DOING IT CHIANG MAI WAY
Sure, there’s beaches and the madness of Bangkok to enjoy in Thailand, but the delights of the highlands of Chiang Mai are also a huge drawcard for locals and visitors – with good cause
OH, ahh, hot” I yelp, as an elderly Thai man dips his foot into a bucket of warm charcoal before pressing sesame oil onto my back.
The sizzling sound makes me wince, but the soothing effect on my muscles reveals my initial fear of being cooked like a piece of fried chicken was unfounded.
I presume the man’s foot has developed a Kevlar-like quality, as he grins at me while returning it to the heat, before going to work on my legs.
A yam khang massage – using a technique dating back hundreds of years – is one of many unexpected treats on my trip to northern Thailand.
The country’s authorities have ambitious plans to boost annual revenue from overseas tourists by 8 per cent, and they hope to achieve this by encouraging people to explore lesser-known areas.
Chiang Mai, the former seat of the Lanna kingdom, is renowned for its temples and has been on the southeast Asia backpackers’ trail for decades.
Holidaymakers coming to Thailand for a week or two have often preferred to head south to islands such as Phuket and Ko Phi-Phi Don, like I did on my only previous visit to the country over a decade ago.
But in recent years, Chiang Mai has developed a growing reputation as a city break destination, and I find it the perfect base for exploring this relaxed and fascinating region, which is largely rural and has swathes of rich forestry.
It seems like every street corner, shop or restaurant has a portrait of the king and queen. One of their most notable achievements has been to persuade the hill tribes of northern Thailand to stop growing opium, which harmed the land and provided only a tiny income.
The royals ensured they received help in switching to crops such as coffee, carrots, peaches and flowers.
Beginning in the late 1960s, the project resulted in the tribes becoming self-sustained with a better quality of life.
The scheme also led to community-based tourism initiatives, like the village of Ban Rai Kong Khing – the site of my unusual massage.
With rising debts and few jobs available, residents began using locally-sourced organic produce to make items they can sell, such as soap bars with honey extracts and mosquito repellents from lemongrass oil.
Soon after wiping the excess oil off my back I am introduced to a woman who has the unenviable task of showing me how she uses paper to make decorative flags sold for use in people’s homes during a celebration.