Travel off the beaten path with a stay at Lamai Homestay.
Tag: Thailand travel
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Eco-Friendly Private Acommodation at Lamai Homestay in Rural Thailand
This eco-friendly guesthouse is located in Ko Pet Village, a rural rice community in the heart of north-east Thailand. This is the ideal getaway for travelers looking for privacy and peace and quiet. With just three-bedrooms, the guesthouse has space for just six visitors to bunker down. The mud-brick eco-rooms are modest, but clean. Each is comfortably furnished, and two have air-conditioning to cool the rooms in summer. There is a hot shower with a Western-style water closet located just outside the rooms. The homestay's garden grows bananas, mangos, papayas, and custard apples and visitors are invited to pick the fruits straight from the trees. As the rooms do not have their own kitchen facilities, guests are invited to use the outdoor barbeque and eat in the gardens. There is also a splashpool for resting tired feet after a long day sightseeing. The staff at Lamai Homestay encourage travelers to immerse themselves in the local community. They can arrange tours and activity packages, such as a silk spinning and weaving courses and bamboo and raffia crafts classes. Guests who prefer to observe can see local farmers working on the rice paddies or silk and cotton weavers handcrafting clothes and rugs. It's also a short trip to the majestic Khmer temples of Pimai, the archaeological site of Ban Prasat, and Khorat City. Lamai Homestay is located 90 minutes from Khon Kaen Airport. From there, travelers are encouraged to catch a train or a bus to reduce carbon emmissions. The guesthouse's staff are happy to collect guests from the train station at Bua Yai or the bus stop at Sida on their arrival. -
Green Thailand Stay at Evason Eco-Friendly Resort in Phuket
Luxury and an eco-friendly ethos go hand in hand at Evason Resort in Thailand’s tropical paradise, Phuket.
It was even built inside the unused shell of an old building, making its creation the ultimate in recycling! The 64-acre property was designed to make the most of Phuket's natural surrounds. It's set amongst tropical parklands and gardens, while the luxury suites capitalize on the views of the nearby Andaman Sea. The deluxe environmentally friendly accommodation focuses on sound waste and water management, energy efficiency, and social responsibility. The resort has its own environmental staff member, who oversees the property's organic gardens and energy consumption, and liaises with the community about environmentally-friendly practices. The rooms are located in five low-rise buildings scattered around the resort's gardens. There are 260 rooms in all, ranging in price from the standard guest rooms to the honeymoon villa at Bon Island. Each has a private balcony, while most have a unique open-style bathroom. [caption id="attachment_3258" align="alignright" width="150" caption="A pool villa at Evason Resort in Phuket, Thailand"]
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There is so much to do at Evason that you don’t really have to leave the resort. You can take a dip in one of three swimming pools, play volleyball or tennis, unwind in the spa, or browse the WiFi-equipped library. If you do feel like venturing out you can take the shuttle bus to Phuket Town or Patong Beach, or explore the area at a more leisurely pace with a bike tour.
Evason is family-friendly, but you don't need to have the rugrats hanging off you all the time. The kids club is designed to give mom and dad some private time, with activities and games for four to 12-year-olds.
Evason was South-East Asia's first Green Globe certified resort, and the recipient of the Wild Asia Award for Responsible Tourism in 2006.
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From Rice Barges to Luxury Lodgings – Thailand’s Imperial Boat House
The Imperial Boat House isn’t just one of the most unique hotels in Thailand.
It's actually one of the most unusual in Asia. This five-star resort, located in tropical Koh Samui, gets its name from the old rice barges which have been converted into private two-storey bungalows. The boats are now moored on land, but water isn't far away. Guests have just meters to walk to the Choeng Mon beach. Each suite is lavishly appointed with a living room, dining area, sky-lit bathroom, luxury bedroom, and a sunbathing deck for soaking up the region's famous rays. The Imperial Boat House also offers more traditional rooms in a three-storey building near the gardens. These are a little smaller than the maritime themed rooms, yet still luxuriously furnished. The private balconies allow guests to enjoy the garden and seaside views.
Sports lovers are well catered for at the resort. Guests can take a dip in the pirate boat-shaped pool (complete with cannon style water jets!) on site, or enjoy sailing, canoeing, snorkeling, and windsurfing in the bay. Land activities include table tennis, volleyball, and fun in the games room. Trips to the neighboring islands can also be arranged at the travel desk. When you need to wind down, soak in the jacuzzi, sweat it out in the spa, or indulge in a gourmet meal at the beachfront restaurant.
The kitsch nature of the Imperial Boat House may turn off serious travelers, but it's worth a look for those who enjoy their luxury served with a side order of humor.
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Chaos on the Water at Thailand’s Floating Markets
In Thailand farmers and craftsmen don’t take to the streets to sell their wares. They get on the water in the country’s famous floating markets.
Here sellers with boats piled high with exotic fruits and vegetables, flowers, and other fresh produce meet fellow traders and barter their wares. It’s colorful and chaotic, but also great fun, and something you’ll remember from your Thailand vacation.
The markets are a reminder of simpler times. Contemporary grocery and department stores have largely replaced these traditional bazaars, but those that remain are a highlight for the country’s visitors. In fact, the Thai government, recognizing their potential for generating tourist revenue, is attempting to revive previously abandoned floating markets.
Thailand’s most popular and largest floating market is Damnoen Saduak, which is located at Ratchaburi, about 101 kilometers west of the Bangkok. You may have already spotted it on postcards or documentaries, but this doesn’t compare to the noise and excitement of seeing it for yourself. A little closer to the capital, tourists will find The Taling Chan market every weekend, and the Wat Sai market in Bangkok’s Thonburi district. Both are significantly smaller than Damnoen Saduak, but on a positive note they don’t see the same amount of tourist traffic.
If you hope to see the floating markets you’ll need to get up early. Most start at dawn and wind up by mid-morning. If you hope to be amongst the action, you might consider hiring a long-tailed boat for the day. Alternatively, many tour companies run trips to the Damnoen Saduak markets. Most of these day trips include transfers from your accommodation in Bangkok and stopovers at other nearby attractions.