THE LUXURY TRAVEL
MAGAZINE FOR INDEPENDENT
TRAVELLERS

Take my advice: when you’re deciding how much time to spend in Chiang Dao, book two days more than you think you need. Then you won’t have to go to the bother of changing your travel plans when you arrive and realise just how extraordinary this place is, and how impossible it will be to say goodbye.

There are a number of things that make Chiang Dao Nest extraordinary. There’s the location, to state the most obvious – a six-acre stretch of land with only 12 bungalows, leaving plenty of room for large communal spaces, a beautiful swimming pool, and the garden, which is full to overflowing with fruit, flowers, and indigenous plants. This Garden of Eden is surrounded by views that will take your breath away – mountains covered by indigenous forest wreathed in clouds at the beginning and end of each day.

Then there are the bungalows themselves, nestling comfortably in this natural beauty, and looking almost like they’re part of the landscape. This is due, in part, to the fact that they were designed by hand – Wicha and Stuart, the owners, drew pictures of what they wanted, and the local carpenters took it from there. The houses are modelled on those of the Lisu tribe, and made from all-natural materials – bamboo walls, woven mats on the ceilings, eucalyptus floors and reclaimed teak furniture. Wicha and Stuart didn’t want to bring any concrete into the forest. It was a wise choice.

Walk inside, and it’s just as beautiful, and just as sustainable – the linen is all unbleached cotton, and the local hill tribes wove the cushion covers (again, from hand-drawn pictures). You won’t find a TV, or any pictures, or a mini bar – nothing to distract you from a good night’s rest. The bedrooms, as Wicha explains, are for sleeping. There’s plenty of other space for socializing, or reading, spending time in nature, or exercising. You’ll be spoilt for choice, in fact, assisted by Wicha’s delightful hand-drawn map of the area that will give you all kinds of adventurous ideas (there are bicycles for daily hire if you’re interested in working up a sweat and exploring the forest further afield).

Whatever your activity of choice, make sure you take some time to explore the garden – an unobtrusively landscaped space filled with banana trees, a star fruit tree laden with fruit, all kinds of indigenous plants and flowers, and a rare collection of wild orchids, grown to sustain the diversity of the forest. The guest house has cleverly allowed the local forest in, with birds acting as assistant gardeners, and Wicha’s only concern keeping the plants alive – by using natural fertilizers (organic waste used as fertilizer) and no chemical pesticides. It’s a technique that works well, as the flourishing greenery, abundant butterflies and birdlife (apparently there are over 300 species in just this area alone) will attest. Chiang Dao Nest also grows saplings to donate to local students, who will then plant the trees in the forest, thereby encouraging further growth in an already lush area, home to some of the purest oxygen you’ll ever breathe.

It’s not just the surroundings that make the Nest so special, though. You’ll soon get to know the staff, a dedicated team of local women who have been trained impeccably to serve food, ensure the guesthouse is up to scratch with boutique-level cleaning services, and generally provide a happy, contented presence. Anything you ask for is given with a smile, and it’s obvious that these are women happy with their lot in life. A fact that is reiterated when you hear that all the ladies who started working here seven years ago are still here – not one has left. Perhaps this is because they recognize that the Nest is an unusual place to work (the ladies had a coffee-making workshop during our stay, which looked like a lot of fun). Or perhaps it’s because this is the kind of place you just don’t ever want to leave.

Your kids won’t want to leave, either (in fact, we heard stories of children who started crying when their parents told them it was time to go home!) The Nest is a child’s dream-come-true – unlimited running-around space in a fascinating garden, a large swimming pool with pool toys and water wings provided, a children’s area set up with toys, a hammock, and miniature-sized furniture (as well as some beautiful wooden rocking horses), a number of fun day trips in the area and, best of all, kid-friendly food (including chicken nuggets and chips!).

Which leads us to the last secret ingredient, the final thing that makes Chiang Dao Nest completely unforgettable: the food. Chiang Dao Nest is famous for its gourmet restaurant, and Chiang Dao Nest 2 has an award-winning Thai restaurant, run by Wicha’s sister and serving a large range of exquisite Thai dishes. Back at Nest 1, it’s a largely Western menu, with unusual and delicious options like pork tenderloin with crispy bacon, crushed new potatoes, and blue cheese and white wine sauce (superb!), or chicken breast stuffed with mozzarella and sundried tomato pesto, and served with baby tomato salad and squid ink noodles. There’s a range of delicious breakfasts to choose from – mainly variations on egg and bacon, muesli and fruit, and pancakes – and a large lunch menu, with focaccia, burgers, sandwiches and exotic salads. And then there’s the Thursday Night Barbecue (capital letters intended). Whatever you do, make sure you’re at Chiang Dao Nest for the Thursday Night Barbecue. It’s a feast of epic proportions, with a number of delicious salads, nine different sauces to choose from (including mild curry peanut sauce and Thai very spicy very very very spicy sauce), chicken, prawn and beef satay, grilled vegetables, fresh grilled salmon, beans wrapped in bacon, pork ribs, marinated chicken and drunken buffalo fillet. It’s the kind of meal you’ll think of fondly for months, the kind of meal you’ll write home about, and dream of on long, lonely nights.

In fact, perhaps that’s the best way to describe Chiang Dao Nest – a place you will long for once you’ve left. Staying here, despite its rustic nature, is an experience to be savoured every minute of every day. Take a swim in the pool and look up at the mountains, sit on the verandah of your bungalow and soak up the forest view, or simply sip on a glass of chilled lemongrass iced tea and thank your lucky stars that you ended up here. Then change your travel plans so you can stay a few extra days!