Lanna Hill House Chiang Mai

Affording stunning views of forested mountains and a lake, the house features a full range of 5 star services and facilities to complement an unforgettable experience for the adventurous, exclusive luxury seekers, families, groups, golfers and nature lovers.

A range of leisure activities are available to accommodate discerning guests looking for an authentic Thai experience in one of the most beautiful areas of the kingdom largely undiscovered by tourists.

Overview
Lanna Hill House was designed by one of Thailand's foremost architects and commissioned by an Englishman and his wife, to reflect the best of both local (Lanna) and colonial design. The result is a beautiful house constructed from only the finest materials, including reclaimed teak throughout. The house is furnished exquisitely with teak, rattan and bamboo furniture that reflects the best of both colonial and Thai design.

Perched on a hill at an altitude of around 320m taking in tranquil views of forested mountains, a reservoir and the Mae On valley, the location is blessed with a pleasant climate (up to 7 degrees cooler than central Chiang Mai) and a scattering of small villages untouched by tourism. The house overlooks the 1,800m summit of Doi Hin which also plays host to the famous village of Mae Kampong, a mere 30 minute drive away. The national parks of Takrai and Chae Son are located on the doorstep.

The owners, Richard & Nuntasorn Rhodes, eco resort owners, teamed up with award winning restaurateur and theatre director, David Gordon, to transform the beautiful house into a fully serviced villa, offering the best of Thai service, cuisine and a suite of activities that ensure a unique and authentic experience of Thailand.

Accommodation
The house incorporates the best of colonial design and only the finest materials, equipping it perfectly to blend with the semi-tropical environment. The floor area covers 750 sqm.

There are 4 double bedrooms, 3 with king size beds and en-suite bathrooms, the other with 2 singles and a cot. Additional single beds can be arranged on request. All bedrooms have air conditioning. The communal areas include living room, play room, great room, library, guest bathroom, kitchen and the 'crow's nest' (perched high in the roof to afford the best views of the lake and mountains. This room can also be used as a bedroom).

To maximize the opportunity for outdoor living whilst taking in the stunning views, there are 9 covered terraces in total, a courtyard, 2 acres of gardens, a traditional sala (ideal for yoga and fitness) and of course a pool with decked surround.

The house is furnished to a very high standard. All the floors are made from teak, as are the doors and shutters (over 300 hinged units in total!).

Lanna Hill House facilities at a glance:

• Truly beautiful and spacious colonial style property and location
• Sleeps up to 10 people
• In house restaurant and bar
• Fully serviced (housekeeping and laundry)
• 10m swimming pool
• Family friendly (satellite TV, kids' pool, nanny and baby sitting)
• Adjacent to one of Thailand's best golf courses
• Concierge services
• Unique activities and tours (e.g. Undiscovered villages, dress making, amazing restaurants, self drive)

Services
1. Staff Lanna Hill house is serviced by between 4 and 6 staff members, depending on guest numbers and the time of day. Staff are either recruited locally or from disadvantaged hill tribes. They are fully trained and wear beautiful locally inspired uniforms. All staff are paid a fair wage, above the market rate. They also partake in a profit sharing scheme, which allows them to benefit from all food and beverage sales.

2. In house restaurant Lanna Hill House recognises that food is a very important element of any holiday experience. The in-house restaurant, exclusively available to guests, has developed a delicious menu with a focus on fresh food and local dishes. Kitchen staff are professionally trained by the manager, an award winning restaurateur, and his wife.

Vegetarian and children's dishes are available on request. For guests wishing to prepare their own meals, the staff will be happy to assist with shopping. Guests are also encouraged to cook with the staff if they so wish. All guests will be asked about food preferences before arrival so the house menu can be customised appropriately.

Breakfast comprises a selection of cereals, breads and fresh seasonal fruit. Thai breakfast is available on request. A light lunch menu offers a choice of Thai dishes, salads and sandwiches. Picnics are also available for those who wish to go exploring in the national parks.

A feast is served each evening. In the morning guests are asked to select between 4 and 6 dishes, which will then be prepared using fresh ingredients during the day. A typical dinner might include a curry, a fish or prawn dish, one or two vegetables dishes and noodles and rice. Some dishes from our current menu include Red Chilli Seafood Soup, Snapper with Green Mango Sauce, Pork with Lychee Sauce and Roast Chicken with Pomegranate Glaze.

3. Coffee, Cakes and the Trust Bar Northern Thailand is famous for its coffee. Cool mountain slopes are the perfect climate for Arabica coffee which is stocked in our house. Both coffee and tea are available at no extra charge. Guests can either serve themselves or use the bell service (available in most communal areas) to call a staff member. A freshly baked cake is available every day on request for a small surcharge.

A choice selection of drinks is available from the "trust bar". All guests are asked about specific drink preferences before arrival, to ensure the bar is properly stocked. During the day, drink orders are available from the bell service, at other times a trust system is operated.

4. Housekeeping The housekeeping staff will clean the entire house each day. If guests wish to prepare their own meals, they will of course do all the washing-up! Beds are made up every day and linen changed twice a week.

5. Laundry An in-house laundry service is available at a nominal rate.

6. Internet and TV A satellite internet service is available at no charge. Generally this is very reliable, providing a moderately quick broadband service. Wireless connections are available for up to 4 laptops. Satellite TV is available in both the main living room and kids' play room. A wide selection of channels are available in the English language including five film channels, BBC and CNN news, up to 10 sport channels (all English Premier games are broadcast live) and a host of documentary channels. A small DVD library is available at no charge.

7. Family and nannies Lanna Hill House with ample space and privacy is a perfect match for families. Facilities for children include wooden high chairs, a wooden cot, two single beds with protective railings, a play room with multi channel TV and DVD player (also a small selection of toys and books), a kids' pool and mountain bikes. The house is located in an area with very little traffic and children will enjoy the opportunity to explore the local area by foot or bicycle.

The staff will be happy to prepare a child's favourite meals, with the understand that children can have particular eating habits!

One significant benefit for families is the affordability of trained nannies and child minders. The house staff can arrange for as many nannies as guests require to help them relax and enjoy their stay. For slightly older children, arrangements for someone to help keep an eye on them can be organised.

8. Massage and concierge services One of the joys of Thailand is the availability of experienced massage and spa services at an affordable price. Guests can take advantages of this with a relaxing in-house massage by pre-arrangement with the house staff. There is also the option of 50-plus spas in Chiang Mai.

In addition to Lanna Hill House activities, advice on tours, shopping, car hire and drivers, and restaurants is available. Of course the advice is free, but has tremendous value providing an inside track of what is best to do and see in Chiang Mai which will ensure guests get a truly authentic and unique view of Thailand.

Activities
Lanna Hill House is the ideal location to relax with the stunning scenery, climate and in house facilities reason enough not to stray beyond the private grounds. However, guests are encourage to explore the local region and leisure activities that will both benefit local people and prove a very rewarding experience.

This part of Thailand is an undiscovered gem, away from the maddening crowds and mass tourism. The Lanna Hill House Inside Track provides reviews and recommendations for all that's best to do and see in the Chiang Mai region.

1. Swimming The house is equipped with a 10m salt water swimming pool. A children's pool is annexed to the main pool and also doubles as a Jacuzzi. The water is sourced from a spring that provides swimmers with a cool dip all year round.

2. Mountain Biking There are five mountain bikes available for guest use at no additional cost. The local area is a great place to discover by mountain bike. There are 4 local villages within 2km of the house, connected by quiet country lanes and small roads, nestled in picturesque countryside. Alternatively, there are more adventurous locations within a short drive of the house. Cycle route maps are provided by Lanna Hill House. For serious cyclists, the rental of more advanced mountain bikes can be arranged.

3. Bespoke Tailoring Chiang Mai boasts many fine tailors, capable of fashioning more or less anything you request at a comparable quality to anywhere else in the world - at a fraction of the price. The local village next to Lanna Hill House also hosts several dressmakers with experience in producing high quality garments including supply to the ex-prime minister's wife. A selection of fine locally made fabrics are stocked at the house for guests to purchase. (It is strongly recommend that guests provide their own cloth for the tailors). The house staff will assist with introductions and translations.

4. Dancing and Music shows Imagine being able to invite a local dance troupe with accompanying musicians to your own house, while you enjoy an evening meal. This can be arranged at Lanna Hill House at a very reasonable rate. Traditional Thai dance is a joy to watch and there are a number of groups in the locality that come and perform at our villa. Routines might include sword and fire dancing (depending on which group is available) as well as elegant traditional dance. Although the dancing is unashamedly amateur, guests are sure to enjoy this rare treat.

5. Local temple visits Chiang Mai is blessed with hundreds of temples. However, the experience of visiting them can often be rather sterile. Huddled together with other tourists and a tour guide reading from a script, it can feel like tick list tourism. Lanna Hill House offers the opportunity to visit local temples and engage in traditional Thai rituals such as offering food to the monks and to personally meet and talk with them. Guests are guaranteed not to see another tourist too!

6. Golf Lanna Hill House is located immediately behind one of Asia's top Golf courses, Chiang Mai Highlands. Recently voted the third best new course in Asia, it shares the same stunning scenery. It also boasts a fine restaurant that is open to the public and will shortly open a spa. For golfers keen to secure a booking prior to their arrival we will be happy to accommodate this.

7. Driving and Guiding There is no better way to experience the real Thailand than by car. The roads are very good and outside of the cities they tend to be quiet. The house staff can arrange for car hire and 4WD (recommended) for those wishing to explore the national parks. Also guests can be provided with their own driver and English speaking guide. A good stock of maps are available for those wishing to self drive. For hire of a private guide for a week or more, booking in advance is required. For day trips only, arrangements for guides can be organised after guests arrival.

8. Nature trails and volunteer work Lanna Hill House is fortunate to be located a mere 20 minutes from perhaps the best private nature trail in Thailand. Pang Soong Lodge is the base for a 4km nature trail with over 17 waterfalls on its route. It also hosts volunteers who wish to work with local villagers helping to maintain the trail, teach English and assist with tree planting. This can be arranged for guests wishing to have a rewarding hands on experience.

9. Other activities Guests are encourage to cook with the house staff, if they so wish. Alternatively arrangements can be made for Thai cookery lessons in-house. There are also opportunities for private meditation classes and to secure private audiences with some of Chiang Mai's top professors. For example, Lanna Hill House is a perfect location for astronomy and arrangements can be made (depending on availability) for a professor to come and practice in-house one evening.

10. Gateway to the undiscovered eastern hills Chiang Mai is located on the western side of the Ping River valley. 35km east of Chiang Mai are the eastern mountains. Although largely untouched by development, the area still boasts a treasure chest of locations and experiences that will appeal to discerning travellers. There are two national parks, Mae Takrai being right on the door step and Chai Son on the other side of the mountains. Both can be explored by car. Also hidden villages can be visited where local people will prepare traditional meals, plus countless waterfalls, hot springs and nature trails, with many perfect spots for picnics. According to local officials the parks still support a tiger population, so watch what's in your sandwiches!

The magical village of Mae Kampong at 1300m feels more Tibetan than Thai. A mere 25 minute drive away, the village now boasts a high wire jungle tour as well as forest walks, fresh coffee and even traditional Thai massage. Even closer to Lanna Hill House is Muang Cave, and Sankampaeng Hot Springs plus for those interested in rock climbing, there is Crazy Horse buttress.

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