Thailand has its own legendary railway history dating back to the early 1900s, when Bangkok urbanites hopped on the steel wheels to head out of the city on getaways to the beach or cooler climes.
More than 100 years later, a new resort designed by the incomparable Bill Bensley invites guests to dive into the essence of that era.
O InterContinental Khao Yai comprised of more than 65 suites and villas, includes a series of repurposed Thai train carriages that have been converted into luxury accommodations.
About a 2.5 hour drive from Bangkok, outside the Khao Yai National Park the resort's design was inspired by the early days of the Thai train and the region's history as a gateway to northeastern Thailand during the reign of King Rama V (1868 to 1910).
Guests are immersed in the past as soon as they enter reception. Located in a free-standing building that resembles a classic Thai train station, it is filled with suitcases, wooden benches, classic train parts, illustrations and historical photos.
The attention to detail is exceptional, although expected at any property bearing the name Bensley connected to her.
Words like extravagant and fanciful are often used to describe the Bangkok-based American's work – and with good reason. Bensley is unparalleled in her ability to let her imagination run wild in all the best ways. The result is properties that tell a story, with every detail a clever anecdote that adds to the pages.
Logistical challenges
In the case of the InterContinental Khao Yai, Bensley says his lifelong love of train travel impacted the design. He has traveled on many of the top luxury trains on several continents and spent a summer taking groups of seniors on coastal rail journeys across Canada.
When he came across a Thai train yard full of decommissioned trains, he had to act.
“I was looking at all these rusty train cars and I thought to myself, 'Oh my God, they're just there rotting… we really should be doing something with this,'” he recalls.
“Six months later, we were buying as much as we could… You don’t have to build everything from scratch,” he adds.
Then came the difficult part. Transporting a bunch of old, heavy, decaying trains into the resort's mountainous landscape proved to be as challenging as one might expect.
“We plan to take them on rails,” he says. But a sharp turn at the end of a road in the resort where they needed to place the wagons meant calling in extra help to finish the job.
“We hired a huge crane that must rise about 70 meters into the air. Then we flew the wagons and placed them on the slope. It was quite a day… It was a very expensive crane, but we managed to do everything in one day”, says Bensley.
In addition to luxury suites, the resort's repurposed carriages also house a spa, a kids' club, and three restaurants and bars – Poirot, Papillon and the Tea Carriage.
“Originally we thought all the carriages would be for accommodation, but as we started working with them we really fell in love with the idea of 'Murder on the Orient Express'. That’s how Poirot came about,” he says of the French restaurant overlooking Swan Lake.
Papillon, next door, is a jazz-themed speakeasy which serves strong cocktails and, on weekends, live music. The Tea Carriage is in another area of the beautifully landscaped resort, where guests can try a range of drinks such as iced coffees and a lovely afternoon tea.
/ Disclosure/InterContinental Khao Yai ResortBreakfast is served at Somying Kitchen, a spacious all-meal restaurant with booths resembling dining cars and bright blue and white interiors. Outside the restaurant, there is a small pool and the Terminus Bar, which also features traditional Thai train motifs.
Even if you can't stay in one of the repurposed train cars, the other rooms and suites are nothing to sneeze at. Each one, designed to look like a classic train carriage, is unique and features dramatic panels framing scenic wallpaper.
Guests are encouraged to go out into the national park – more on that below – but it's worth spending a time enjoying the resort.
The 19 hectares of InterContinental Khao Yai are filled with more than 30,000 trees and several lakes, the largest of which is occupied by several black and white swans – hence the name “Swan Lake”. Free bikes can be picked up on the lake trail, while there are plenty of places to sit and watch the swans pass by.
Khao Yai National Park
Although it's incredibly popular with Bangkokians looking for a weekend getaway to escape the city, Khao Yai isn't a top destination for foreign tourists, who tend to head to Thailand's beaches or Chiang Mai, the gateway entrance to the mountainous north.
The landscapes outside Khao Yai National Park are often compared to the Italian countryside and some of the resorts, cafes, restaurants and wineries fit this vibe.
There is only one internationally branded resort in the area other than the InterContinental, a Movenpick which features a castle-like hotel and an 18-hole golf course.
Visitors who really want to pursue that Italian getaway fantasy can head to Tuscany Valley – a mixed-use project featuring a replica of the Leaning Tower.
But essentially, Khao Yai remains a prime destination for nature lovers. Part of UNESCO-listed Dong Phayayen-Khao Yai Forest Complex, is the oldest national park in Thailand and is made up of more than 2,000 square kilometers of forest and grassland.
Hiking trails cater to a variety of abilities, with many offering access to beautiful waterfalls. Among the most famous is Haew Narok, from whom Leonardo DiCaprio's character jumped in the 2000 film “The Beach”.
Wildlife includes elephants, bears, gibbons, and tigers (although humans rarely spot the big cats). Park staff offer nighttime wildlife viewing tours, which can be booked at the visitor center.
Bensley says InterContinental's location near the national park is what drew him to the project in the first place.
“I'm a nature guy, so for me, being so close to the primary forest is really what makes me tick, being able to go into this park and see some of the few remaining wild elephants in Asia… that's definitely my favorite part. ”
Although most guests arrive by car, it is possible to take the train from Bangkok to Pak Chong Station, which is about 40-45 minutes from the resort.
In the future, Bensley says they want to organize weekend train travel during which costumed guests will play “Murder on the Orient Express.”
Guests, regardless of whether they are traveling to Khao Yai from Bangkok by car or train, may notice the construction of a section of elevated tracks – these are part of the Bangkok-Nakhon Ratchasima high-speed train route that will eventually head to Laos and the China.
As travelers start to dream of the years ahead when high-speed rail will make it easier to traverse the Thai countryside, it's good to know there's a resort that pays homage to the country's railway history, too.
InterContinental Khao Yai Resort: 262, Pong Talong Sub-District, Pak Chong District, Nakhon Ratchasima 30450; +66 (0)44 082 039; Rates from 8,700 baht (R$1306) per night.
Source: CNN Brasil
Johanna Foster is an expert opinion writer with over 7 years of experience. She has a reputation for delivering insightful and thought-provoking articles on a variety of subjects. Her work can be found on some of the top online news websites, and she is currently lending her voice to the world stock market.
