Greetings from Chiang Rai ... and the Four Seasons Tented Camp where the elephants roam freely (almost!) and from my tent I can see both Myanmar and Laos ...
I am just SO happy to be returning here. I have visited well over 700 luxury hotels ... and there is a fairly clear "Top 5" ... and an ever-changing "Top 10" ... this property is definitely in my Top 5 (which includes Sonora in Canada, Royal Malewane in South Africa and Skibo Castle in Scotland) ... yes - the area is stunning ... Thai jungle ... but it's the experience here from the elephants to the bedroom slippers - unique and truly memorable.
So left Bangkok this morning and caught the Air Asia flight to Chiang Mai ... a packed flight which lasted just over an hour.
At the moment, the rice paddy fields are being set alight up North and it's quite hazy ... which actually leads to amazing sunrises and sunsets.
There's an hour car journey (75% new highway) to a jetty, then we took a boat down the Mekong River for the 10 minute zip to the camp.
I was met by Yuki ("snow" in Japanese) who I befriended last time I was here. After several kisses ... and several more ... I finally moved into my tent ... photos to come ... but a jacuzzi overlooking the jungle below is a highlight! The next few days are going to be ... FABULOUS!!!!!
