"With a library, three pools, cooking classes, and a handful of upscale shops on-site, the Four Seasons Resort Chiang Mai has a laundry list of extras—but it also offers spectacular scenery and a supreme sense of tranquility. The resort sits smack in the middle of rolling rice fields, the seeds of which you can learn to plant; or, opt for a nature walk instead, and head up the hills that surround the classic Lanna villas, with their steeply pitched roofs and teak floors. A team of 40 full-time gardeners—and some trusty water buffalo—work to maintain an organic farm and landscaped gardens on the resort's grounds." - Betsy Blumenthal