Four Seasons Tented Camp Golden Triangle

We stayed at this camp for 3 nights in May after visiting this area over 20 years ago. The experience was mixed: the welcome and staff were friendly, especially the service at the restaurant. However, the property is certainly the least well-maintained of the FS we have stayed at; the tents haven't been renovated in almost 20 years, and the air conditioning didn't work properly, even though the temperature exceeded 30 degrees Celsius. This was certainly not what we expected when paying over USD 3,000 per day.

If you’re looking to truly unplug and recharge, this is the place. It’s just peaceful…totally surrounded by nature, you fall asleep to the sounds of the jungle and wake up to birds and chirping. We did the 3-night adventure package and it was incredible. We got to feed elephants their breakfast while having our own. There are a bunch of activities included with your stay, and some you can add on for a fee if you want to do more. But you could also just chill. The tents are beautiful, comfortable and private, with balconies looking out over endless nature. There are little seating areas all over the camp where you can just sit and take it all in. Food is excellent, and the staff really makes the experience unforgettable. Honestly, we didn’t want to leave. This place is really special—one of those trips that makes you forget the rest of the world exists. Classic Four Seasons magic.

Having been to safari a couple of times before, we were not quite sure what kind of experience to expect at the tented camp, both in terms of facilities and animal experiences. Safe to say any of our reservations disappeared the moment we stepped off the plane. The hotel picked us up in a nice and modern minivan, completed with the usual wifi, cold towels, water and snacks. The arrival on longtail boat gave us a sense of place and was a good introduction to the experience for the next few days. Room 5/5 We had the #1 the elephant tent - it offered a great view over the river and the plains. We were a bit hesitant on the only outdoor shower concept as we didn't like bugs/mozzies, but it was perfectly fine. You could also shower indoor at the bathtub if you wish. Everything here was in tip top shape and the room was gorgeous. It's so comfortable with all the modern amenities one will ever need. Services - 5/5 Having just 16 tents in total, this is on a smaller scale than even most of the Amans. Like at any Aman hotels, you don't need to sign any bills here, everyone knows you on the first name basis and they know what you have done or what you are going to do on the day. This is probably the only Four Seasons hotel I know of that delivers this kind of personable experience. The assistant camp manager, Ajit, was always on the property to chat with you throughout the day. He's very passionate about the whole hotel, and will share with you a lot of interesting stories and history about the elephants, the camp itself and the area. Everyone here was extremely courteous, friendly and fun in the Thai way, i.e. they're always happy to chat with you and joke with you and always willing to go the extra mile to help you out. The room attendants, were on par with the Aman ninjas. Every time you step out for meals or activities, someone will freshen up your room, and you'd never see anyone going in/out of your room. Activities - 5/5 We stayed 4 nights here, so a wide range of activities were included. We did the elephant walk, golden triangle excursion, wine and cheese tasting, countryside biking, picnic in style and the hall of opium museum visit. The interactions with elephants were amazing, you can walk up and interact with them and learn the different personalities of them! All the other activities were also extremely well done. We also opted for the elephant camp dinner to celebrate our anniversary and we absolutely loved it, they'll have a nice surprise for you in store if you do go for it. Spa - 5/5 The massage room was open-air, and it had a gorgeous view! It's was a perfect way to enjoy a great massage in such a stunning environment. It truly is a one-of-a-kind spa treatment experience. F&B 5/5 THE THAI FOOD HERE IS AMAZING! Having been to Thailand countless times, I can say that the food here is the best we have ever had, and it's not an exaggeration by any means. We are itching to go back just to dine at the restaurant. The daily sundowner at Burma bar and the private bucket sundowner were a great way to wind down and enjoy the sunset views over Myanmar. Cocktails were pretty good and the free-flow wines were decent as well. Conclusion: At first look the rates do look steep. However, it's at an all-inclusive basis, incl all the drinks, meals and activities, and everything here was absolutely perfect. It's difficult to find a hotel with such good hardware, services, activities and most important amazing food. I'd argue that it's actually pretty decent value, especially considering the remote location and the small scale of the hotel. Also the hotel elephants always seemed to be in a relaxed and happy mood, I'd believe that the elephants at the foundation were being treated very well. This simply is one of the most memorably and extraordinary experience we have had, and we're extremely glad to have chosen to celebrate our wedding anniversary here. If you are reading this review, please absolutely do not hesitate and make a booking right away, you won't regret it. Many congratulations to Ajit and Ralph on doing such a great job managing this magnificent hotel.

The Four Seasons Tented Camp was a once-in-a-lifetime stay. Extremely expensive, of course, but worth it as a "bucket-list" stay. It's not a typical hotel or resort but more a safari-like, all-inclusive experience. Having said that, the "tents" are very much full-service luxury rooms with air conditioning and everything you can want. Mostly, though, the service is what distinguishes this place. Everyone tried to memorize our names and our dining preferences. The deputy manager even researched the company that made their dish-ware to share with my wife. They really went above-and-beyond. It's not something we could pull off every day, but it's a stay none of us will forget.

Having just left this exceptional property, I wanted to thank the entire team who made our stay so wonderful and share another glowing recommendation. The Four Seasons in the Golden Triangle is one of the world's most unique resorts. You will be greeted with and awed by the natural landscape along with the tents which were both rustic and elegant at the same time. We loved coffee on the private deck and outdoor showers overlooking the river and Myanmar beyond. We had several active and cultural outings to explore the local towns, markets and countryside. The Northern Thai people are living as they have for decades and seem happy and were very friendly to us as guests. The outdoor massage was the best I have ever had and the setting was unparalleled. The resort food was outstanding and we enjoyed a mix of Western staples and authentic Thai dishes. Aside from all these important attributes and experiences, the elephants and the staff really make the property exceptional. It was such an extraordinary experience to interact with the elephants in their sanctuary, during morning visits at breakfast, and to see them wandering around the property with their ‘mahouts’ the caretakers. They have been rescued and in turn their gentle giant souls awaken something in us. I send a heartfelt thank you to Poy and her entire team. We enjoyed time with so many people in our daily activities: Agit, Ne, Somkid, Norman, Rain, Bare, Eye, North, Ralph, Eff and then there were so many behind the scenes anticipating every need. We were consistently surprised and delighted. You will never meet such a happy and long-standing staff at any resort in the world! This is a property for your bucket list.