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29 March 2024

Culture and cuisine in Chiang Mai

The long-necked women of the Padaung tribe offer a glimpse into the culture. (GETTY IMAGES)

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By Bindu Rai

Flying to Chiang Mai is quite disconcerting these days as the fear of swine flu has Thailand's busy airports buzzing with masked men and women who appear to have stepped straight out of an episode of The Twilight Zone.

But once you set foot out of paranoia central into Chiang Mai, the country's second largest province – 700km from Bangkok – which has many pleasures to offer across its lush landscapes.

Chiang Mai, literally translating to "new city", has a 700-year-old heritage that dates from 1296 when King Meng Rai founded his Lanna (a million rice fields) Kingdom on this region's very soil. As a deeply religious man, King Rai is the reason why the city is home to hundreds of Buddhist temples, of which the Wat Chiang Man is the oldest and perhaps the most important. Peace-loving monks who now live in the shelter of this holy shrine keep the cultural heritage alive.

For our trip, though, this brief history lesson was all we managed as we sped past the old city walls to reach our destination – the Mandarin Oriental Dhara Dhevi. The sprawling 60-acre property probably needs a week on its own to explore its many hidden treasures, but our brief 48-hour stay just about allowed us the luxury of enrolling in a Thai cooking class and not much else.

Thai tourism relies heavily on its gastronomic delicacies, effectively turning its popular cuisine into a multi-million-dollar travel perk. Holiday packages almost always offer a whirl of the wok as eager beavers try their hand at mouth-watering dishes such as tom kha ghai (hot-sweet soup with chicken and coconut milk) and gaeng khiew-waan (green curry).

The chef saddled us with the former, which I effectively went on to splash about with glee, much to the exasperation of our kitchen maestro. Note of advice: never attempt humour when facing a temperamental cook, especially one clutching a carving knife.

After failing my cooking class, we zipped off to take in a Thai cultural dinner and dance. Chiang Mai's world-famous Kantoke experience features agile dancers who take you on a journey of the country's many customs, enthralling you with breathtaking sword and candle dances. Unfortunately, the same couldn't be said about its food which left us cold and hungry for leftovers from the afternoon class.

One act in the show also gave an insight into Northern Thailand's many hill tribes, of which the Padaung women – a sub-group of the famous Karen tribe – are the most striking for wearing brass rings around their neck to elongate it. But we are told it is not the neck that gets pulled, but rather the collarbone that gets pushed down (ouch!).

Daily jungle tours from Chiang Mai are a must for people who are not afraid of physical activity on their holidays. Trekking through the province's Northern Highlands will bring you face to face with the Karen, Lahu, Lisu, Akha, Yao and the Meo tribes. And if you are really lucky, then a glimpse into their culture-rich ceremonies will prove to be the highlight of your stay.

The following day, we prepared for our trek through the foothills of Chiang Mai's mountains, atop an elephant. The Maesa Safari is a must for animal lovers, which also shelters and rehabilitates distressed elephants. Reach there early morning to catch the animals during their bathing rituals, but be prepared – these enthusiastic elephants will not hesitate to throw a trunk full of load in your direction.

One of the highlights at the safari is the elephant show, with the usual circus tricks but also including an impressive art session – think a 10ft high elephant painting on canvas using its trunk. Surprisingly delicate, the art is on sale, albeit at ridiculously high prices. These 'starters', however, simply whet your appetite for the main course, which is the safari itself.

But first a word of advice: pack an umbrella, as Chiang Mai's weather is as unpredictable as an internet connection in the UAE. As soon as we clambered on the elephant's back, the skies opened and soaked us through. But that certainly did not dampen our enthusiasm as our elephant, Rama, swayed through the foliage, chomping away at treats that we purchased from the shacks nestled deep into the forest for this very purpose. But we soon found a cheaper option by picking wild lychees to feed the hungry beast.

The safari ends at a rural market set up in the middle of nowhere. However, it is better to skip the overpriced trinkets and head to the Night Bazaar in the evening for better bargains.

Almost as good as its counterpart in Bangkok, the bazaar offers everything from traditional jewellery and Thai silk linen to fake DVDs and "branded" handbags. Here, as elsewhere, luxury leaders such as Louis Vuitton, Gucci, Christian Dior and Fendi lose billions of dollars every year.

Arrive early, not just to spend your money, but also to sample the experience that is Thai in many ways. Let's call it organised chaos.

By midnight our weary feet had us crawling back to Dhara Dhevi to soak ourselves in the Jacuzzi, which is by far the highlight of the hotel's superior villa.

Next day, as we headed to the dreaded airport – armed with facemasks and hand sanitisers – the sight was a far cry from the simplicity of Chiang Mai's locals and its rich cultural landscape.

Whoever said a reality check is good for the soul couldn't be more wrong – give me Chiang Mai's little sliver of heaven any day.


Fast Facts

(www.thaiair.com), Emirates (www.emirates.com) and Etihad Airways (www.etihadairways.com) have daily flights to Bangkok from where you can catch local connections to Chiang Mai. We flew Thai Air but would recommend the other two airlines instead

- The local currency is the Thai Baht. Dh1 is approximately THB9.29 

- Stay at the Mandarin Oriental Dhara Dhevi, five-star luxury property in Chiang Mai (www.mandarinoriental.com)

 

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