A little Gem outside Bangkok @ Khao Yai - Day 1

I came to know about Khao Yai almost 3 years ago when I chanced upon an article introducing the lavish Thames Valley resort set amidst a lush mountainous landscape. What probably attracts me most is that this place houses 2 wineries, several farmlands and even a Italian themed market square. Whats more, there are plenty of theme hotels to make your stay fabulous, ranging from castle theme to hobbit houses, Greek style and luxury villa close to the nature.  
https://thailand.tripcanvas.co/khao-yai/magical-unique-hotels/

I've always give Bangkok a miss because I am not a shopaholic and I don't really fancy the stuff sold at the supposedly famous marketplaces such as Chatuchak and Platinum Mall. However, the thought of travelling with kids and flying long distance really puts me off. Hence, a short trip to somewhere near would definitely be a good choice. Naturally, Khao Yai came to my mind. 

So, what are the attractions in Khao Yai? Well, there are plenty of activities and personally, I would recommend a 4 day three night itinerary because it's really a nice place for a relaxing vacation. 

Getting to Khao Yai is pretty convenient only if you self drive or hire a driver-guide. This picturesque small town is located a short 3 hours' drive from Bangkok and if you are looking for a English speaking guide, you can easily book one from Klook. For our trip, we hired the guide from Pak Chong Taxi which is slightly cheaper than the prices offered by Klook. It cost us merely $9000THB which is approximately S$370 for a 7 seater Toyota for full 3 days. The driver, Mr J is very friendly and always replenished our drinks throughout the journey. 

Khao Yai weather is hot and humid since it is located within the mountainous region. At night, the temperature may dip but it should not be freezing cold. However, the sunlight can be quite scorching and hence it's a must to apply sunscreen before you head out. December is probably the best time to visit this place as I was told that the sunflowers will be in full bloom. 

Anyway, it was drizzling and almost evening as we arrived at Khao Yai. Hence, we headed straight to Midwinter Green to have our dinner. Midwinter Green is a breathtaking restaurant that looks straight out of a Game of Thrones episode. The white-washed buildings are built in the medieval style and kind of look like the remnants of a half-destroyed stronghold. Perhaps, some people would have mistaken the place as a museum instead of a restaurant.The view outside the restaurant is fantastic and offers the perfect romantic backdrop for fine dinning.  The restaurant served pretty good pasta and pizzas which was really better than what we've expected. 

At around 6pm, the sun set and darkness quickly devoured all traces of sunlight. It was pitch black as we made our way to our hotel - Botanica Khao Yai which is located near the Khao Yai National Park.  FYI, Khao Yai National Park is really beautiful and I would love to hike there to see the pounding waterfalls if not for the kids. 

Anyway, I had selected this hotel after browsing through the many other choices. As a nature lover, it is hardly surprising that I choose this hotel since it offers a paranormal mountain and valley view. Moreover, the hotel is decorated with so much greenery. The source of the design come from contemporary architecture but at the same time blend in so well with the surrounding nature. We were greeted with smiley staff and given refreshing lemongrass juice. The check in was quick and hassle-free since we have pre-booked our room. The staff then walked us to our room at block B, just  a short distance from the reception.  

I was completely in love with my 2 bedroom family suite. The room is spacious, comprising of a living room at the center, a kitchenette and 2 spacious bedrooms with 2 separate bathrooms. There is also a spacious balcony that connects the bedrooms and living room. The room's decoration emphasizes on minimalist style and earthly colors. The furnishing are modern and yet at the same time simple. Prior to booking the hotel, I've saw negative reviews complaining about the water pressure in the bathroom. Thankfully, the water pressure was just nice and everything worked well in our room.  

Perhaps, the morning view is the best thing I've seen when I woke up. 

The hotel serves nice breakfast though not much variety. Nevertheless, it was good enough for me and my kids. I really love the peaceful ambiance at the restaurant which made my breakfast enjoyable. 

The pool is perhaps the next amazing place to be at. There are 2 pools with the infinity pool located at the second level overlooking the lush greenery. Sadly, the hotel really needs maintenance as the tiles in the pool had came off and this could be quite haphazard to the swimmers, especially kids.