Canadian World Traveller Fallr 2016 issue American World Traveler Fall 2016 issue | Page 9

t is a long flight to the other side
of the world, but it is a small sacrifice for a true world traveler
and after landing, we were greeted
by our guides from Triyaka tours and
began our trip with a drive through
Thailand’s northern metropolis,
Chiang Mai.

I

land

On our way to the hotel, Tong, one of
our guides, explained our itinerary
and offered us an abundant choice
of activities for our first night in
Thailand. Our destination, the
Ratilanna Resort, was magnificent
and has the look and feel of
Thailand, with temple-like roofs and
friendly staff who warmly welcomed
us. We were pleasantly surprised
when we were informed that our
room had been upgraded!
At first glance, the room offered a
stunning living room and space to
relax. The living room gave way to a
large balcony with a great view of the
turquoise swimming pool and the
famous Ping River. The second half of
the room included a beautiful king
size bed and a majestic bathroom
filled with every accessory imaginable. The bathroom had a rustic yet
artistic feel to it, and the decorations
were inspired by a spa with a small
waterfall pouring into the bathtub.
That evening, our guide suggested a
fine Thai restaurant, with authentic
and traditional Thai dishes. From the
free run chicken, to the slow cooked
pork and the cashew rice served
inside a pineapple, we were very
impressed. After desert, we had a
pleasant surprise and got to meet the
owner of the restaurant who made
sure everything had gone according
to our expectations. This first taste of
Thailand was nothing short of fantastic, and eating beside the Ping River
offered a lovely romantic setting to
say the least.
The following morning, we had
breakfast at the resort which consisted of a well assorted buffet that
ranged from Asian cuisine all the way
to American standards.
>>>

American World Traveler / Fall 2016