Wow - What a Journey! Part III

Those are Some Amazing Elephants!

The Maesa Mahout Private Elephant Center was among the unique highlights of our Southeast Asia trip. What the Four Seasons or Mandarin are to luxury hotel accommodations, the Maesa Elephant camp is to very personal, hands-on, high touch elephant training. Among our party of four, we had a personal photographer and eight mahout elephant trainers.

Our three-hour private elephant camp experience included a brief training of elephant commands, riding the elephants on our own (no worries with trainers close by), personally bathing the elephants in the river (so much fun!!), ending with a painting session with our elephants. Yes, with directions, these elephants can actually paint and draw. Zen and Sofia had their elephants draw some abstract pictures of flowers and trees and sunshine – we will have these framed to save this amazing experience.

Four Seasons vs. the Mandarin in Chiang Mai
Once you adjust to the scale and complexity of the expansive grounds, the Mandarin’s level of high-touch service really starts to grow on you. The Mandarin’s genuinely sincere service is hard to beat. The two large beautiful pools and the comprehensive “Kid’s Club” makes this place ideal for family travel.

We have always had a special place in our hearts for the Four Seasons in Chiang Mai. The Four Seasons grounds are smaller in scale, a more understated sense of luxury, thus you get an intimate, Zen-like feel here. Similar to the Mandarin, the Four Seasons staff is so sincere and truly unbelievably kind. With the expansion of the Four Season’s Kid’s Club, the family luxury travel experience here is similar to the Mandarin. Overall, in terms of luxury accommodations in Chiang Mai, you cannot go wrong at either property - both world class!

Wow - What a Journey! Part II

Talk about a New Year's Party!

The physical facilities, grounds and setting here at the Anantara Resort/Golden Triangle in Chiang Rai, Thailand are absolutely beautiful with an elephant-themed design. Service level is somewhat spotty due to English language/communication breakdowns. But a great plus: Elephant training camp! Bev, Zen, Sofia and I experienced a magnificent New Year’s Eve Party here that included a mass Baci Ceremony, an elephant parade and a lavish dinner around the pool complex. To top it off, the Anantara even provided all guests with Lana (minority group) costumes for the party – Zen and Sofia loved the dressing up part!

In contrast to just 5 years past, it’s truly amazing to see the number of families traveling to Southeast Asia during the holidays. While at the Anantara, we met families from Santa Monica, NYC, Milwaukee, New Haven, CT, and San Francisco - a wide range of age groups – many families traveling with kids age 6-10, teenagers – Zen & Sofia met many new friends, including a Danish family. In the past we met mainly Europeans traveling with their kids – now its predominantly American families we see. It's so great to see this!

I must tell you about the Mandarin Oriental Dhari Dhevi/Chiang Mai. This is a sprawling luxury resort covering over 40 acres with spacious 2-story Thai-style villas, over-the-top amenities and very courteous, friendly English speaking staff.

-Although the service here is superb, the physical grounds are so large and spread out that the environment seems a bit overwhelming and excessive, not so much an intimate feeling.

-A must place for breakfast is the Spa Center outdoor café overlooking the property’s idyllic lush, green North Rice fields. It serves very tasty organic foods and juices – the egg-white omelet with herbs and vegetables is sooo good!

-Another bonus here for the kids is the working water buffalo in the adjacent rice fields – Zen and Sofia loved the ride on the water buffalo!

-An interesting sidebars: check out the Mandarin common-area restroom – so luxurious with pervasive scent of mint.

Wow - What a Journey! Part I

Okay, I need to apologize. After we disembarked from the Luang Say Cruise Vessel from Luang Prabang on our two-day cruise on the Mekong River, things got very busy and exciting and our amazing family journey seemed to go by with a snap! So I apologize for not updating sooner. What I decided to do now that we are back home, is share with you notes I took along the way in my journal. I made the pictures into a slideshow on the top right. It was a spectacular trip!

Let's begin where we left off, with the Mekong River. Experiencing Mekong River life, including stops in local minority villages is fantastic. The Luang Say Cruise is unbeatable – the bonus is the great scenery and the group dynamic among fellow travelers.

In contrast to the 5-Star luxury resorts we normally use in Southeast Asia, my seven-year old daughter Zennia considers the tranquil Luang Say Cruise down the Mekong River as “roughing-it.” The 2 day/1 night journey down the Mekong River from Luang Prabang to Huai Say Laos, across the border from Thailand, is a great way to wind down and simply enjoy the Mekong River culture and scenery.

The Luang Say river barges have comfortable open-air seating for 40 passengers, plying the Mekong for seven hours each day. We overnighted literally in the middle of nowhere, on the banks of the Mekong at the Luang Say Lodge. Although certainly not luxury, the lodge has clean, comfortable villas overlooking the Mekong and a friendly, Laotian staff that earnestly cared for our needs. This is a rustic environment in a good way. Based on the clean, pristine air and remote location, I feel we had the best sleep of our entire journey here!

Happy New Year from the Mekong River!

It has been quite a journey so far and there is so much to share since we left Chicago after Christmas and launched our Lynch Family Adventure. My wife Beverly, our daughter Zen, her cousin Sofie and I are traveling through Laos and Thailand. These are such amazing places!

As I write this we will soon be boarding the Luang Say Cruise Vessel from Luang Prabang for a two-day cruise on the Mekong River to the Thai border and onto Chiang Rai. So before we embark on this leg of our journey, I thought to highlight some of the wonderful things we’ve experienced so far:

- When you travel to Greater China and Southeast Asia as much as I do, I am keen on noting the best airport hotels. Novotel Suvarna Bhumi Airport Hotel Bangkok is among the most beautiful airport hotels we have stayed – plus it has a fabulous pool!

- Due to low value of Laotian currency, use only U.S. dollars in Laos. The U.S. dollar is accepted everywhere.

- Similar to other Southeastern Asia, Buddhist-based countries, Laotian people are so earnest and welcoming.

- I must tell you about the Maison Souvannaphoum Hotel in Luang Prabang. Although less luxurious and smaller scale than Le Residence Hotel, Maison more than makes up with high touch, friendly, intimate service. And the staff is genuinely sincere and warm. Even the front desk staff volunteered to French-braid Zen and Sofia’s hair to match the local Laotian hairstyle. We felt as if we are staying at someone's private home vs. a boutique luxury hotel. The small spa here is outstanding; Zen and Sofie thoroughly enjoyed their foot and head massage. So pampered!

We always love participating in the 6:30am morning rice offering to the monks on the street from the Maison Hotel. (See the picture above) Many of the monks are so young: 5, 6, 7 years old. Our Southeast Asia trips always include visits to local primary schools; Zen and Sofie brought plenty of notebooks and pens and gave them to the local Luang Prabang 1st grade class. The girls also joined in some local songs with the students.

Our family also participated in a Baci ceremony from the local village; it included a welcome speech by the elder with dancing and songs. All the elders of the village tied strings around our wrists to welcome us and ward off the bad spirits. Here’s the interesting fact about the string – you must keep it on your wrists for 3 days before untying. It’s for good luck.

We just loved the small, genuinely gentle and friendly Buddhist environment of Luang Prabang. Although it still retains it uniqueness, more and more tourist are coming to this lovely place. The Aman Resorts are building an elite level luxury property here to open in 2009.

Well it's time to head off. I'll update you in a day or two from a remote lodge in the middle of nowhere on the Mekong River.

Here’s a note from Zen and Sofie: "Life is Good!"