Baan Orapin Heritage B&B

Facilities

• Dining: Breakfast is provided; plenty of restaurants within walking distance, and a simple, wellpriced minibar in the room
• Communal areas: Lovely garden setting
• Swimming Pool: There's a small (10x5m) freeform swimming pool, open 10am-7pm
• Weddings and Celebrations: Not suitable
• Meetings/Functions: Not suitable
• Disabled Access: Not suitable
• Pets: Not accepted
• Languages Spoken: English, Thai

Also...

• Friendly, knowledgeable owners who speak excellent English.

Environmental Policy

Eco measures include energy saving lights, salt-chlorination pool, high energy efficiency rated appliances, recycling, glass bottles of drinking water, refillable ceramic toiletries bottles

Social Responsibility

Baan Orapin received awards for architectural conservation in 2004; participation in the conservation of the Wat Ket heritage neighbourhood rewarded by Princess Sirindhorn in 2006

When to go?

The cool season (Nov to Feb) is best for most purposes, with daytime temps in the high 20s celsius, and bearably cool nights. But it's also the busiest. And if you want to go trekking, the 'swidden burning' in Feb and March means parched ground, low visibility and smoke-clouds – not ideal. The waters are also lowest at this time, so don't plan on any rafting or waterfall-bathing. Given a free choice, Nov and Dec are the best 2 months; and Chiang Mai is one of the best places to see the fabulous fireworks-and-float-fest of Loy Krathong, on the night of November's full moon.

The hot season (March to May) is for the hardy only, though temperatures soar into the mid 30s celsius with high humidity to boot, and the rains can hit quite hard from mid-May, without getting much cooler. Chiang Mai and surrounding towns are great places to experience the water festival, Songkran (mid April). There's also a flower festival on the first weekend in Feb with a procession of floats shaped into animals, chedis and scenes from the Ramayana.

The rainy season (June to Oct) is an option – average rainfall is about 200mm per month, peaking in Aug-Sept, but it all comes down in half an hour a day and you can expect one or two dry days per week. It's usually in the mid to high 20s celsius. There's a 'life-prolonging' Inthakin festival in Chiang Mai in early June, where young men are paraded around on others' shoulders before starting life as monks.

Features include:

• Breakfast
• Walk to restaurants (offsite)
• Garden
• Internet access
• Outdoor pool
• Off street parking
• Airport Transfers