We recently added some beautiful mango wood products, vases and candle holders, to our ever growing
range of home decor accessories.

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.

This is a sneak preview of our new range of hemp and cotton “Chiang Mai” handbags. We are using hand painted hemp fabric, as well as beautiful batik cotton for the outer covering, and very stylish and practical polished timber handles. We will release more images as they become available.

”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~

In November 2005, while on my 4th trip to Vietnam, I was lucky enough to make my second trip to the amazing Halong Bay. And although I been there before , I was still blown away by the sheer beauty and vastness of the area.

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.

I just returned from a quick trip to India, looking at furniture and carpets, and one of the places we visited was Agra, home of the famous “Taj Mahal”. Finally, I would get to see one of the eight wonders of the world.

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.