ARRIVAL Wellness retreat: Escape to Chiang Mai with Peaches Pilates

Your special uninterrupted two hours massage: a herbal foot bath, a scrub and a warm oil massage. You book it during the stay, at whatever time suits you.

A flooded quarry in Hang Dong, 30 minutes from the resort, with an inflatable obstacle course, a zipline into the lake and an 8m cliff jump. The easiest add-on to slot in, because arrival day is left free.

Ziplines and sky bridges through old rainforest near the mountain village of Mae Kampong, about an hour out. The longest of the three outings, so it needs the biggest window, better as an extra day than squeezed into Day 5 before the farewell dinner.

Two mat classes a day on the resort's private lawn, facing down the valley, both led by Peaches instructors. Every movement has a modification, so the woman who has never been to a Pilates class and the one who has been going for six years end up in the same room and both leave tired. Indoor space is held for the final class, and for any morning the rain gets in first.

Two to four hours where a trained therapist takes the group into the forest and slows everyone down, then slower than that. Grounding, breathwork, a mindful walk with nowhere to arrive at and a stretch of quiet time among the trees, closing with a herbal tea ceremony. Wear shoes you don't mind on the forest floor.

A traditional Lanna feast at Khum Khantoke, served the way it has always been served: a round of small northern dishes arriving one after another, with music and dance running through the meal. It is theatrical, a bit loud and exactly the sort of second evening you want.

Tea experts lay out leaves, herbs, flowers and botanicals and explain what each one does, then you build a blend of your own and taste your way through it. It ends with a Thai set lunch, so the day is already sorted.

This half-day activity is an afternoon at Wat Suan Dok with the teachers who practise there: a plain introduction to Buddhism, then sitting, walking and standing meditation, and a Q&A afterwards where no question is too small. Cover your shoulders, skip the shorts, and be there a few minutes early rather than at the last second.

Hosted by the Raunkaew-Yanon family. You’ll visit a teak house that has been in the same family for nearly 150 years. You pick the fruit and herbs in their orchard, then cook them into Northern Thai dishes with a private chef at your side.

After dark, private tuk-tuks through the old city. First Wat Chedi Luang, a 14th-century temple in the middle of the old city whose main stupa is a brick tower that lost its top in an earthquake and has stood open to the sky ever since. Then Wat Phra Singh, older walled-city temple and the one locals send visitors to. Then Warorot Market, the market the city actually shops at, for Northern Thai snacks, khao soi and sai ua included. Food and drinks aren't included this evening, so bring a little cash.

Up before the city is, and out to Wat Phra That Doi Suthep high above Chiang Mai, to watch the sun come up over the golden chedi while monks chant and pilgrims make their offerings. Climb the 308 naga steps if you're up for it, or take the cable car and enjoy the view from the top either way. Shoulders covered, no shorts, and bring a layer. Mornings are cold up there in January.

An easy, mostly flat 35km e-bike ride along the Ping River, through rice fields, orchards and villages, past Wat Ton Kwen and the Wat Chang Nam archaeological site. About four hours, with lunch or snacks included. Fits the free afternoon after the final Pilates class.

Limestone falls you can climb straight up, barefoot. About an hour north, and very photogenic. Works in the Day 5 free afternoon or on the final morning if flight times allow.

(before the farewell dinner) A rooftop pool and cocktail bar in the Nimman district. Swim, then watch the sun drop over Doi Suthep.