TRAVEL REVIEW: Doing it Mai way in Thailand

"OOH, ahh, hot" I yelp, as an elderly Thai man dips his foot into a bucket of warm charcoal before pressing sesame oil onto my back.

The sizzling sound makes me wince, but the soothing effect on my muscles reveals my initial fear of being cooked like a piece of fried chicken was unfounded.

I presume the man's foot has developed a Kevlar-like quality, as he grins at me while returning it to the heat, before going to work on my legs.

A yam khang massage – using a technique dating back hundreds of years - is one of many unexpected treats on my trip to northern Thailand.

The country's authorities have ambitious plans to boost annual revenue from overseas tourists by eight per cent, and they hope to achieve this by encouraging people to explore lesser-known areas.

Chiang Mai, the former seat of the Lanna kingdom, is renowned for its temples and has been on the south-east Asia backpackers' trail for decades.

Holidaymakers coming to Thailand for a week or two have often preferred to head south to islands such as Phuket and Ko Phi-Phi Don, like I did on my only previous visit to the country over a decade ago.

But in recent years, Chiang Mai has developed a growing reputation as a city break destination, and I find it the perfect base for exploring this relaxed and fascinating region, which is largely rural and has swathes of rich forestry.

It seems like every street corner, shop or restaurant has a portrait of the king and queen. One of their most notable achievements has been to persuade the hill tribes of northern Thailand to stop growing opium, which harmed the land and provided only a tiny income.

The royals ensured they received help in switching to crops such as coffee, carrots, peaches and flowers. Beginning in the late 1960s, the project resulted in the tribes becoming self-sustained with a better quality of life.

The scheme also led to community-based tourism initiatives, like the village of Ban Rai Kong Khing - the site of my unusual massage.

With rising debts and few jobs available, residents began using locally-sourced organic produce to make items they can sell, such as soap bars with honey extracts and mosquito repellents from lemongrass oil.

Soon after wiping the excess oil off my back I am introduced to a woman who has the unenviable task of showing me how she uses paper to make decorative flags sold for use in people's homes during a celebration.

My ragged attempt is destined for the recycling bin rather than the village shop, but my instructor upholds her nation's Land of Smiles reputation by beaming at me.

One place where my shabby attempts at getting hands-on would not go down well is Chiang Mai's Queen Sirikit Botanic Garden. It's Thailand's first international-standard botanical garden and features a number of rare plants. And for those of us not particularly green-fingered, the main attraction is the canopy walkway.

Meandering through treetops along the 504-metre long route ensures a panoramic view of the mist-shrouded Doi Suthep-Pui mountains.

It feels like I have the entire walkway to myself and with nothing but the sound of birds, the environment could not be more different to the chaos of Bangkok.

The Dhara Dhevi resort is another location where it feels like I am the only person around, thanks to its 60-acre size. It's located a 10-minute drive from the centre of Chiang Mai, but it looks like I'm entering a separate city as I pass over a bridge and through a gate, surrounded by high walls.

I'm not surprised to be told that the site was designed to look like a city of the Lanna kingdom, which covered much of what is now northern Thailand from around the 13th to 18th centuries.

There is a prayer hall modelled on a Buddhist temple, amphitheatre, market, paddy fields and buffalo. It looks incredibly old, and I'm stunned to learn it's been open for just over 10 years.

The villa I am staying in is equally impressive. Laid out over two floors, it features a four-poster bed, huge bathroom with whirlpool bath, a lounge area and even a piano.

I also stay at the Siripanna Villa Resort and Spa, about three miles closer to the city centre. Its most striking feature is an outdoor swimming pool based on the region's ancient Mae Ping river.

Frangipani trees provide an inviting scent as I breaststroke my way around a lap of the pool, shaped in the outline of a square.

The Siripanna's location means it's just a few minutes in a taxi for a visit to Chiang Mai's night market.

Dozens of stalls line the streets selling traditional northern Thai food, such as spicy sausages, mild curries and sticky rice.

A sign in the Siripanna's reception stating that pungent durian fruit are banned from the premises has made me determined to give it a try, so I am thrilled when I find a stand selling dozens of them.

They have a reputation of smelling like hell and tasting like heaven, but one revolting mouthful is all I need to understand the hotel management are spot on.

My last few days in Chiang Mai are spent experiencing some of the city's exciting activities.

Leaping off a 50-metre high platform, my pulse races as I hurtle between jungle tree tops at the Flight of the Gibbon zipline tour.

The five kilometre course consists of a combination of ziplines - including one said to be the longest in Asia at 800 metres - and swaying bridges.

It's impossible not to let out a loud "whoa!" on the first few crossings, until the fear of falling is replaced by the thrill of flying.

Next up on my adrenalin-pumped itinerary is racing a wooden cart down a steep, bumpy track at Mon Cham.

The controls are simple – steer with your feet and keep hold of the brake – and I am soon in first place. But just as I begin thinking of victory, I hit a rock and veer to the right, crashing into a ditch.

After eventually reaching the finish line, I climb out of my vehicle to discover we're on a hill ridge overlooking a spectacular landscape of green mountains.

My heart rate settles down and I sit on a bench to soak up the panoramic view, accompanied by a butterfly.

The pace slows further on a visit to forest monastery Wat Umong, where a group meditation session led by a monk leaves me with calm, positive thoughts.

Sitting on a mat for half an hour, I have no phone, no internet and nothing to do but breathe.

Like everything I've encountered in Chiang Mai, it's another unexpected treat.