Travel in Style
Tamarind Village

There are two things you can't help but notice when you walk around Tamarind Village in Chiang Mai. The first thing you notice is the inescapable sense of quiet. Despite its location in the middle of the city and on the periphery of the major tourist hangout of Thapae Gate,

The first thing you notice is the inescapable sense of quiet. Despite its location in the middle of the city and on the periphery of the major tourist hangout of Thapae Gate, the 40-room Tamarind Village is remarkably peaceful, a haven spread out under the branches of a giant tamarind tree from which it derives its name.

The second thing you notice is a sense of comfort. The grounds are remarkably cool, with flora and shaded walkways galore. Even at lunchtime, just after noon on a muggy day, there is respite from the heat. Both of these sensations are testaments to the architecture and design standards that have gone into its construction. Tamarind Village is a sanctuary of peacefulness in the city's interior, a high-class hotel option amid all the variety of guesthouse and commercial-zone concrete.

I visited Tamarind Village for a personal tour recently, to explore the architectural design and landscaping efforts that have made this a highly touted stopover.

My journey began at the centre of things, near the giant tamarind tree in the midst of the central courtyard. This is the front desk area of the hotel, a long open-air white-tiled hallway lined with sofas and dark wood tables and chests, topped with newspapers, magazines and other reading material. Staff members are dressed in comfortable northern fashions - Thai cottons and silk blouses and they sit behind a long table as opposed to a counter. The impersonality of a typical hotel room has been replaced, evoking the sense that I had stepped into someone's open-air living area.

For sure, the spreading branches and the mighty trunk of the two-hundred year old tamarind tree are the epicentre of Tamarind Village and the complex is laid out with the tree as the guiding principle. Behind it, beyond the white stucco walls of the complex, rises the venerable chedi of U Mong Klang Wiang Temple.

A staff member described the tree and its background chedi during the most beautiful time of the day in the sunset hours or early evening. Floodlights illuminate both, setting a beautiful backdrop to a couple's handheld stroll.

The abbot of U Mong was consulted before construction began, to ensure that the light would not interfere with the temple's operations. Tamarind Village was laid out with the local area always in mind and this is accented by the tree and the chedi, which occupy their own area and yet are a part of everything inside the complex. The rooms are spread about in a rough U-shape, with a spur of a pool and dining area and the entire complex has been kept to two stories, the better to emphasize the surroundings.

Thus, before I had even started my tour of the grounds, I had two tastes of the guiding principles behind Tamarind Village - the reverence of local history and a sense of its place in the middle of this ancient city.

There are three courtyards in all - with well-maintained lawns and porches that rise with wooden staircases into a market-like collection of side buildings. The deluxe rooms, six out of the total of 40 rooms, have their own porches to sit and enjoy the quiet and form the head of each of the courtyards.

Stepping into one of the deluxe rooms, I was immediately taken aback at how cool it felt, even more so than the surrounding environs of the complex. The room itself is a palpable five or ten degrees cooler than the outside air, without any help from air conditioning.

The rooms are simple and yet elegant and all doors and windows face into the compound, ensuring that sense of quiet. The colour schemes are white stone framed by dark brown wood beams and the bathrooms and closets are hidden behind thatched doors, which, when closed, create the illusion of the room existing on its own. White cotton curtains and bed sheets complement the clean-looking interior; teakwood tables, bamboo lamps and rattan chairs offer a classy place to sit. My tour continued through the entire compound and through the array of plant life that surrounds buildings. The outside of the rooms show a great attention to detail and colour - the dark brown wood stands in sharp contrast to the white walls and all is kept together with porches and topped by the broad overhang of tile roofs.

Air conditioning units are covered by wood terraces on the outsides of rooms to keep them well out of sight and to enhance the visual effect of the building lines.

With the tour of the grounds complete, I wandered to the pool area in order to seek out the other architectural touches of the village. I had to walk once more through the reception hallway, crossed over that threshold and gazed at the inviting waters of the classically-designed swimming area. Blue tiles line the entirety of the inside of the pool and wicker chairs and tables have been arranged around the concrete perimeter for dining or reading. The feel is almost of a 1930's scene, more classic than modern in its arrangement and blending well with the overall historical ambience of this "village."

A terraced stone walkway follows the length of the pool and leads out onto the main street and it is easy to enjoy the play of light and shadow along its length. This walkway, perhaps the highlight of the architectural standard here, holds a perpetual shadow and yet is lit by opening after opening, reminding one of an ancient Greek walkway outside the coliseum or of walks among the venerable halls of an ivy-league college. In one niche toward the entrance, on its own pedestal, sits a gold Buddha statue in meditation.

There are two entrances to this walkway, from the parking lot and from the main street. The parking lot is also buffered from the outside with a solid row of bamboo trees, giving entrants a first taste of the quietness that awaits them within.

This covered walkway leads into the dining area, a split-level restaurant that looks out over the length of the pool. I perused the menu, noticed a decent array of northern specialties and local foods and a short but complete wine list that could complement any food selection.

Unfortunately, my hunger pangs would have to wait, for this was only a short visit and I had other things to attend to today.

I could not plan on sitting too long admiring the pool, the grounds and the tamarind tree in the distance and my complete appreciation of this spot's quiet and comfort. That will have to come at the next opportunity, when I can again seek out and enjoy the tranquillity and unique sense of architecture within the up-scale oasis of Tamarind Village.

Tropical Living: September 2004, Volume 4 Issue 4

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