Baan Thao Kae

All the rooms at Baan Thao Kae have air conditioning. They go from a standard king room with a queen bed for up to two guests to a five-bedroom house that sleeps up to 16, with superior and twin rooms in between and a quadruple room for up to five guests.

The twin room with a balcony has two single beds for two guests, and the triple room has space for up to four guests with a private bathroom, a flat-screen TV and an electric kettle. The five-bedroom house is the choice for larger parties, with room for up to 16 guests.

Outdoors, the resort has an outdoor swimming pool, a children's swimming pool and a water park with slides and splash zones, along with a garden, a terrace and non-motorised water sports. Karaoke is also on site.

For meals, the resort has restaurants, a coffee shop, room service, food delivery, BBQ facilities and alternative meal arrangements, so guests can eat in their room as well as in the restaurants.

Daily services include housekeeping, laundry and ironing, a convenience store, lockers and meeting or banquet facilities. There is free parking, a family room, a doctor or nurse on call and 24-hour security. The terrace and the garden make it easy to spend a quiet afternoon outdoors between swims.

Baan Thao Kae sits in Wang Ban subdistrict of Lom Kao district, in the hills of Phetchabun province in central-north Thailand. The area is rural and quiet, a patchwork of small villages where life runs at an unhurried pace. Travellers who want space and greenery rather than a busy town will find it calm. Ban Mueang Baeng, a village, is just 200 m away.

The nearby sights are modest. Wat Si Mongkhon, a pagoda 3.5 km away, is one of the local temples, and Lom Kao Municipal Market, 6.3 km off, is where to find everyday food and goods. Phu Tap Boek, a mountain peak 6.8 km away, is the furthest of the three.

A good day could start with a walk through the garden and a swim in the outdoor pool, then a trip to Wat Si Mongkhon or to the market in Lom Kao for supplies, and an afternoon at the peak of Phu Tap Boek. Guests who stay for longer can use the time to see the villages around Lom Kao at a slower pace.