Mae Sa Valley Garden Resort

This was our third time at Mae Sa valley. It is such a special place. We travel extensively and I consider this to be one of the most beautiful spots in the world. It had not changed a bit in 5 years, maybe perhaps the gardens got more beautiful. The setting: The gardens here are looked after so well. There are several gardeners at work the whole time. The view is breath-taking and stunning with a fast flowing river at the bottom. The manageress, Ai, is very good at her job, speaks amazing English (which is not a given in Thailand) and is very intuitive. Last time we stayed in one of the cheaper rooms up the top which had the advantage of an amazing view over the whole valley. The rooms are a bit basic but you get what you pay for. We upgraded to what they call a suite this time and it was amazing. I cannot describe the attention to detail (murals on the walls, door handles in animal shapes etc.) I discovered something new every time I looked. Next time we will go for the suite suite! These rooms are closer to the river which is nice but the river is loud. It is quite well insulated in the bedroom so you don't hear it. The area: There is surprisingly a lot in the way of tourist attractions here (botanic gardens with canopy walks, insect farm, elephant farm) but not much in the way of restaurants. Bring snacks. Of course, this is not for everyone. If you are mobility impaired this will not work for you as too many steps. As you are in nature there are a lot of insects and it is humid and you get a damp smell from the river. Also, breakfast is very basic (but the view makes up for it!) All said, this place is special and has to be seen.

When you arrive to the resort, you discover a beautiful garden which go down to the river The gardens are very well maintained. But the rooms are very average! Average but clean. The bathroom is very clean but very modest... I discover on the morning that there is no bedsheet to protect the duvet (see the photo)... I slept in the same duvet than the previous customer because I doubt that they wash the duvet every day

My family and I booked a couple of rooms here, some were in the standard non-air con rooms and some were the deluxe and family air-con rooms. The standard rooms up at the top were all horrible. They were musty and moldy (I had to throw out the shower curtain as it was covered in mold!!). The lower rooms with air-con were much better. Please choose wisely. Water pressure for the rooms were also very low and the heater stopped halfway during a shower. Not very convenient to town but close to the elephant park. The garden was very pretty. Nice place to relax, just not in the rooms.