Mae Sa Valley Craft Village Chiang Mai

Mae-Sa Valley Craft Village offer a new range of deluxe rooms, each with a different "Village Life" theme. Our resort was the first to open in Mae Sa Valley, twenty years ago, when weekenders from Bangkok yearned for escape from the pressures of the city and were happy to find a simple with fresh air to breath and nothing to do but lie back and relax. Recognizing that times have changed and that visitors today want all that and more we have been building new accommodation and refurbishing the old in a way intended to preserve the simple qualities of the original while adding some of the conveniences of the present. The solution is our themed cottages, each with twin-bedroom, fully equipped modern bathroom and air-conditioning and individually decorated by the artists from our craft village to provide a unique atmosphere that is both charming and colourful.

Visitors can pamper themselves in our herbal steam room where a selection of specially chosen natural aromas help ease away the aches and pains of modern life. Those who wish may have an hour long traditional Thai massage that gently kneads away knotted pressure points leaving the body relaxed and the mind calm. Loose-fitting garments are provided and our restaurant offers a selection of salads and fresh fruit and vegetable juices.

##The Craft Village Parasol and Fan Painting This is one of the classic crafts of northern Thailand yet it is remarkably easy to learn how to create stunning effects, from flower designs to realistic scenes of village life. All the materials needed are provided and participants can take away their work at the end of the session.

##"Sa" Paper-making Handmade, or "sa" paper making is another traditional northern craft, especially beautiful when flowers and leaves are pressed into the liquid paper. It is very easy to achieve remarkable results. All materials are provided and participants are encourage to be as adventurous as possible in creating their own designs. The paper sheets are dried overnight and delivered to hotels in the Chiang Mai area within 48 hours. Those who wish may pay for postage to their home address.

##Batik Dyeing We provide a plain piece of material for the first attempt at wax painting and colour dyeing. After that first stage a range of materials, including shirts and blouses, is available for those who wish to make something special.

##Ceramic Painting Participants are given an undecorated pot and shown how to hand paint a simple traditional design. This will be fired in our kiln overnight and delivered to hotels in the Chiang Mai area within 48 hours. Those who wish may pay for postage to their home address. A selection of undecorated ceramics is available for those who wish to create their own unique designs.

##The Cookery School The recent popularity of Thai cuisine in the West has been truly amazing but many of those who love our food are still mystified by many of the ingredients and hesitant when it comes to trying to cook even the simplest dishes. Yet Thai cooking is far from complicated and our four different sessions offer the chance to learn a range of starters and main dishes. Each session begins with a visit to our farm to study and gather the ingredients required for each recipe: lemon grass, pea aubergines, holy basil, kaffir lime leaves. Then, in our specially equipped kitchen-school, participants are given a brief introduction to Thai food, the equipment to be used and the particular dishes to be learned that day-usually a starter, two main dishes and a dessert. Our chef-instructor demonstrates each dish then guides participants as they make it themselves. At the end of the session everyone eats what they have made.