Chiang Mai (Northern Thailand) Tourist Guide


	S.P. Publishing Group Co., Ltd. 11/1 Soi 3 Bamrungburi Rd., T. Prasingh, A. Muang., Chiang Mai 50200 Tel. 053 - 814 455-6 Fax. 053 - 814 457 E-mail: guidelin@loxinfo.co.th

LIVING IT UP:
Anoma Boutique House -
A Welcoming Blend of Affordable Luxury, Comfort & Style

Text: Finley B. Luge
Images: Apirak

A multitude of guesthouses and small hotels of various levels of quality are dotted all over the old city, but in terms of location few can compare with Anoma Boutique House. Rajpakinai Road dissects the moat's inner city from north to south and this very recently-opened accommodation can be found towards the Chiang Mai gate end of this well-trodden thoroughfare.

The southern-most gate of the old walled city, here you can find one of the most popular food markets in Chiang Mai, with locals swarming the area all day long buying street food and shopping for groceries, whilst rickshaw drivers and bicycle taxis compete for the limited road space. The area is very well serviced by public transport, and is less than a ten minute drive from Chiang Mai's international airport, train and bus stations. The Wualai Walking Street market on the other side of the gate is held on Saturday evenings, showcasing the area's most famous handicrafts in an open-air environment and is otherwise famous for its longstanding silver shops. Many of the city's oldest temples, such as Wat Daowadung and Wat Muang Mang are also just a brief stroll away.

Upon entering this Lanna contemporary-styled lodging, a homely feel is instantly palpable, with a welcoming restaurant at the front of the property beautifully decorated with plants and colorful hand-painted wall drawings of lifestyle scenes from a by-gone era. This feeling may also be in part due to the fact that the owner, a charming Chiang Mai native and former air stewardess, has meticulously designed every inch of the building, spending two years completing the project. The name Anoma was given by a Feng-shui expert who was contracted in to make sure everything was positioned properly with respect to positive energy. Taken from the river by which the Buddha was enlightened, the name is particularly apt as the change from old family home to modern boutique abode is almost as impressive a transformation.

Each of the nineteen rooms (12 Superior; 5 Deluxe; 2 Suite Rooms) are fitted with top quality bed and linen, as having spent the best part of seven years staying in hotels all over the world, the owner truly knows the importance of a superior and comfortable bed. Plus it has given her plenty of experience in terms of what works and what doesn't and the rooms here are testament to this fact. With all the amenities of a top class hotel - individual air-conditioning control, refrigerator, free wireless internet, telephone, LCD televisions with Cable TV, hair dryer, coffee & tea-making facilities, and in-room safe - it is no surprise that after only two months of being open, it has already become a popular place to stay with both and short and long term guests. Room prices for the latter are generous, with 40% discounts offered for those who stay for a week or more.

The spacious restaurant serves a bounty of wholesome and familiar all-day-breakfast sets, plus popular Thai treats such as Pad Thai, stir-fried sweet & sour chicken, red & green curries and stuffed Nutria's omelet (an omelet stuffed with stir-fried meat and vegetables), and can be seen most nights full of happy customers. Other services here are made up of laundry & dry cleaning, tour information & bookings, plus car and motorbike rental. Anoma Boutique house is the perfect base to discover the city; five minutes walk north from the boutique guesthouse is Ratchadamnoen Road, which stretches from Taphae Gate to Wat Phra Sing, best known for the Sunday Walking Street Market, a fantastic place for picking up local handicrafts, Thai artifacts, hill-tribe trinkets, paintings, decorative items, clothes and sampling an array of foods at one of the many temples located along its flanks. Some of Chiang Mai's oldest and most significant temples including Wat Chedi Luang can also be found in this direction, plus a range of local coffee shops, restaurants and boutique stores.

Heading east will take you to Taphae Gate, probably the most famous of the four gates that stand erect at the midpoint of each side of the square moat, and beyond is Taphae Road, running directly from the gate to Narawat Bridge, the flower market, and plenty of top pubs, bars and restaurants located along the banks of the Ping River. The Night Bazaar on Changklan Road is also accessible in this direction via Moon Muang and Loi Kroh Roads where plenty of lively bars popular with tourists can be enjoyed.

After a long walk around town or a few days trekking in the nearby forests, what better than to soak your bones in a hot Jacuzzi overlooking the city? Free for guests this is exactly what's on offer with a large tub located on the roof of the four storey building. Guests will doubtless sleep well after a dip in the Jacuzzi followed by a home cooked meal and a couple of beers, with their security a priority evidenced by the CCTV cameras affixed to the walls of each floor. The fact that the owner lives on the premises allows breakfast to be served at any time of the day and with no set check-in or check-out times, all adds to the homely ambience that will undoubtedly see guests coming back to stay time and again.