Take the week off and spend a few days pampering yourself both inside and out. Check in a hotel, float in a salt water spa and escape to the rainforest for a good food lunch.
At Pingnakorn Riverside is located, unsurprisingly, on the banks of the Ping River, just a few kilometres out of the city. The hotel takes great pride in its focus on Northern Thai styles in both their design and their accommodating values. The surprisingly quiet and peaceful expansive grounds are lovely to stroll in, especially in the evenings as the sunsets over Doi Suthep beyond the river. The caf? that has opened on site, called the Pingnakorn Caf?, serves all the classic Thai, northern Thai and international dishes, and the hotel takes great pride in its khao soy as well as other northern dishes from nam prik num to hung-le curry.
Open 8am – 6pm
381 Charoenrat Road, Wat Kate
Facebook: AtPingnakorn Riverside
053 249 222
Salt caves and flotation tubs are becoming a thing here in Chiang Mai, especially for those looking for a soothing experience that isn’t the ubiquitous Thai massage. The good news is that you can experience these new calming and relaxing therapies at half the price of what you would pay in most places in the world. Step into the pure white salt cave at Relaxing Emotions Spa and chill on a beach of salt as the saline air you breathe cleans you from the inside. Peppered with tiny pharmaceutical quality salt particles so small they can get deep inside your lungs, spending just an hour in here is said to do wonders for your body. Partner it up with a relaxing aroma massage and you may feel like you’re in heaven and when better to clear those lungs than now, just after the smoky season! If massage is not your thing, why not slide into a tub full of salt saturated water, causing you to float on the surface with not a single pressure point being bothered. Take it from us, it is pure bliss.
Open 11.30am – 10.30pm
Down the private soi next to McDonalds Tha Pae
(parking available at Imm Hotel)
www.relaxingemotions.com
053 271 162
Emerging from the owner’s love of food and passion of garden, this restaurant is driven by an inspiration to create a green space for the city, with good air and even better food. Although challenged by the limited space on offer, the restaurant tries to simulate a rainforest, with big trees, ferns, moss and even a waterfall. The menu is full of Thai fusion dishes that really complement the atmosphere with the chili paste fried rice as a go to signature. The chili paste is made from the owner’s own recipe which has been passed down through the generations and uses the best local herbs and shrimp paste. For a less spicy dish, the parsley fried rice is worth a try, with a fusion feel as it is served with homemade barbeque sauce that helps sweeten the taste. Refreshing drinks on the menu includes ginger lemon juice, a cold pressed juice with ginger, lemon and pineapple juice. For something a bit more indulgent, we suggest the Purple Latte, a sweet potato milky drink, or one of their fresh coffees that use organic coffee beans from Om Koi.
Open 11am – 10pm
2/13 Moo 2, Mae Hia
Facebook: chomcafeandrestaurant
065 438 8188