A most special reservation has been made by our Thai friend for our last evening here in the most beautiful Rose Capital of North Thailand, Chiang Mai.

As my hubby Dear & I had been to this same place here last December with my brother, & we’d tremendously enjoyed ourselves so much, I specially suggested that Mom & Dad come here too!!

And so here we’re right now, at Khum Khantoke for the Lanna style dinner & show.

Map of Khum Khantoke, which is located behind Carrefour Chiang Mai :

Well, if you’ve read my earlier posts “Visiting Thai Family” & “Lanna Thai Dinner“, you’d have known about & been pretty familiar with Khantoke dining, where diners sit cross legged on the floor sharing Northern Cuisines from a round wooden Khantoke tray while enjoying Northern classical dances - such modern Lanna style dining was invented by a famous businessman & Thai Scholar more than 30 years ago.

Khum Khantoke Pamphlets :

Hey look here!! Dad’s about to ride the lovely decorated Khum Khantoke Trishaw with Mom seated beautifully on it : 

Haha Dad’s looking really cool in his poses & Mom’s just so pretty!!

We’re now stepping into the gorgeous Khum Khantoke which is made up of exquisite Northern Thai houses with Lanna setting surrounded with rich assortment of unique traditions & exotic Lanna arts & crafts :

We’re greeted by 3 most charming Thai ladies seated on low square wooden tables, one of whom is playing a traditional string instrument, another carving beautiful flowers out of fresh fruits, & the 3rd stringing fresh jasmine flower garlands : 

Mom & Dad with the beautiful Thai lady playing traditional string instrument :

Here’s the Khum Khantoke Welcome Sign : 

We’re now approaching the Khum Khantoke dining & show area :

This’s a big Lanna style hall instead of the huge open courtyard surrounded by Lanna style houses & pavilions where my hubby Dear & I, & my brother, dined at when we were here last Dec - this’s equally great cos I can experience a different place altogether heheh!!

Entering the Khum Khantoke hall now :

There’re already many diners inside the hall & what a fantastic Lanna style hall with very high ceilings & big beautiful hanging Thai Lanterns :

And there’s a performing stage decorated with a most beautiful huge Lanna artifact painting right in the middle infront of the huge hall. And we’re very happy cos we get to sit pretty infront & near the performing stage, as well as right beside the big open performing dance floor of the hall :

We get settled down on the floor quickly expecting to sit cross legged but to our surprise, there’re actually a lower raised-down open space under the floor beneath our wooden dining table for us to put our legs!!

Haha that’s really cool & a good thing cos it’ll be much easier & more comfortable for Mom & Dad now instead of them sitting cross legged!!

Here’s our huge spread of Khum Khantoke dinner cuisines from Northern & other parts of Thailand, on the round wooden Khantoke tray - they’re from the bottom centre (clockwise) - Stir-fry Green Vegetables with Cabbages, Deep Fried Chicken, Deep Fried Crispy Pork Rinds (called “Kaeb Moo” in Thai), Red Young Chili Paste, Crispy Rice Noodles & Chicken Curry :

And right in the middle of the Khantoke tray is a bigger plate of Steamed Pumpkin, Fresh Cucumbers, Boiled Green Vegetables, Cabbages & Long Beans, & surrounding the Green Chili Dip.

And then there’re our individual bowls of Clear Vegetable Soup & plates of plain Thai White Rice, as well as round rattan baskets of Thai Sticky Rice.

Thai Sticky Rice (called “Kao Neow” in Thai”) inside the round rattan basket :

And in addition, there’re the most delicious Fried Banana Fritters - Chiang Mai style!! Dear & I just couldn’t stop eating these Banana Fritters here at Khum Khantoke last Dec haha!!!

 Haha, we can’t wait any longer & all start digging in :

Mom & Dad enjoying our most deliciously yummy Thai Khantoke Cuisines :

Haha & do you know what’s the best of having Khantoke Cuisines?!?!! You can always ask for refill & refill & refill of not one but any of all the different varieties of delicacies & eat till your stomach is bloated haha!!

Heheh that’s just exactly what I plan to do tonight haha!!! After all, it’s our last night here in Chiang Mai so I’d better eat more more or else I’ll start missing all these beautiful Cuisines again once I’m back home in Singapore!!

Me with the whole huge spread of marvelicious Khum Khantoke Cuisines :

Hmm…..hmmm………we’re getting really full now………..Showtime starts at 7.45pm & it’s almost time now!! And we’ve actually been eating so much so much since 6.30pm when we 1st arrived here, & we’re feeling so pleased & beaming with smiles cos the Cuisines are so so tasty & good!!!

Except for one bad thing!! There’re actually mosquitoes around & especially in the lower raised-down open space under the floor beneath our dining table where we get to put our legs as we’re sitting on the floor. Sob Sob……….so sad so sad Dad & I get the most mosquito bites as we endure while indulging on our Cuisines haha!!

That was why I’ve always said it’s best to come visit Chiang Mai in December when the weather’s cooling & there’re no deadly mosquitoes!!! Just like last Dec when I was here dining at Khum Khantoke (in the open Courtyard) with my hubby Dear & brother - we never got any Mosquitoe bite at all throughout the whole night!!! That was so wonderful!!!

Anyway, I’m not about to let any Mosquito dampen my spirit on my last night in Chiang Mai cos I’m gonna enjoy to my fullest here tonight okie!!

Well, we were just each presented with a Jasmine Flower Garland which 2 Khum Khantoke Thai ladies dressed in cultural Mien & Hmong Hilltribes costumes came putting on each & every one of us dining inside the hall, followed by a Thai photographer who took photos of us posing with the 2 Thai Hilltribe ladies.

Now, the Thai Musicians start playing their traditional Thai wind & string instruments preparing for the show which is about to start - hippie hippie :

YES YES, the show’s finally starting now with the most impressive Opening Ceremony Dance - 2 groups of beautifully dressed Thais dancing their way gracefully into the hall from the 2 main back entrances : 

See their lovely Thai cultural costumes, accessories & headdressers - these dancers continue dancing on the dance floor…….

And then a uniquely dressed Thai dancer starts throwing fresh flower petals on the floor as she dances into the hall from behind, followed by a chain of male Thai traditional performers carrying offering ornanments or huge tall Thai lanterns & banners hung from tall poles, & they all dance & walk in a procession to the stage infront of the hall. And they continue dancing & performing like in a traditional ritual on the stage till the end.

Then the following Thai dancers with very special huge Fan-like wings dance swiftly onto the dance floor :

And suddenly a huge white Thai Goat dancer suddenly enters the hall from behind & start dancing among the many dining guests on the floor. Unfortunately the Goat dancer never gets close enough to us for me to snap photos of, except this below last shot of it leaving the hall :

I’ve now put all my other photos taken of the lovely Khum Khantoke Opening Ceremony Dance in the following Slideshow :

It’s desserts time now - Pineapples, Water Melons & Sweet Honey Crackers

These Sweet Honey Crackers taste as good as last Dec’s when I ate them here at Khum Khantoke heheh :

The following is the Traditional Khon Dance depicting a Episode from Ramakian, the greatest Thai literary work, or a Thailand’s National Epic, influenced by the Indian Ramayana Epic, which is an ancient Sanskrit Epic.

In this Episode, Hanuman, God-King of the Apes, who supported Phra Ram (Son of King Thotsarot of Ayutthaya & Incarnation of Phra Narai - the Highest God), & acted as the Monkey General, was about to attack Lanka City when he got obstructed by Nang Suphunamucha who blocked his path with rocks. Hanuman chased her with the intent to kill her, but when he finally met her, he changed his mind.

Called the Traditional Khon Dance, this very interesting Episode is now being acted out by the following 2 traditional Thai dancers :

I’ve here below a pretty cool Video of the above Traditional Khon Dance which I took :

And here’s the famous legendary Hanuman, God-King of the Apes : 

Dad & Mom (wearing 2 Jasmine Flower Garlands including Dad’s) with the very charming Hanuman :

Me with my most fragrant Jasmine Garland, & handsomely masked Hanuman :

Mom & Dad posing happily with Traditional Khon Dancer Nang Suphunamucha :

And now it’s my turn with gorgeous Nang Suphunamucha :

Magnificently dressed Traditional Khon Dancers Hanuman & Nang Suphunamucha continue dancing & acting out the Ramakian Episode on the dance floor, which is right beside us - how great :

And here’s another ending Video I took of the wonderful Traditional Khon Dance : 

The following is the Tee Dance, “Tee” meaning “Umbrella” in Thai, & it’s one of the symbols identifying Lanna Ladies :  

I’ve included here a Slideshow containing the few photos taken of the lovely Tee Dance :

Now, here comes the very exciting War Dance with Drum which in ancient times, such dancing & vigorous beating of the Drum greatly supported & lifted the morals of the troops in battle : 

And here’s my Video of the very superb War Dance with Drum performance :

After the War Dance with Drum performance, the Thai Musicians continue playing their traditional instruments to prepare the start of yet another exciting performance - the Sword Dance.

The Sword Dance shows the pride in Martial Arts & the defence of Lanna with gently beauty, fluency & rapidness - below photos show the traditional Thai Sword Dancer kneeling on the dance floor laying out his Thai swords as he prepares himself for his dance :

And here’s my Video taken of the Sword Dance, though I feel a little disappointed with my Video cos I did not manage to capture the last moments where he dropped all his Swords……heheh I’m so bad ha!!

Well YES, he did drop all his Swords on the floor towards the end before my camera ran out of battery, which at the moments I wondered if it was done on purpose………but guess not cos he later recomposed himself again for the finishing act heheh, & hey I think this Sword Dancer is still pretty good afterall :

Now, we’d thought the Sword Dance is the last Khum Khantoke performance as many guests start to leave, but am I so glad that the following Hilltribe Dance happens just in time before we’re stepping out of the hall, so that we manage to stay on & watch :))

We’ve seen Hilltribe dances when we visited the Hilltribe Village in Myanmar, & during our Lanna Thai Dinner in Chiang Rai, but this Khum Khantoke Hilltribe Dance is even much better & nicer cos it’s a dance combination of 4 different Hilltribes, made up of the dancers dancing in pairs as they traditionally do during their New Year celebrations :

Below is my very 1st attempt on my self-taken Video of the Hilltribe Dance, which I’ve to cut it so short cos of someone passing right infront of my camera :((

Well, this Hilltribe Dance consists of dancers from the mountainous Northern Lisu Hilltribe (dressed in blue), & from their right Akha Hilltribe, Mien Hilltribe & Hmong Hilltribe :

Now, I’m most happy to show you the final output of my Hilltribe Dance Video :

We’ve now come to the end of our Khum Khantoke dinner & show, at least to us cos there’s actually still a traditional Rumwong Dance where members of the audience are asked to join in the dance with the night’s Dancers on the dance floor. “Rum” means “Dance” & “Wong” means “In Circle” - a fun relaxing dance originated in the Thai countryside before World War I.  

We’ve now left the Lanna style Khum Khantoke Hall :

And below shows the local Arts & Crafts Shopping area at the Khum Khantoke courtyard - too bad I can’t really shop cos Dad’s tired & needs to retire early for the night :

Hey the 3 Thai ladies are still here seated on their low square tables, working on their traditional crafts :

A beautiful tranquil night scene of Khum Khantoke with the beautiful huge Lily Flower lights above the pond - heheh I really like this photo shot of mine :

And here we’re outside Khum Khantoke where its lovely Trishaw stands :

Now it’s time for the Khum Khantoke guests to enjoy being part of a continuing traditional Thai Lanna culture whereby guests light up huge Balloons & let them go flying to the sky as a way of paying respects to the Goddness of River.

The Khum Khantoke Thai ladies holding the white Balloons :

And a group of Taiwanese tourists about to let go of the huge lighted Balloon which they just lit :

Below is a Video taken of the huge lighted Balloon flying up into the night sky - too bad I again am so blur as to take my Video side-down, & only realising it after videographing it, & then it’s too late to recapture the moments all over again - what a silly waste :((

Well, here’s a night photo shot of the flying high up into the sky lighted Balloon : 

And here’s the wooden Khum Khantoke Chiang Mai traditional Khon dancers portrait without their faces so that guests can place their faces behind the holes & be photographed - Aiya, last Dec when I was here with my hubby Dear, we didn’t have time to pose here cos our Hotel pick-up vehicle was waiting, & this time round I can’t take again cos Dear’s not here with me :((

Well, we’re now back to our car at the Khum Khantoke carpark : 

Heheh, very interestingly, our Thai rented car has got no number on its licence plate :

Well, we’re now back inside our Hotel room in Holiday Inn Chiang Mai - seen here is my fresh fragrant Jasmine Flower Garland lying on my bed :

These Jasmine flowers smell so nice I still remember my babies Cowtie, Smartie & tiny Bread smell so great after wearing my similiar Jasmines Garland from Khum Khantoke here below in Mae Ping Hotel, Chiang Mai, last Dec - heheh :

Well, the following is the Khum Khantoke Portrait of Mom & Dad which was taken at the Khum Khantoke dinner and which we later bought for 100 baht each - Mom & Dad look so loving & sweet together, as always!! I love them so much!!

And here’s my Khum Khantoke Portrait - hahah I look so fat & big sized compared to the 2 pretty Hilltribe ladies behind me :

Hahah!! So happy & satisfied, we all had the most wonderful Lanna dining experience at Khum Khantoke tonight. The Thai Cuisines were all so marvelous we ate so well & full, & the traditional Thai dances & performances were simply spectacular & great!! 

What a beautiful last night here in Chiang Mai!!