The real legend of Chiang Rai ...

The Legend is a wonderful touch of Lanna magic right on the often-misty banks of the Kok River, adding a touch of adventure and mystery to your northern adventures. 

Any closer to the water, and it would be a floating hotel.

Starting the day with their hearty breakfast buffet against this backdrop harks back to an earlier era of pioneers' machetes hacking through the jungles of IndoChina. But ...

Thankfully The Legend is firmly planted in the 21st century. Its style is comfortably local, affording you excellent service but without the stuffiness that some bigger international hotels insist on. 

The top villas offer spa pools set in the privacy of their own lush garden, and bathrooms large enough to wash a herd of water buffalo in, jing jing.

Fountains and plenty of local wood make you feel comfortably at home in Lanna, but if you need to take things down a further notch, try their spa by the river with its soothing sounds of water and nature. That in itself is also a bit of a Lost World experience ...

Ok, Ok, maybe there's something in the drinking water here -- I told you it was close to the river!

124/15 Kohloy Rd, Robviang, Chiang Rai, 053-910-400; www.thelegend-chiangrai.com