DHARA DHEVI HOTEL IN CHIANGMAI IS THAILAND'S JEWEL OF THE NORTH AS THE ENTIRE HOTEL COMPLEX WAS BUILT FROM SCRATCH TO RESEMBLE AN ANCIENT LANNAI KINGDOM!

KEE@FSWMAG.COM
Indeed any King from the Lanna kingdom of ancient days can walk into the incredible Dhara Dhevi hotel complex covering several hundred acres and feel at home! But the hotel complex covers only 60 acres which is large enough to work out a sweat walking from one restaurant to one of 3 pools or Spa! Bicycles and buggies are on call 24/7. The spa alone occupies 3,100 sq metres and boasts 18 treatment suites.

There is a huge banquet hall, 5 restaurants, home theatre system in each villa, plunge pool in every villa and even a shopping village near the entrance so locals and non-guests can still come and shop!

Dhara Dhevi is the most detailed and authentic recreation of an old Lanna kingdom that flourished here till it joined Siam in the 19th century.

I went there twice when it was managed by Mandarin Oriental and was called Mandarin Oriental Dhara Dhevi. This trip with Princess Dr Becky Leogardo who sponsored everything as usual was last March 2013. Then in August 2014 Mandarin Oriental stopped managing the hotel and the name is now Dhara Dhevi.

The parting was due to disagreements between the owner and Mandarin Oriental about the way the hotel should operate. Still, I am sure Dhara Dhevi will continue its run as the world's most exquisite hotel as I have never seen anything on this spectacular scale with lavish decor to match.

Just before Mandarin Oriental left, the lowest rate was RM 2,000 but now it is RM 1,800 but I saw a rate ass low as RM 1,200 in off season. This is for the Oriental Suite which has 2 storeys mind you! There are no rooms in Dhara Dhevi---only suites!

My favourite is the Villa series as each freestanding villa overlooks a real padi field! Dhara Dhevi is the only 5 star hotel in the world that comes with its own rice fields which are actually harvested! Sometimes children of guests are allowed to join in the harvesting, winnowing and packing of the rice! The hotel also boasts its own fruit orchards, fish ponds, vegetable patches and flower gardens! So everything is as frseh as can be! 

Each villa costs slightly more than a colonial suite so I recommend a Garden Villa.

The last word in luxury is the Royal Suite which consists of 3 pavilions and can accommodate a minimum of 6 guests with 2 per villa. There are 2 swimming pools and open air jacuzzis and best of all, the entire complex is surrounded by walls and gates so no other guests can see what is happening inside the compound! 

It costs a hefty RM 26,000 per night but if you share it among six persons, it is only RM 4,333 per person but if there are 10  guests, it's only RM 2,600 per head! And you can boast about it for the rest of your cotton-pickin' life you once stayed here!

Michael Mantz and Princess Dr Becky Leogardo at the staircase leading to heaven on earth

Michael Mantz and Princess Dr Becky Leogardo

Michael Mantz and Princess Dr Becky Leogardo

Kee Hua Chee and Princess Dr Becky Leogardo

Mandarin Oriental Dhara Dhevi presented a pretty posy to Princess Dr Becky Leogardo

Kee Hua Chee, the GM of Mandarin Oriental Dhara Dhevi, Princess Dr Becky Leogardo and MIchael mantz

Same same

The facade of the most exquisite new hotel on earth

A vision in brick and mortar

Entrance

Grand entrance

Pagoda pavilion

Just the ticket to while away an hour or two

So surreal

Unreal!

Looks unreal but is real

Nice

Exotic

Personal swing on balcony

Fit for Princess Dr Becky Leogardo

Nice

This is the way to bath

Look at the wall decor

Porcelain stool shaped as woman exercising!

The main pool; there are 3

Can you believe these 3 coconut trees are shaped this way?

This life sized figure adds interest

Overlooking rice fields

Pavilion by pool

Serene

Lovely

Kee Hua Chee and Michael Mantz

Kee Hua Chee and MIchael Mantz

Craftswomen at work

This species of tree sprouts long, dangling roots

Exotic tree

Library

Library

Library

2 storey villa by padi field

Luxuriant and lush

Pretty pathway

Scenic

Your private entrance

Princess Dr Becky Leogardo brought her own umbrella girl

Princess Dr Becky Leogardo inside living room

Nice

Michael plays the piano

This is the life

Afternoon here is a dream come true

What a verdant view

What a good life

Private plunge pool

Lookout pavilion

Sedate

Nice

A real rice field

Lush

Bird's eye view from this platform

Relaxing

Cool

Wow!

Amazing

Stunning

Kee Hua Chee with his Anya Hindmarch bag with photo of him and Princess Dr Becky Leogardo

Viewing pavilion

Back to the 19th century

Lux

Lux

Luxurious

Kee Hua Chee wears matching clothes

Bathroom

Huge bathroom

Nice tub

His and Hers basins

Slouching here is great

Living

Garden with fish pool

Relaxing

The 3,100 sq metre Spa!

Looks like palace

Royal life for Princess Dr Becky Leogardo

Luxurious

Cool

This is where I sleep

I like the lamp in middle of mirror!

Nice tub

Real padi field

Old style pavilion

Scenic

Nice view

Nice

Grand

Ornate

Ornate

Private pool inside grand villa

Imposing

Spa

Spa

Spa

Spa

Spa

Spa

Spa

Spa

Kee Hua Chee

The world's most palatial spa!

Welcome to the spa!

Majestic

Spa

Spa

Spa

Spa

Spa

Spa

Spa

Bo tree

Sacred Bo tree

Bo tree

Out building

Pristine forest

Function room

Grand walkway

Imposing

Majestic

Grand

Cafe

Afternoon tea

Ideal for afternoon tea

Picturesque

Scenic

Lush

Purple rain protectors

Nice

Shopping village

Only Dhara Dhevi has its own shopping village

All 5 star hotels have shopping arcade but only Dhara Dhevi has its own shopping village!

This is living

Nice

This is the way to shop

Looks like temple garden

Grand

Golden view

Golden eye

So golden

Grandly golden

I love the yellow blooms

Function hall

Naga

Naga protector

Artistic

What a view

Part of the hotel

Very de nice

Grand

Welcome

Village hall

I love this plant

This is the seed!

Exotic flowers

Looks like dried orchids!

Serene

Main hotel

Main hotel entrance

This is the way to welcome guests

Grand

I love the human golden faces! So amusing!

Cute!

Original!

Adorable

Grand

Charmed!

View from top of staircase

Lobby pavilion

Pavilion

Lobby

Lobby

Garden

Typical structure

Imposing 

Nice

Everything on grand scale

Nice

Bridge

White in white

Lanna style building

Suspended bridge

Lanna style 

Semi openair deck

Flowers inside a bird

So pretty!

I love this

Sedate

Laze away!

Laze away here

Majestic

Majestic

Stately

Colonial suite 

Colonial suite

Pool at colonial suites

Back to luxury

Grand

Looks like Raffles Singapore

Grand

Kee Hua Chee so serene

Ornate

Stunning

Naga steps

Naga staircase