THE FIVE-STAR FARM
Taking the agricultural route of Four Seasons Chiang Mai
The allure of Chiang Mai draws all types of nature-seekers to the north of Thailand. The mountainous region offers countless opportunities to connect with Mother Earth, whether it’s trekking, forest zip-lining, bathing baby elephants or, you know, simply admiring green areas larger than Bangkok’s public parks.
But there are a few more pursuits to be added on your outdoorsy itinerary. And to take part in them, you won’t need to leave the stunning grounds of the Four Seasons Chiang Mai.
Pulling into the hotel’s driveway, the warm welcome I received came in the form of towering trees and swaying branches. The structural beauty of the five-star hotel is stunning in its own right, but is simply incomparable to the surrounding landscape (both are the work of architect Bill Bensley). The abundance of foliage and greenery means sightings of butterflies, squirrels and red-whiskered bulbuls are daily enjoyments. As the sun sets, cicadas and frogs take centre stage, crooning evening ballads.
While admiring from afar with a zoom lens is one way to enjoy nature, I thought it best to try something new. Something like wading through a rice paddy.
The one-hour rice-planting session began with a quick change into farmer-style attire. The hotel provided our group of four with traditional indigodyed shirts and trousers, rubber boots, straw hats and pha khao ma (multipurpose cloths) to wear. The process of rice farming was then explained in detail, from the importance of irrigation to the lengths of the rice planting and harvesting seasons. After 20 minutes of planting rice, we realised how difficult it was to perfect the method, especially beneath the sweltering sun. We moved on to harvesting, where Farmer Tien displayed his