Bamboo Hotel

December 26

Huai Khum Lahu Resort, Mae Salek

The hills of northern Thailand 

The hotel we are staying in tonight is like deluxe camping. We are in a hut made of bamboo. There are straw mats on the floor. Just about everything is made from natural materials. We do have a comfortable bed and an indoor bathroom with a shower.  There is electricity but no television in the room. The internet signal is very weak.

The place is not fancy but it is cool to listen to insects and frogs through the screened windows (no air conditioning) while drifting off to sleep. We will be awakened by roosters tomorrow morning. We arrived at the hotel by boat as there is just a rough dirt road to get here. It is right on a river. We kayaked down the river for about an hour and then a motorboat brought us back to the hotel so we wouldn't have to paddle upstream. Our guide thinks of everything as he had an ice chest of drinks in the boat for us as well as yummy fresh tangerines and a delicious fruit called mangosteen.

The hotel is in a beautiful location, so serene. The owner's wife and three kids live here and help out. Meals are cooked and served in an open air pavilion by the river. What a great setup.