This amazing structure is about 20km south of Chiang Rai, visible from the highway, and well worth the drive. Parking is available and admission is free.

The White Temple was designed by local Chiang Rai artist Mr. Chaloemchai Khositphiphat, famous for his artwork both in Thailand and abroad.

The entire complex includes nine buildings, each one making it’s own statement, and building began in 1977. Work is expected to take 50-60 years.

To discover more about this wonderful site, and it’s creator, please visit Mr. Chalermchai Khositpipat’s website

If you ever find yourself in Chiang Rai, visiting the White Temple is a “must do”.

Following are some images of the White Temple :

Make sure you actually go inside the temple and check out the mural on the end (front) wall inside. It is quite different to anything I have ever seen inside a temple. Very hard to explain what it is like.

These beautiful and versatile containers are created by hand weaving strips of bamboo into the basic shape of the finished product, which is then “plastered” with a blend of teak sawdust and resin, sanded, and finally hand painted. ( The lids are made in the same manner. )

They are surprisingly light considering how sturdy their construction. The lids simply push on, and are held in place by knotting the carry cord.

Our bamboo rice containers are available in a wide range of shapes, sizes, colors and designs, and look great around the home or office. The designs include traditional Buddha images, floral motifs, banana leaf and lotus leaf styles, and the beautiful “Lanna” language scripts.

Sizes range from the tiny ones you see on dining room tables, used as toothpick holders etc, to the large “urn” shapes which can reach six feet in height.

Their many uses include storage vessels for such things as coffee, tea, sugar, salt etc, or just about anything you can think of. Becoming very popular in restaurants as both condiment holders or simply as decor.

Of the many varied bamboo products on the market today, these very useful “rice containers” are my favorite.

The bamboo rice containers displayed on our website are sold on a retail basis, but if you would like a wholesale price please contact us at sales@lannacharm.com for more details. We offer up to 50% discount on orders of 10 items or more !

We also have a range of bamboo candle holders !

Mango wood vases are my personal favorite, there seems to be an unlimited range of sizes, styles, shapes, designs and colors on show.

Simply beautiful.

We thought visitors may like an insight into the production of these amazing works of art. They begin as a log brought in from the mango plantations, are rough shaped on a very basic lathe, then are kiln dried and finally turned into the amazing creations that the north of Thailand is famous for.

The carving of patterns, painting, sanding and staining is all done by hand. They really are handcrafted works of art.

The products listed on our website are for the retail buyer, but everything we sell is also available to the wholesale buyer, with attractive prices offered for orders of 10 or more items. Please feel free to contact us for details regarding wholesale prices and shipping rates for larger orders.

Following are some of the photos I took while touring one of the many mango wood products “factories” to be found in the Chiang Mai area, as well as some examples of the finished products.






























The finished product !

If you would like to browse through our range of mango wood vases and candle holders please visit our Mango Wood Products collection.

”Chiang Mai” Handcrafted Handbag, in batik cotton


”Chiang Mai” Handcrafted Handbag, in hand painted hemp fabric


”Chiang Mai” Handcrafted Handbag, in hand painted hemp fabric~

I was not a bit surprised to learn that UNESCO made it a World Heritage Site, on the 17th of December, 1994. It is one those places that you will never forget, an amazing collection of islands and islets, numbering around 2,000, ( 989 have names ) scattered throughout an area of more than 1,500 square km. Legend has it that a family of dragons created this beautiful place by spitting jewels and jade.

Halong Bay is situated in the Gulf of Tonkin, in Quang Ninh Province, about a 3 hour drive east of Hanoi. If you ever find yourself in Hanoi, make a point of visiting this wonderful place, you will never regret it. Be sure to check the weather conditions in the bay area before booking a trip. It could be fine in Hanoi, but raining on the coast.

On both occasions I went for the option of a 1 night/2 days boat trip. By the time you arrive at the busy harbour and tickets and boats are sorted out, it is around noon. Soon after the boat leaves the wharf lunch is served, and the rest of the day is spent cruising around the bay and visiting an island which has the most amazing cave I have ever seen. The view from the mouth of this cave is great, you feel like you are directly above the boats anchored below. ( see the 5th photo )  Late in the day the skipper selects a good place to drop anchor, and another beautiful meal is served. A lot of the food is seafood, purchased from the many fishing people in the bay. Often the prawns and fish are still alive when bought. The next morning brings a big breakfast followed by more cruising around the bay, arriving back at the wharf about lunchtime. Then, as if you have not eaten enough already, you are taken to a restaurant not far from the wharf and presented with a huge lunch. The food down there is great, especially if you like seafood. After lunch it is back to Hanoi, usually arriving about 5 or 6 pm.

  Considering what you get for the money you pay, it is one of the best value trips around. I would rate it as the highlight of the 4 months I spent in Vietnam.

It is an amazing structure, many say the most beautiful marble creation on Earth. Built by Mughal Emperor, Shah Jahan, in memory of his Queen, Arjumand Bano Begum, who died in 1631 giving birth to her 14th child !

According to one of the marble plaques in the grounds, “it is variously admired as a materialised vision of loveliness, a dream of marble, a noble tribute to the grace of Indian womanhood, and a resplendent immortal teardrop on the cheek of time.”

I think that says it all.

I recently visited Pha Nok Kok village, a traditional Hmong village, north of Chiang Mai, Thailand. I was with a group of textile enthusiasts from Chiang Mai, among other places, to witness a demonstration of traditional Hmong hemp fabric production, from the stripping of the fiber from the stalks, to the weaving of the finished product.

 Much has already been written about this wonderful product, by dedicated people who know a lot more about it than I ever will. So instead of writing too much about it, I would rather just show you some photos, and put some good links in our "links"  page.

If you are interested in purchasing any hemp products, please visit the Hemp section on our website, at where we have a range of hemp fabric, both handpainted and natural, handbags, shoulder bags and bedding. 

The first 3 images were taken in a village further north from Ban Pha Nok Kok, near Chiang Dow. 

Following images are Pha Nok Kok village.

This annual event, which raises money for the National Elephant Institute, has been held in the coastal holiday town of Hua Hin for the previous five years. The organisers decided to bring it to the north, to focus some attention on the Golden Triangle area, as a tourist destination.

The tournament has developed into quite an event, and in 2005 attracted 55 players, from 15 countries. But the players are not the only ones being lured, with corporate sponsors such as American Express, British Airways, Chivas Regal, Mercedes Benz and PricewaterhouseCoopers.

The actual games are quite a spectacle, the skill level involved very high. But I don’t think they lose too many spectators to “excitable overload”, with the noble steeds a bit on the slow side.

I am looking forward to this year’s tournament, and will make a point of being there for sure.

The Elephant Polo Tournament is only one of many interesting things to see around Chiang Saen. Later I will devote another article just to this fascinating area of northern Thailand.

If you are one of the many people who travel between Thailand and Laos these days, this trip is well worth considering. I went up to Chiang Khong, about a 2 hour drive north of Chiang Rai, got a Laos visa sorted out, which was easy, then caught a boat across the Mekong to Huay Xai. I arranged a boat ticket at the guest house I stayed in, and the boat left at about 10.00 am the next morning. Be warned, the seats on the boats are not padded, so it pays to take something soft to sit on. Also, take enough water and snacks for a day, the boat I went on had a big esky up the front with ice, beer and soft drinks, but thats all.

We arrived in Pak Beng late afternoon, found a guesthouse to stay the night, then went out for a walk to stretch the legs. There is not a lot to do in Pak Beng, but we got some interesting photos. We stayed at the “Bouney” Guesthouse, which had fairly basic rooms, but a great dining area, a big open landing with great views of the river, and very good food.

The next day was more of the first, with a few stops along the way, picking up and dropping off passengers at the many villages along the way, and we arrived in beautiul Luang Prabang at about 5.30 pm. We went to the “Sayo” Guesthouse, and I highly recommend this place. The rooms and the staff are great, and it is very handy to the river and the main street of town. I have a soft spot for Luang Prabang, it is my favorite getaway in Asia. The town is very pretty, with a mixture of Laos style and French architecture, lots of trees and flowers, river views and a nice laidback atmosphere.

We used to come here just to buy handwoven silk and cotton scarves for our “Lanna Charm”
website, but we now realize Luang Prabang has much more to offer than just beautiful fabrics.

If you like peaceful, relaxing travel, with wonderful scenery thrown in, then this trip is made for you.

Here are some photos from the trip.

Following photos are Luang Prabang.

After a couple of weeks of trekking in the mountains, and exploring Kathmandu, I decided to do the 5 day overland trip up to Lhasa, the famous capital of Tibet. It was the most amazing experience I have had since I started traveling around south-east Asia.

I would do this trip again tomorrow, if I could convince my wife it was of the utmost importance. I will certainly do it again one day. Do yourself a favor, and go.

Some images of the amazing scenery between Zhangmu and Lhasa, in Tibet.