Unlike neighbouring Chiang Mai, Lampang province has little in the way of fancy resorts or stylish restaurants to entice sybarites and well-heeled visitors. Small as it is peaceful, this northern province is a haven for culture buffs and disciples of the slow life. Rich in cultural heritage and proud of its glory days, Lampang is a destination that cries out to be discovered.

“Lampang has a reputation as a quiet northern town,” says my local guide as we make our way to Baan Sao Nak. “In fact, Lampang is very rich. The province earned a fortune from the teak and tobacco industries in bygone days. But the rich mostly left to live in big cities like Chiang Mai and Bangkok. Stroll or cycle through the city and you’ll be amazed by the heritage buildings, the old wooden houses and temples.”

In fact, Lampang was first to enjoy much of the progress that came from Bangkok, the capital, to Thailand’s North. The railway, for example, arrived at Lampang in 1915 and the service to the North ended here for almost 10 years before extending to Chiang Mai through the Khun Tan Tunnel. The Bank of Thailand also opened a branch here to attract business in the North. The Public Relations Department built a television broadcasting station in Lampang, making the province a gateway of information.

The province also boasted a thriving tobacco business and was for decades the centre of the teak industry – as evidenced by the lumbering elephants at its Thai Elephant Conservation Centre.

Baan Sao Nak, the “house of many pillars”, offers a picture of the wealth of Lampang’s teak barons. Built in 1895 by rich and respected Burmese log trader, Maung Chan Ong, the traditional wood house boasts 116 square teak pillars. It served as the family home for decades before being turned into a local museum. The entire house is furnished with mildly interesting Burmese and Thai antiques and pays testament to the lavish life of Lampang.

“When the British were commissioned to export the teak from Thailand in the 19th century, they brought the Burmese along to look after their business,” says the guide. “Some of the Burmese were master loggers, and earned a fortune. They married local women, built lavish mansions like Baan Sao Nak, contributed to Buddhism and made merit.”

Two kilometres south of Baan Sao Nak is Wat Srichum, the largest Burmese-style temple in Thailand. Home to a pagoda and chapel hall, the temple was built by a rich Burmese teak trader towards the end of the 19th century. Legend has it that U Maung Gyi, or the “big boss” as the Burmese tycoon was known, brought the finest carpenters from Mandalay in Central Myanmar to build the main viharn (ordination hall). Teak carvings and decorations of delicately and exquisitely engraved woodwork reflect the craftsmanship of these masters.

“The walls, ceiling and wooden pillars are traditionally lacquered and covered with gold leaves,” says the local guide, directing my attention to the interior walls.

Surrounded by a wall and accessed through a large, elaborately decorated entrance gate topped with a Burmese Pyatthat roof, Wat Sri Chum has been declared a national treasure by the Thai Fine Arts Department.

One of the finest temples in Lampang is Wat Lai Hin, 40 kilometres west of Wat Srichum. Small yet graceful, the temple is a diamond in the province’s crown. The arched entrance, with elegant plasterwork depicting small angels and guardians, was the prototype for the entrance of Wat Phrathat Lampang Luang – the city’s most sacred pagoda.

“This small viharn with its multi-tiered roofs makes a bold statement about Lampang architecture,” says the local guide. “Many experts regard it as finer than Chiang Mai architecture.” A tall pillar with a swan on top in front of the viharn pays testament to the Burmese influence.

From Wat Lai Hin, we head to Wat Pongsanuk on the bank of Wang River. Built in 1886 by the Shan-speaking community in Lampang, the temple won Unesco’s Award of Merit 2008 for restoration. Although it lost much of its character during the renovation, the small, open-sided building stands on a mound is one of the few remaining local examples of original Lanna-style temple architecture. To get an idea of what it was like previously, look at the carved wooden gateway at the entrance to the north stairway.

For the history buff, a trip to Lampang is not complete without a visit to Wat Phra That Lampang Luang. Perched on the expansive mound, the visitor has quite a climb up the Naga stairway to reach the main entrance – which is inspired by the arched gateway of Wat Lai Hin. It’s worth checking out for fine plaster designs.

The main viharn houses a bronze Buddha statue called the Phra Chao Lan Thong. At the end of the viharn is a golden pagoda in Lanna architectural style containing a Holy Relic of Lord Buddha.

“Wat Phra That Lampang Luang draws visitors for the golden pagoda,” says the guide. “But the temple also has beautiful murals on wooden walls and these are said to be the oldest in the North.”

The murals tell the tales of Jataka through paintings of serpents, elephants and Lord Buddha as well as the stories of Ramayana and some Lanna folktales.

Despite its size and provincial mien, Lampang in many ways maintains a slow Lanna pace. Unlike the big city like Chiang Mai, it charms visitors with its old-fashioned Lanna culture. Whether you choose to move around in a horse-drawn carriage, Lampang’s signature mode of transportation, cycle or walk, you’ll be delighted with the sense of discovery.

IF YOU GO

<Nok Air operates flights between Bangkok and Lampang. Lampang is also connected to Chiang Mai via train. It’s about 90 minutes by car from Chiang Mai.

Valentine’s Day is just around the corner making it the perfect time to whisk your loved one away on a romantic break for two. The most significant holiday a couple is likely to take during the year, the surroundings are all important. Whether you can afford a fancy resort or a “love shack”, here are our suggestions for the very best places to mesmerise your Valentine.

SONEVA KIRI

Kood Island, Trat

One of the most romantic retreats in Thailand, Soneva Kiri is guaranteed to take your breath away. The romantic trip starts with a flight in a light aircraft to the airstrip on this small island in Trat province. Your personal butler will meet the plane and usher you to the speedboat for the short ride to the resort. Crafted with recycled wood and surrounded by lush jungle and forest, the Soneva Kiri on Koh Kood is very far from the madding crowd. The resort, in some ways, is made for Robinson Crusoes, albeit those born with a silver spoon in their mouths. Equipped with a chic Espresso machine and high-speed Internet connectivity, this luxury resort is hidden in the middle of jungle. Lovers can take a dip in their private pool in the villa or go snorkelling in the cerulean sea. If the way to your lover’s heart is through her stomach, check out Soneva Kiri’s treetop breakfast. Here, three metres off the ground and safe inside the huge nest, your Valentine will be thrilled.

Call (082) 208 8888 or visit www.Soneva.com.

VILLE DE LA VIE

Pak Chong, Nakhon Ratchasima

Ville De La Vie – French for “City of Life” – is good for lovers who want to chill out in the mountains of Khao Yai but avoid noisy weekenders. The resort has 10 private cottages and four en-suite poolside rooms for larger groups. Billed as the secret garden of Khao Yai, Ville De La Vie is surrounded by small flowerbeds and potted plants. The circular cottages boast high ceilings, tiled floors, small balconies, arched doors and wrought-iron beds. “No two villas are the same when you look at the details,” notes Teerapaj – a retired journalist-turned- inn keeper. “From the wrought-iron door to the bedhead to the ceiling to the rooftop sculpture, they are different.” The welcome is amiable, with two super-friendly Labrador Retrievers and eight horses joining the owners in treating guests like their long-lost friends. The resort is pet-friendly, making it perfect for couples travelling with pet.

Call (+66 95) 472 4526 or visit www.VilleDeLaVie-resort.com.

CASA DE LA FLORA

Khao Lak, Phang Nga

Nestled along Bang Niang Beach in Phang Nga’s Khao Lak district, Casa de la Flora has been a member of Design Hotels since 2010. Perfect for a romantic sejour, its rooms have private pools (big enough for two) and are decorated with paintings of flowers – the narcissus, kaffir, canna and zambac, for example. The villa is minimalist in design, slightly boxy and square, creating a simple yet stylish ambience. A small coffee table dressed with a vase of flowers and a leather armchair fill the small living area. Most of the guests here are independent and stylish. They want to get away from the glitz and cheesiness of Phuket’s bigger resort towns, but still crave comfort and a fashionable lifestyle. With a long stretch of white sand and a quiet beach culture, Casa de la Flora can be a destination by itself or used as base for exploring the Surin and Similan archipelagos in the northern Andaman Sea.

Visit www.CasaDeLaFlora.com.

ZEAVOLA

Phi Phi Island, Krabi

There’s no shortage of wonders here to keep your romance on your toes. Lovers can take a romantic barefoot stroll along the strip of white powdery sand at sunrise before retreating to one of the 53 romantic teak villas stylishly designed to mask mod cons, where the vestiges of modern life are cunningly concealed inside traditional Thai furniture. Rooms are tastefully decorated and surrounded by lush vegetation and fringed with palms. The romantic ambience is made even more perfect with a moonlit dinner on an intimate beach platform. For an ultimate thrill, couples can rent the long-tailed sampan and make it their private “love boat” while beach hopping around Phi Phi Island.

Call (075) 627 000 or visit www.Zeavola.com.

ON-ON HOTEL

Phuket

Nestled on the Phang Nga Road in the heart of Phuket’s Old Town, The Memory at On-On Hotel lets you sleep in an ambience reminiscent of days long gone. Leonardo DiCaprio slept here, at least, in his role as Richard, the American college student hero of “The Beach”, as he strove to save an idyllic island and its marijuana plantations. Today, On-On is enjoying a lavish life as a boutique hostel. Right in the heart of Phuket Old Town, a timeworn hardwood floor, cream-coloured walls and old-fashioned pastel-blue door make the teeny room unusually cosy. It’s a perfect “love nest” for young lovers. Two small single beds, with clean white bed sheets and white blankets, fit perfectly. There’s no view, saving a small window beyond the curtain. Your only “views” of the world come from the flat-screened TV hanging on the wall. If this hostel is good for Leonardo DiCaprio, it should be good enough for you.

Call (+66 76) 363 777 or visit www.TheMemoryHotel.com.

KRADAN ISLAND RESORT

Trang

As rustic as it is simple, Kradan Island Resort brings to mind Thailand’s seaside back in the 1970s – a time when the beaches themselves were the destinations, not the resorts. Located off the Trang coast on a pristine island in the Andaman Sea, Kradan Island Resort gives the visitor exactly what the resorts of the ’70s offered: a bamboo-stitched bungalow under swaying coconut palms. For romance in the rough, the beautiful beach is within hammock-swaying distance. The crystal-clear water is perfect for snorkelling and a variety of colourful fish darts in and out of the coral reefs. It’s the kind of tropical paradise that Leonardo DiCaprio found in the movie “The Beach” – except for the part about an unlimited supply of marijuana.

Call (088) 821 3732 or visit www.KohKradanIslandResort.com.

CENTARA GRAND BEACH RESORT & VILLAS

Hua Hin, Prachuab Khiri Khan

For love and luxury, Centara Grand Beach Resort & Villas Hua Hin there’s nothing quite like this holiday destination in Hua Hin. The villas boast high ceilings, polished hardwood flooring and period furniture, and front onto a beautiful strip of beach. For a peaceful and private romantic escape, the resort also offers private villas with private plunge pool and living area.

Call (032) 512 021-38 or visit www.CentaraHotelsResorts.com.

ZENSALA RESORT

Chiang Mai

Sitting on the bank of the Mae Ping River, Zensala is perfect for couples looking for a romantic backdrop to wild nights out in the city centre. Set on two rai of landscaped waterfront, the modern box-like building blends well with the lush tropical garden. The sharp contrast between rough concrete and delicate green grass conveys a message of living with nature without leaving the niceties of modern comforts. Soaring ceilings and simple decoration underscore the sophisticated contemporary design while the rooms emphasise open and flexible spaces.

Call (053) 225 888 or visit www.ZensalaResort.com.

With its karst topography and poetic peaks, Vietnam’s northwest province of Bac Kan offers travellers majestic landscapes and exciting discoveries. One of them is Hua Ma Cave in Quang Khe Commune, a hidden gem of impressive stalactites and mysterious legends.

Hua Ma Cave is located within the Ba Be National Park, about 80 kilometres from Bac Kan City. Peaceful scenery unfolds as the city is left behind and my travelling companion and I can see the distant mountains playing hide-and-seek with the dawn fog. The first rays of sun shining on the reeds blowing in the wind create a perfect painting, dotted with smiling local farmers, their cattle and market stalls along the road.

We realise we are near the cave from the cool breeze blowing off Ba Be lake. Passing a village of a local ethnic minority, we eventually reach the foot of the mountain where Hua Ma Cave lies.

The cave “hangs” in Leo Pen Mountain, more than 300 metres above sea level. There’s a convenient staircase leading up and the walk takes only about 15 minutes. My friend and I met only two other travellers along the way and we soon reach the entrance gate of the cave. Once inside, the surprises keep coming. The deeper we go in, the more the cave has to offer. It is much bigger than it appears, more than 300 metres long and nearly 60 metres deep.

There are curving limestones that look like rice terraces and 10-metre-high stone pillars resembling those found in ancient temples and pagodas. Stalactites of various sizes and shapes adorn the cave throughout.

The atmosphere inside is cool and rather humid and the quietness overwhelming and a little disconcerting. We can hear ourselves breathe, a rare occurrence in this busy world. The silence, though, adds to the creepiness, a sensation that is not alleviated by a friend informing me of a local legend.

Leo Pen is said to have been inhabited by ghosts. They could be heard howling from the cave every day when the sun went down. It was so scary that no one dared approach.

One day, as the sun was setting, a group of soldiers passed by the Leng River. They were about to cross the river to the neighbouring village when their horses started whinnying and refused to cross the river. At the same time, a howl echoed from the side of Leo Pen Mountain.

Finding it strange, the commander asked local residents about the sounds and was eventually told they were made by the spirit of dead soldiers. The soldiers, so the legend goes, helped the royal court fight against an enemy who was so strong and fierce that the soldiers had to hold him in the cave. But the enemy then filled the entrance so that the soldiers could not get out.

On hearing this, the general decided to carry out a ritual, offering horses to the ghosts. When the ritual ended, the howls also stopped and the locals never heard it again. The area was then abandoned and over the years grew the beautiful stalactites like those we see today.

In 2005, a group of international archaeologists examining the cave found some porcelain items from the Le and Mac dynasties of the 16th and 17th centuries. The collection included broken white-glazed plates and bowls with blue patterns.

These items may have been produced in ancient ceramics kilns in Hai Duong Province and belonged to a group of people who inhabited the cave.

The cave was opened to tourists in 2007. There are two gates: one on the mountainside, the other from Leng River. One can choose to climb the staircase or kayak on the river to Hua Ma Cave.

“I love the cave. It was bigger than I expected. While it is majestic inside, the landscape leading to it is also splendid. We saw some bats. We definitely had a good time,” says my new friend, French fellow traveller Calypso Jaladeau.

It wasn’t very long ago that anyone wishing to visit Jaipur, the capital and the largest city of Rajasthan state in northern India, would have to follow India’s Golden Triangle route, a roughly equilateral triangular circuit with some 200-250 kilometres along each side connecting Delhi, Agra and Jaipur. The classic “introduction to India” circuit, as it’s known, always started at Delhi, and with each leg taking between four to six hours, made for a long, albeit interesting, haul. Now, thanks to Thai Smile Airways’ direct flight from Bangkok to Jaipur, the travel time from the City of Angels to the Pink City of India is only four hours.

“Rajasthan is traditionally known as the land of warriors. Among those warriors and kings, Sawai Jai Singh II, the Rajput ruler of the kingdom of Amer, is remembered as the most enlightened king of 18th-century India. Sawai (literally a quarter over one) is the title of honour used in India to denote strength and or intelligence. The Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb who had summoned Jai Singh II to Delhi was impressed by his wit so the emperor gave him this title. The title became hereditary and was used by his descendants,” says Hami Singh, our local guide.

The growing population and a scarcity of water were the main reasons why King Jai Singh II moved the capital from Amer to Jaipur. Under the guidance of chief architect Vidyadhar Bhattacharya, who studied the ancient Sanskrit manuals “Silpa shastras” (“Science of Arts and Crafts”), and a traditional Hindu system of architecture known as “Vastu shastra” (the science of architecture), the city was built in 1726 following the ancient Hindu grid pattern for city planning.

“We became known as the ‘Pink City of India’ because our then ruler Sawai Ram Singh, painted the city pink to welcome the Prince of Wales, who later became Edward VII. The tradition has been followed by residents, who now, by law, must maintain the pink colour,” says Hami, raising his voice so he can be heard above the blaring horns and squealing wheels on the busy Jaipur street.

As we walk from the parking lot to the City Palace, we see not a mixture of dogs and cats but rather goats, oxen and cows.

The City Palace was built between 1729 and 1732, initially by Sawai Jai Singh II who planned and built the outer walls. The palace was enlarged and adapted over the centuries so that today buildings from different eras stand in a blend of Rajasthani and Mughal architecture. The City Palace now houses museums though the largest section remains a royal residence.

Our group walks to Bhaggi Khana, a museum in the palace complex where a collection of old carriages, palanquins and European cabs are on display and quickly find ourselves in an open courtyard. In the middle of the courtyard is a pink and white, marble-paved gallery known as Diwan-i-Khas. The palace guards, looking smart and wearing huge red turbans are guarding two enormous silver vessels, the largest silver objects in the world at 1.6metre tall each. The guards are more than happy to strike a pose with visitors but rather spoil the moment by rubbing their fingers together as a sign they’d like a tip.

Toward the palace’s inner courtyard is Pitam Niwas Chowk. The compact courtyard is famous for its glorious gates representing the seasons – the Peacock Gate signifies autumn, the Lotus Gate depicts summer, the Green Gate embodies spring, and the Rose Gate represents winter. Today the gates are popular selfie spots, with tourists and local students lining up to say cheese in front of their colourful facades.

After a short visit to the Mubarak Mahal or Welcome Palace where a collection of royal costumes and delicate shawls are on display, we head to the Jantar Mantar, an astronomical observation site directly opposite the City Palace.

An excited sound to my left draws my attention towards a group of people standing in a circle. As I get closer, I hear a wind instrument and then I see two snakes spreading their hoods. One snake charmer is playing an instrument called a pungi while the other is inviting the crowd to touch and take photos with the two cobras. Stepping backwards, hopefully far enough to run if the two cobras get bored with the snake charmers’ music, I quickly take a photo and walk back to the group with a pounding heart.

“In the early 18th century, Jai Singh II constructed five Jantar Mantars in total, in New Delhi, Jaipur, Ujjain, Mathura and Varanasi. They were completed between 1724 and 1735. The one in Jaipur is the largest. It features many instruments along with the world’s largest stone sundial,” says BM Khatri, an astrologer and our guide at the Jantar Mantar.

Designed for the observation of astronomical positions with the naked eye, Jantar Mantar embody several architectural and instrumental innovations.

“The words ‘jantar’ and ‘mantar’ translate as ‘calculation instrument’. The Jantar Mantar in Jaipur is the best preserved of India’s historic observatories. It is an expression of the astronomical skills and cosmological concepts of Jai Singh II.”

We decide to end our day with the crown of Jaipur, Hawa Mahal or the Palace of Winds. We ditch our bus and jump into auto rickshaws to mingle with the locals. Sitting among hundreds of the cars, auto rickshaws and motorcycles, all of them apparently using their horns, I feel happy to be part of this lively Jaipur street scene.

Located right next to the street on the edge of the City Palace, and extending to the women’s chambers, Hawa Mahal is constructed of red and pink sandstone. It was built in 1799 by Maharaja Sawai Pratap Singh so the women of the royal household could observe everyday life in the street below without being seen. The high screen wall was designed in the form of the crown of Krishna, the Hindu god.

On the top of the shophouse opposite Hawal Mahal, I sit enjoying the golden sunlight that softly touches the pink Palace of Winds. Centuries ago, the women of the court watched the world outside through one of those windows while today hundreds and thousands of visitors from around the world spend hour after hour admiring that architectural wonder.

IF YOU GO

< Thai Smile Airways has direct flights between Bangkok and Jaipur. Visitwww.ThaiSmileAir.com.

Tony Stark,  aka Iron Man, one of Marvel’s most popular heroes, jetted to the Orient recently to take up residence at Hong Kong Disneyland where he is welcoming the young and the young-at-heart on board a brand new ride for an exciting flying tour.

Launched on January 11, the Iron Man Experience became the first Marvel-themed attraction to debut at Disney Parks and boasts flight simulators, 3D projection, surround sound and other special effects that immerse guests in the story of a battle against the evil forces of Hydra.

With plenty of moves and shakes, riders will really feel like they have joined an adventure in the skies above Hong Kong alongside Iron Man.

Ted Robledo, creative director of Walt Disney Imagineering, explains that Iron Man was the first Marvel-themed character to join Disney Parks because, “He is a superhero so many people can relate to”.

Without his suits, Iron Man is just a man. As his popular fictional story goes, he is Tony Stark – the billionaire genius behind so many brilliant inventions. Hong Kong Disneyland therefore makes sure its visitors can get up close to the many innovations produced by Stark and his firm, Stark Industries, as well.

Walking into the Iron Man Experience zone, guests first have an opportunity to explore the Stark Expo. On display here are several marvellous exhibits including Captain America’s prototype shield, the Iron Man Mark III suit, the first miniaturised Arc Reactor, the unbreakable Stark Everglass, the MyJARVIS intelligent home system, StarkVision Glasses and a collection of Iron Wings.

After a tour around the Stark Expo, it’s time to board the latest Iron Wing for the once-in-a-lifetime Iron Man Experience. With 3D glasses and well-designed immersive multi-sensory motion experiences, the adventure feels very real.

Guests are recommended to head further to the Iron Man Tech Showcase. There, they can meet and interact with Iron Man. He is going to greet and talk to every guest with the personality that his fans are so familiar with, either from comic books or movie blockbusters. While he can’t smile for a photo, he will pose before cameras alongside every interested guest.

Walk further out of the showcase, and you’ll find yourself surrounded by Iron Man merchandise to snap up as a memory of a great day. Here too you can play an interactive game of Becoming Iron Man. You’ll be digitally dressed in an Iron Man suit and then fight off evil. Sound cool? Definitely. Friends can look on to see how you get on with the fights.

Polkrit Bawornkrailerd, a businessman from Thailand, was so excited about the Iron Man Experience that he made sure to be at Disneyland Hong Kong right on the day the attraction officially opened.

“I love theme parks and I am interested in this,” he told The Nation, gesturing towards the Iron Man paraphernalia.

Polkrit’s presence resonated with the encouraging feedback that Hong Kong Disneyland has received from the travel trade sector and guests since soft opening in mid-December. Of the 270 travel trade partners who attended the preview, 91 per cent believed their guests would visit Hong Kong Disneyland specifically for the new attraction.

IF YOU GO

< To round off the ultimate Super Hero experience, book a room online at Hong Kong Disneyland’s themed hotel by June 16 and you’ll save up to 35 per cent and enjoy free room upgrade with |priority admission to Iron Man Experience with an exclusive pass.

< KTC is offering various Hong Kong Disneyland products. Buy one at the upcoming Thai International Travel Fair 2017 and for every Bt1,000 spent, you get the chance to win a super VIP package to the fascinating theme park and its hotel. For more |information, check out www.KTCWorld.co.th.

(The writer travelled as a guest of KTC and Hong Kong Disneyland.)

Perched on the left bank of the Ayeyarwaddy River in Upper Myanmar, Inwa – or Angwa as it is known in Thai – must surely be the best-known ancient kingdom among Thais. The imperial capital of successive Burmese kingdoms from the 14th to 19th centuries, it was from Inwa that King Hsinbyushin began a two-year assault on Ayutthaya in 1765 that resulted in the collapse of Siam’s capital. Less than 70 years later Angwa was completely destroyed in turn, the victim of several earthquakes. As Maroon 5 put it, “Nothing lasts forever”.

Ravaged by war and tremors, Inwa today is scarcely larger than a rural backwater dotted with ruins, monastic buildings and stupas. Daytrippers travel from Mandalay to the old city, enjoying a trip back in time as they try to imagine the city’s previous grandeur from the remains of its watchtowers, city walls, monasteries and temples.

“Visitors jump into horse-drawn carts or make their own way around the old city,” says Khin, my local guide in Inwa.

I opt for the horse and cart and immediately feel worlds apart from the hustle and bustle of Mandalay. Myanmar’s countryside is charming with rice paddy fields and banana plantations stretching as far as the eye can see. The ruins of stupas and abandoned monasteries roll along like a slide show. The driver slows the horses as we arrive in Inwa proper and pulls over in front of a wooden building with huge posts and a multi-tiered roof.

“This is Bagaya Monastery. The entire building is made of teak,” begins Khin, as we head towards the entrance. “It was a Buddhist school during the Inwa period.”

The grand monastery boasts 267 teak posts, the guide continues, the largest of which is almost three metres in circumference. Each post is 20 metres high. Undoubtedly Bagaya Monastery is the pride of Inwa and I find it easy to imagine hundreds of monks and novices praying here. The monastery today is shaky and worn but it’s still beautiful and worth a visit.

The Burmese might have been ruthless as they marched from Inwa to Ayutthaya but they also had a strong artistic side, particularly when it came to woodwork. The entire monastery is decorated with figurines, arabesques and reliefs of birds and animals as well as small pillars all beautifully carved in teak,

From Bagaya Monastery, we ask the cart driver where we can stop for lunch and meet some residents. He pulls over at a roadside restaurant, where several locals, their faces covered with Thanaka, are tucking into noodles, sweet tea and bean cake. They welcome us with smiles and friendly nods.

Within walking distance from the restaurant are Yadana Hsimi Pagodas. Here, under the canopy of a huge Banyan tree is a beautiful Buddha image surrounded by what remains of a group of small stupas and what remains of a prayer hall.

“The temple was reduced to rubble by the 1839 earthquakes,” says the local guide. “Only some beautiful stone lintels and Buddha images survived around the ruins.”

Back in our personal carriage, the driver guides his horse through peanut and banana plantations. Some farmers are busy clearing weeds, while others balance earthen pots and basketful of grass on their heads.

Finally, we arrive at Maha Aung Mye Bon Zan Monastery. Unlike Bagaya Monastery, where every single piece is made of wood, this huge Buddhist temple is built of stucco-covered brick. The monastery survived the earthquake in 1839 but time has taken its toll on the huge temple. Yet it is attractive in a strange way and in summer, the guide says, its ultra-thick walls provide a welcome respite from the midday sun.

In fact, Maha Aung Mye Bon Zan Monastery is a very rare survivor of the Inwa era. Just to the East of the main hall is a group of whitewashed pagodas with shimmering gilded umbrellas. Behind them is the lookout for Sagaing – another ancient capital nestled on the Ayeyarwaddy River.

In terms of exotic glamour, Inwa is truly a city lost in the mists of time.

Some visitors don’t take the horse carriage at all, but prefer to travel on foot. With map in hand and plenty of time, they explore the ancient city on foot. Moving at a slower pace, they enjoy a much more accurate experience of where they are: In essence, the middle of nowhere.

IF YOU GO

Bangkok Airways and AirAsia operate flights between Bangkok and Mandalay. Inwa is about 30 kilometres south of Mandalay.

I can hear the murmur of the rapids as I walk alongside the jade-green river that runs through the Longgong scenic area in Guizhou.

Soon, white-water foam appears and I figure that these rapids are the tail end of the Dragon’s Gate Waterfall, which is said to resemble a white dragon emerging from its crystal palace.

Another 50 metres on the waterfall looms into view. With its furious speed and lashing spray, it looks like a snowstorm.

Originating from an eerily tranquil lake, the cataract explodes from a height of more than 30m. Its roar has been likened to 10,000 horses galloping.

It is a brush with greatness. Not one, but two rainbows appear in the spray of the waterfall, in apparent homage to the Dragon King of Chinese mythology.

By the end of the day, I will have spotted a third rainbow at another waterfall, a record for me.

Still in awe, my travel companions and I take a lift conveniently located next to the waterfall up to the mirror-like Heavenly Pool.

We clamber into a narrow boat that bumps against the sides of a rocky tunnel as we glide into the Dragon Palace Caves, the heart of the Longgong scenic area, a 60 sq km nature spot.

The caves feature limestone and karst formations, as well as stalactites and stalagmites in gnarled, alien shapes that are lit in different colours in each cavern. It is a surreal scene albeit marred by twinkling lights etching a cartoonish red dragon on one wall.

In Guizhou, the mystical sits easily with the mundane. The name of the provincial capital, Guiyang, means “precious sun”, an allusion to the region’s mild weather, where strong sunshine is a rarity.

Yet in this phlegmatic province, with its gentle, silvery light, I find myself chasing rainbows in China.

A famous saying portrays Guizhou – agricultural, mountainous and one of China’s poorest provinces – as a region “without three li (Chinese miles) of flat land, three days of fine weather or three coins to rub together”.

In recent years, however, the province has been catching up, with investments in roads and big data. Maotai liquor, Guizhou’s signature brew, distilled from sorghum with an alcohol content averaging 53 per cent, is served at state banquets.

In the capital Guiyang, officials of yore decreed the building of Jiaxiu Tower, or First Scholar’s Tower, a three-storey Ming Dynasty monument, to encourage excellence in the imperial examinations, which led to a cushy bureaucrat’s job.

Coincidentally or not, Guiyang produced at least three top scholars over the centuries. The tower, located on Fuyu Bridge, or Floating Jade Bridge, became a symbol of the city.

Despite the pretty names, the 420-year-old tower, which has been rebuilt several times, looks worn and faded.

Another Guiyang attraction, Qianling Mountain Park is a pleasant green space with pockets of calm, despite the footfall of thousands of visitors.

Guiyang, with its low-key attractions, is a launchpad for more interesting day trips. Waterfalls and other scenic spots abound, while ethnic minorities, who account for about 40 per cent of Guizhou’s population, showcase their culture further afield in villages and settlements.

The Huangguoshu (Yellow Fruit Tree) Waterfall National Park lies about a 40-minute drive from the Dragon Palace Caves.

The falls near Anshun town in western Guizhou are among the largest in East Asia. Multiple streams cascade, merge and diverge from a height of more than 70m.

We join the uphill sprawl of people heading for Shuiliandong (Water Curtain Cave) at the back of the falls, when I spy my third rainbow of the day melting into the foot of the falls.

Rainbows form when sunlight and water droplets commingle. This usually happens in rain, but also in the spray of a waterfall. The drops act like a million prisms, refracting, reflecting and otherwise splitting light into its constituent colours.

The droplets produce a rainbow at an angle of about 42 degrees to the observer’s eye. I move closer. Gradients tilt and the rainbow teleports to a different part of the falls.

Another sensory adventure awaits when we visit the 1,000-Household Miao Village of Xijiang in southeast Guizhou, three hours from Guiyang.

About 50 minority groups, such as the Miao and the Dong, live in the province. They celebrate myriad colourful festivals, many involving courtship rituals for the youth.

The Miao village we visit, comprising more than 1,200 households, is touted as the world’s biggest village of the ethnic minority, who number more than eight million in China. It is described as an open-air museum and visitors are introduced to Miao traditions, beliefs and performances.

Dancers sway to the strains of the lusheng, a reed pipe that can be 3m high. One man trills birdsong from a flimsy whistle made from leaves. A soaring choral performance gives me the chills. The women wear masses of prized silver, their necklaces and head-dresses jingling hypnotically.

Symbols from the rich oral tradition of the Miao are sewn onto their famous embroidered clothing. Butterfly motifs reflect their creation myth of Mother Butterfly, which laid 12 eggs from which humanity and the rest of the world emerged.

The Miao are also known elsewhere as the Hmong. Their diaspora has spread as far as the United States, where Hmong refugees from Laos resettled after the war of the US against communist forces in South-east Asia.

The souvenir shops sell specialities, such as ox-horn combs and peanut candy, against a backdrop of traditional wooden homes built on hillsides, some with air-conditioning units. A pig, cut into pieces with its head sold intact, is laid on the ground for sale at a roadside market stall. It seems too real.

According to legend, Prince Grigory Potemkin, a lover of Russian empress Catherine the Great, set up fake villages with pasteboard facades when the 18th-century ruler visited Crimea.

I am reminded of the term Potemkin village, named after the Russian statesman, which denotes an impressive appearance concealing something undesirable.

I wonder how much is hidden here.