Villa 3, Mandarin Oriental Dhara Dhevi, Chiang Mai, Thailand; 66-53-888-888; mandarinoriental.com. There are 142 suites and villas; suites start at $379. Villa 3 is $489.

To look out from the second-story terrace of your villa at the Mandarin Oriental Dhara Dhevi is to see the old ways of Chiang Mai artfully interwoven with the new. The buildings on the grounds of this two-year-old resort are set amid rice paddies, palm trees, and banyan trees, and were designed to replicate traditional Northern Thai, Shan, and Burmese architectural styles. Within their walls you'll find modern amenities, including a yoga studio, a Thai cooking school, and even 24-hour room service. What you won't find on your porcelain dinner plate, however, is the rice that is harvested from the paddies beyond your terrace. All of the crops cultivated on the resort's 52 acres are donated to nearby Wat Don Jan, which uses the fruits of the Mandarin Oriental's land to feed hundreds of underprivileged children.