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Apr 27, 2008 10:57 pm By: simon

5

Highly enjoyable We stayed in March and really enjoyed ousrelves. The proeprty is greta, but the delightful family who welcomed us - and their delicious Thai food - really made our stay. We hope to return.

Description of Surrounding Area

Rather than staying in a hotel in Thailand we wanted to find our own house to rent, and preferably in a location away from the tourist meccas.

We stayed at a place called Green Gecko - a large Thai villa set in the middle of the rice plains, woodlands and plantations of Northeast Thailand, out of Udon Thani.

This privately owned villa is located on a large country estate. Free airport transfers were arranged from the airport, which is accessible via a 50 minute flight from Bangkok on Thai Airways, or budget airlines Nok Air or Air Asia.

In contrast to more mainstream locations, our stay here allowed us to discover and experience the real Thailand, off the beaten tourist track.


We never used the kitchens - with the exception of helping ourselves to a few iced beers from the refrigerator! As the owner is a former chef, he prepares all his guests’ meals throughout their stay, varying the spiciness or composition of these to his guests’ tastes. We were delighted to be shown around the gardens to collect a number of herbs and spices, which we were then shown how to spirit into deliciously fresh and tangy Northeastern dishes. We tried the classics too: Thai food certainly is mouth-watering, and staying at a villa like this where all meals are prepared for you, by a chef who is willing to share his secrets, was a boon!

We spent a good deal of time just lazing by the pool in complete privacy, but also enjoyed a number of excursions with our hosts to experience some of the sights and sounds of the Northeast.

These included a spectacular trip in a small wooden boat, across a lake that was fundamentally a vast expanse of pink lotus flowers, interrupted only by the occasional fisherman or wallowing water buffalo (marriage propositioners, take note!) We also visited a local museum that seemed to denominate Thailand as the home of the bronze age, and a number of rowdy, colourful local festivals and wet markets, as well as silk and cobra farms. But our lasting impression was one of rural simplicity and ever-friendly locals, keen to ensure we enjoyed our stay and sample an unending variety of indigenous foods and drinks!


Large 2 bedroomed property, with private deck and swimming pool.

Delicious fresh Thai meals are prepared for you daily by your personal chef at no additional charge.

Each bedroom has a four poster bed and ensuite bathroom, and airconditioing.

The large living and dining room houses ample seating, with comfortable sofas, a television snug with futons, a large screen LCD satellitte TV, and a stereo system & DVD player.

Sleeps & # of Bedrooms

Sleeps 4

Services Offered

Driver
Maid
Personal Chef
Tours and visits
Thai cooking classes
Massage