Anantara Golden Triangle Elephant Camp & Resort

My wife and I loved visiting here. The hotel, food, staff, and activities were all amazing. 10/10 would recommend!

My daughter and I spent 5 wonderful days at the stunning Anantara Golden Triangle in December 2025 and had a truly wonderful time. The staff and guides, and service were top notch. We did the walk with elephants (wow), a 20 mile bike ride through villages and farms, a 5 mile hike, the cooking class and enjoyed some of our best meals in Thailand. We learned so much from our local guide on the village tour, ditto from the Opium museum. This is a stunning resort and a must do for Chiang Rai!

We did not feel that we received good value for the price paid during our stay at Anantara Golden Triangle Elephant Camp & Resort. We have stayed at several luxury properties in Thailand and elsewhere, including Four Seasons resorts at roughly half the nightly rate, and felt that those experiences delivered a significantly higher level of quality, refinement, and overall value. The location was one of the biggest disappointments. After driving approximately five hours from Chiang Mai, we arrived expecting a truly remote and secluded setting. Instead, the tents directly face the Laos Special Economic Zone across the river, which completely undermines the sense of isolation and immersion that is heavily promoted on the hotel’s website. We were particularly surprised to notice that there is not a single clear image online showing the actual view from the tents, as the surrounding buildings are very visible. The photos displayed appear to have been taken in heavy mist, which feels misleading. Noise was another major issue. Throughout our stay, loud music was played daily from around 2:00 pm until approximately 11:30 pm. We specifically chose this property for its promise of peace, quiet, and connection to nature, and unfortunately those expectations were not met. This had a significant negative impact on our ability to relax. From a culinary perspective, both breakfast and the overall food offering at Sala Mae Nam were below expectations for a resort in this category. One evening where a buffet was offered was particularly disappointing and felt far removed from what should be expected at this price level. Overall, the issues we encountered were not minor inconveniences but structural elements of the experience, particularly the location, atmosphere, and value proposition. While the property is visually appealing and the concept is attractive on paper, the reality did not live up to the premium positioning or pricing.

The resort itself is beautiful and at a perfect location. Unfortunately the rest is average. Staff is mostly nice and helpful but there are exceptions , uninterested lacking attention lacklustre. Food is average at best at the buffet (breakfast, lunch and dinner). Local fruit? Buy yourself at the city market. The fruit you get is basic and always full of flies. Instead of local dishes you get 95% western stuff. Even asking if there was local dishes we were directed to a part with pizzas. When taking the used plates they put (systematically and repeatedly) the used/dirty cutlery on the table. Even when I then put it back at a plate it was again put back at the table to be “reused”. Give me a break!! This is unhygienic unprofessional among others. A complete no go. I pointed this out to a western looking waiter and he showed plainly that he couldn’t care less. The separate restaurant is great and the staff has another form of education… Elefant walk was nice but then one could argument on the necessity of using the animals for income. Anyway, not impressed at all!!

I stayed at Anantara Golden Triangle during the end of November. The hotel offered exceptional service with an amazing experience that is rarely found in other hotels. From the first step you took walking into the hotel, we were welcomed with a northern traditional drum, a small giveaway bracelet, and a welcome drink with a warm touch of local experience. The room had an amazing view in the morning with the sunrise and was spacious inside. I highly recommend experiencing the activities at the resort, which include Walking with Giants and sidecar activities, where you will feel truly connected to nature and the local people. I was lucky enough to see local people pick up Chrysanthemum flowers by hand. Special thanks to K. Neptune, K. Tom, K. Dome, K. Ploy, and K. Pure who created a memorable experience for us this time, as well as Khun Mor and the Kwanchang team who walked with the elephants with us. It was the best trips of the year for me, and Anantara Golden Triangle will always have a special place in my heart.