/ beyond /W E E K E N D backyard and unesco World Heritage wildlife refuge Khao Yai has a new crop of hotels, eateries and craft markets set up by eco-conscious locals to reinforce the place’s deeprooted ties to nature. With the building of new highways that could pave the way for a Phuket-like boom within a few years, these rolling hills are worth visiting now before mass tourism unearths this counterculture gem.
Green Hectares
Organic produce, farm-to-table restaurants and an avant-garde art scene are driving Khao Yai’s wholesome coming-of-age. Monsicha Hoonsuwan heads north to breathe the fresh air.
Friday 4:00 p.m. Hitting the Road
It is a 2½-hour drive northeast from Bangkok to Khao Yai, so we leave a little after lunch to beat weekend traffic. As the concrete jungle blurs by, cowboy-country steak houses and dairy farms start popping up on both sides of the road signaling Thailand’s wine region. 6:30 p.m. Private Pool Villas at Civilai Hill
FROM TOP: Gradients of green
blanket Khao Yai’s hills and valleys; yield to the two resident geese at Civilai Hill; Santosha’s colorful, open-air lobby.
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A bumpy ride up an unpaved road leads to a year-old boutique. Its five villas overlook the slopes of Khao Yai mountain range, and its Provence-inspired gardens add bursts of color to the green landscape. Walking to our room, two resident geese honk, stopping us on the cobblestone track. The white birds waddle toward their
NOV EMBER 2015 / TR AV EL ANDLEISURE ASIA .COM
pond bath and fountain shower. They have the right idea, so I follow their lead to our villa’s outdoor ofuro and let the warm waters of the Japanese tub melt any tension away. Come nightfall, the chef grills sea bass wrapped in banana leaves and tamarind-marinated spare ribs at the personal poolside fire pit in our backyard, and the gentle light of solar-powered lamps sets the feast aglow. civilaihillkhaoyai.com/ppv; doubles from Bt8,500, private barbecue Bt1,200 per person. Saturday 9:00 a.m. Ban Suan Khun Pan
The colorful fresh seedless grapes sign and the cornflower-blue corrugated tin roof mark the entrance to this vineyard homestay. The owner, Pannapa Pasornklin, or Pan, makes a dramatic entrance >>
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