TRAVEL SPOTLIGHT
Tranquil Time at Veranda High Resort Chiang Mai — MGallery
Veranda High Resort Chiang Mai - MGallery is where natural and architectural beauties harmoniously coexist.
Located amid nature’s embrace, Veranda High Resort Chiang Mai — MGallery is less than a 30-minute drive from CNX. The drive to the stylish property is flanked by trees, local homes and businesses, and hills on the horizon. The effort and attention that goes into making a sense of arrival is evident. Beyond a discreet wooden door is a world where architectural and natural beauties co-exist.
FIRST IMPRESSION
The first to please your eyes is a shallow pond with water so clear you can see pebbles that are meticulously arranged at the bottom before you walk up to the spacious openair lobby under a dome resembling goob (a roofed seat on an elephant’s back). At this spot alone, there are several IG moments to be had from huge modern sofas with nest-like domes where your squad can truly (and stylishly) lounge on. A tranquil moment with a big water feature in the middle underneath multiple pendant lamps covered in rattan shades. Three pairs of lounge chairs are placed on one side of the reception area, facing two raised reflecting pools whose water gently trickles down the walls and the picturesque landscape as far as your eyes can feast. In short, it’s a very good first impression.
STAYING IN
I hop on a golf cart to get to the building where my Valley Deluxe Scenery room is. The most basic accommodation choice starts quite large at 43m² plus 15cm² for the balcony. It may look like an open-plan room but you can close a sliding wooden door to separate the bathroom and bedroom/living room. The walk-in closet is big enough to store luggage and move in. The black stone bathtub is big enough to comfortably luxuriate in. Get an overlooking view of the resort’s garden and the hills from the private balcony. It comes with the usual in-room amenities and I reckon this room will do just fine unless you’re one of the 1%. A slightly different choice on offer is Valley Deluxe Escape room. The layout is the same but it comes with a view of a replica of the old city walls in Chiang Mai and a hidden pond. If you prefer some seclusion, I would suggest Escape over Scenery. If you want to catch birdsong from your balcony first thing in the morning, then Scenery it is.
While the Deluxe type can comfortably accommodate two, there’re two pavilion choices in case you want to elevate your getaway — namely Scenery Pavilion and Plunge Pool Pavilion. Scenery gives you almost double of space the deluxe type does while the Plunge Pool gives a little more than double. The living/bedroom area and the bathroom of the pavilion type are separated. Scenery gives you two bathtubs (because why not) — one in the bathroom and the other on the balcony from where you can enjoy the mountain view. Plunge Pool gives you one bathroom bathtub and, duh, the plunge pool with massaging jets in the balcony next to the rice field. The poshest abode is Presidential Pool Villa, which has 420m² across two storeys for four people. Its standout features include a double pool with sun-deck terrace, a big living room with a piano, a bathtub on the balcony and an outdoor bathtub.
Speaking of bathtubs, Veranda’s biggest one is its infinity pool, which is on the roof terrace of the main building, overlooking the green valley. There’s an island in the middle with sun loungers that you can access through stepping stones. For a truly breathtaking view, get there early (it opens from 7am-7pm) when there’s no one around and
the water is so still and clear that it perfectly duplicates the lush mountain range on the horizon and a white pagoda of Wat Ban Pong that sits on top of it. The sunset view from here isn’t too shabby either.
You’ll have an excuse to stop by the pool every day anyway since it’s next to the allday dining restaurant The Higher Room. The breakfast service provides an impressively diverse range of offerings from bread with gluten-free options, bakery items, fresh veggies to make your own salad, egg dishes made to order, pre-made dishes you can help yourself to, khao tom moo with all kinds of toppings to the likes of kluay kaek and sangkaya egg custard to end your big breakfast with. While you can enjoy the breakfast indoors, I suggest getting a dining booth on the terrace so you can have the view of the swimming pool, the 50 shades of greens and the big blue sky above. Three-tiered afternoon tea is also served here or you can stop by just for a refreshing juice.
Aptly named Rabiang Cha, the main restaurant is on the lower plain amid tall trees and rows of hedges. The restaurant is a modern interpretation of Lanna-style rice granaries on stilts. Each granary has a private room on the upper floor with tables for outdoor dining underneath. It serves northern Thai, Thai and Western cuisines so you can have a full-on khantok set to share with friends as a starter before you sink your teeth into Baked barramundi with fettuccine. The walk from my building to the restaurant is a pleasant experience in itself.
A simply walk around the resort reveals hidden beauties along the way from an outdoor jacuzzi pool that you can soak in while enjoying nature, a replica of ancient Chiang Mai city wall as the background for your IG moments, a Thai-style sala with pointed roofs and cabanas built over reflecting pool. If you love water features, it should be obvious by now that Veranda has many of them.
GOING OUT
If you need to get further in touch with Mother Nature, check out Pur Farm, which is a little more than an hour’s drive from the resort to learn about sustainable farming practices from a local farmer, the magic of Thai herbs and pet the farm dog. On a more serious note, the Paris-headquartered social business PUR Project works with companies to strengthen their supply chain through agroforestry, planting trees and sustainable agricultural practices while empowering small-scale farmers and improving their livelihoods in different countries. PUR Farm, their Thai project, is a farm of three hectares that aims to experiment with various agroforestry techniques along with the preservation of ancient and threatened rice species.
The other stop worth checking out is Araksa Tea Garden, a 90-minute drive from Veranda. Put on a straw basket before you join a tour (B650 per person), which gives you a hands-on experience on the process of making tea, from plucking the right leaves to how tea leaves are processed in a factory. You even get to don a lab coat complete with a hair net and face mask to massage tea leaves. They also do a tea-tasting session during which you can enjoy the pairing of different teas with a pastry or bakery items.
FINAL VERDICT
I’m impressed by the effort put into creating a unique atmosphere that invites you to slow down, take a really deep breath and just enjoy the surroundings. Veranda High Resort Chiang Mai — MGallery should be a great choice for those who seek serenity and tranquility.
Veranda High Resort Chiang Mai — MGallery, 192 Moo 2 Banpong, Hangdong / Their current offers range from wedding packages, free roundtrip airport transfers with two nights booked, 21-day advance purchase (B3,900 per night), 3D2N package with dinner (B8,411++) to 3D2N in a Presidential Pool Villa for four people (B49,279++). Visit verandaresort.com/ verandachiangmai.