Less than an hour's drive from Thailand's
northern capital of Chiang Mai, amid thickly-forested hills and misty
valleys, lies the Mae-Sa Valley Resort.
Two thousand feet high, in an area of great scenic charm, the landscape
has been adapted to provide a new experience in holiday enchantment.
Individual thatched-roof houses and bamboo cottages provide accommodation
that blends beautifully with the setting and meets high standards of
comfort. The mountain climate provides bright sunny days for
exploring : crisp, cool evenings for fireside gatherings. And the
cultivated terraces provide a riot of tropical and temperate flowers,
along with all the vegetables served fresh at our restaurant. The
Mae-Sa Valley is a totally new experience of Thailand. It's remote
but easily accessible, fresh with the joys of a natural environment while
providing the pleasures of fine food and warm hospitality.
The charm of a private
cottage, with special touches of comfort..
The thatched-roof houses are of local wood and woven matting, each
decorated in the colourful northern style. Beds are thick and softly
quilted. Bathrooms have modern fittings, and hot water. Our
stilted bamboo cottages have been created in the traditional pattern, each
with a twin-bed room and spacious balcony.
A restaurant that
serves you from the land...
Our menu gives you the choice of Thai or Western food, with all
vegetables fresh from the Mae-Sa Valley gardens.
A wealth of unique
attractions to explore..
The Mae-Sa Valley provides lazy days of quiet relaxation, plus the chances
to explore. Nearby are tribal villages of the Meo, where the ancient
way of custom and costume are little changed today. There's an
elephant camp, with a daily show, a short hike or bus ride away. You
can even return to the resort on an elephant's back, along a mountain
trail. Your touring can include an orchid nursery, and a lobster
farm, and take you deeper into the famous mountain scenery of the north.
Mae-Sa Valley Craft Village offers a day out with a difference.
Nestling within one of Thailand's most beautiful botanical gardens, with
its own stream and tiny waterfall, The Craft Village is home to a group of
the region's highly -skilled artisans : potters, weavers, silversmiths,
wood-carvers. But here, visitors can not only enjoy watching them at
work, they can join in! Morning and afternoon activities enable
participants to learn some of the skills that have made northern Thai
craft work famous throughout the world.
Mae-Sa Valley Craft Village has three centres of activity : a Thai cookery
school, a health centre and the craft village itself. Each has an
English-speaking instructor and each session, morning or afternoon, lasts
two and a half hours. Participants can spend a half or a whole day
and can learn two different crafts or practice one in greater depth.
Where appropriate visit that they have made themselves. This is a
day-out that everyone can enjoy - adults and children. No prior
experience is required and everyone is helped to achieve their best
results.
The Craft
Village Parasol and Fan Painting
This is one of the classic crafts of northern Thailand yet it is
remarkably easy to learn how to create stunning effects, from flower
designs to realistic scenes of village life. All the materials
needed are provided and participants can take away their work at the
end of the session.
"Sa" Paper-making
Handmade, or "sa" paper making is another traditional northern craft,
especially beautiful when flowers and leaves are pressed into the
liquid paper. It is very easy to achieve remarkable results.
All materials are provided and participants are encourage to be as
adventurous as possible in creating their own designs. The
paper sheets are dried overnight and delivered to hotels in the
Chiang Mai area within 48 hours. Those who wish may pay for
postage to their home address.
Batik
Dyeing
We provide a plain piece of material for the first attempt at wax
painting and colour dyeing. After that first stage a range of
materials, including shirts and blouses, is available for those who
wish to make something special.
Ceramic
Painting
Participants are given an undecorated pot and shown how to hand
paint a simple traditional design. This will be fired in our
kiln overnight and delivered to hotels in the Chiang Mai area within
48 hours. Those who wish may pay for postage to their home
address. A selection of undecorated ceramics is available for
those who wish to create their own unique designs.
Health
Centre
Visitors can pamper themselves in our herbal steam room where a
selection of specially chosen natural aromas help ease away the
aches and pains of modern life. Those who wish may have an
hour long traditional Thai massage that gently kneads away knotted
pressure points leaving the body relaxed and the mind calm.
Loose-fitting garments are provided and our restaurant offers a
selection of salads and fresh fruit and vegetable juices.
Traditional Northern Kantoke Dinner
Every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday evening at 7.30 pm (19.30 hrs.)
dine out under the stars. A traditional northern meal beside a
roaring log fire in a lantern-lit glade. After a traditional
ceremony of welcome, dinner is served to the music of the Thai
orchestra and is followed by a display of local folk dancing.
All participants will be transported from and returned to their
hotels in the Chiang Mai area. Morning sessions end and
afternoon sessions begin with a buffet lunch. Those who wish
to join only one session are welcome to spend the rest of the day
using the other facilities of our resort at no extra cost.
These include our swimming pool, game room and reading room.
Where numbers allow a brief trek in the nearby mountain forest can
be organized. Anyone wishing to stay on for the thrice weekly
evening Kantoke dinner may use our shower and changing facilities.
Batik
Dyeing
Ceramic
Painting
