Hillside Haven

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Ten minutes' drive from Chiang Mai International Airport, in the well- trodden hills of northern Thailand, a Baan Saen Doi (House of a Hundred Thousand Hills) has somehow eluded the platinum-card-carrying class. Featuring classic[an error occurred while processing this directive] Lanna architecture without, and authentic hill-tribe craftsmanship within, this two-year-old hidden gem comprises just seven suites and four rooms, making it feel less like a hotel and more like the sumptuous home of its Thai owner Wanphen Sakdatorn and her husband, German Honorary Consul Hagen Dirksen.

Tennis courts, a spa, private balconies (taking in palm-fringed mountain views), bathtubs built for two and butler service make for a memorable guest experience, as does Saen Kham Terrace — the stunning art gallery cum restaurant next door. Dishes like shiitake mushrooms in salty lime sauce, and Burmese pork curry, hold their own against the gallery's modern art and ancient artifacts, attracting both fashionable Thais and awed but underdressed tourists. Discover this stylish sanctuary, nestled beneath the sacred peak of Doi Suthep, before more of the latter do. Visit www.baansaendoi.com for details.