes and indigo tees. Also in stock are organic cotton tunics, skirts and sundresses by Japanese label Planteria. Sign up for a natural-dye and sewing workshop, too.
Baan Ngam Saeng Tha, Krai Village, Moo 1

This 33-room hotel’s airy interiors pay homage to Thai-style riverside living. Terracotta tiles, mulberry-paper screens, as well as vintage hardwood columns create a serene palette of whites and creams. Highlights include the herbal steam room at the Ai Waan Spa and the cross-cultural menu at Khu Khao, which features the influences of Burmese, Laotian, southern Chinese and hill tribe flavours in northern Thai cooking.

Back in 2016, partners Vradha Jroenkavadhana and Thanayot Kochakong shut their antiques shop in Chiang Mai’s hip Nimman neighbourhood and decamped to this green paddy-filled valley in Mae Rim. Their new home is a surreal botanical wonderland decorated with inventory from their old shop. Book a by-appointment-only dinner – the duo serves classic Thai dishes made with local vegetables and garnished with edible flowers.

SEE ALSO: Why Khlong San is Bangkok’s next must-visit neighbourhood

This article was originally published in the December 2018 issue of Silkwinds magazine