Tatvani is a private estate of 29 acres outside Chiang Rai in northern Thailand, laid out among rice fields, gardens, koi ponds and lotus pools near the Mae Kok River. Its villas are spread through the grounds so that each keeps its own outlook: rice fields and mountains from Kohaku, a banyan grove around Asagi, a bamboo canopy over the riverside pair Sanke and Showa. The largest, Pa Sak Tong, has three bedrooms with a private pool, spa and gym facing the lotus pond. Villas can be taken one at a time, or the whole estate can be reserved for a single family or group. Days at home turn on the Tatvani Spa, meditation, long meals in the dining pavilion and a swim with the koi. Further afield, the team arranges visits to an elephant sanctuary and the temples of Chiang Rai, mountain walks on Doi Chang with Lisu guides, golf at Santiburi, longtail boat trips on the Mae Kok and a day at the Golden Triangle. It is a quiet, contemplative place, designed for people who want to slow down.
- Rooms
- Seven villas with 14 bedrooms
- Taken whole
- The whole estate and its six villas
Insider tip If you are travelling as several families, reserve the whole estate rather than single villas, so that no other guests share the grounds, the spa or the dining pavilion.
Why I choose it A small and very private base in Thailand's north, where one family can take the entire estate and still reach temples, mountains and elephants with ease.