Royal Hills Golf Resort and Spa

Free WiFi is available in all rooms, and most rooms have air conditioning and free bottled water. Views vary from room to room, with mountain, garden and nature views across the resort, and some rooms have a balcony or terrace.

Several rooms have two single beds, and the House has a double bed and sleeps up to four guests. Bathrobes, toiletries and hair dryers are provided in several rooms, and some rooms have a refrigerator and an in-room safe box. Slippers and free bottled water are also provided in many rooms, and a kettle is available in some of them.

The resort has an outdoor swimming pool, a fitness centre, a spa with sauna and steam room, and massage treatments. On the golf side, there is a course on site, a second course within 3 km, a mini golf course and a driving range nearby.

Dining options include a restaurant, a bar, a coffee shop and room service, and a buffet breakfast is offered. Barbecue facilities and food delivery are also available. Guests can enjoy billiards, a game room, table tennis and karaoke, as well as a tennis court.

Free parking on site is available, and a shuttle service runs for guests. There is also a laundry service and a gift and souvenir shop.

Royal Hills sits in the hills of Sarika, in Muang Nakhon Nayok district, a green corner of central Thailand well away from the provincial town. The surroundings are forest, waterfalls and hillside temples, and the resort is set around a golf course within 3 km and grounds. Khun Dan Prakarn Chon Dam lies 5 km off, so the area is about countryside rather than streets, with hill country and forest all around the resort.

Sarika Waterfall is 2.4 km from the resort and Wat Tham Sarika is 3.3 km away, while Nang Rang Waterfall lies 3.4 km off. Khao Yai National Park, one of Thailand's best-known protected forests, is 17 km away and makes a full day out. Most of the sights are spread along country roads, so a car makes the trip easier, and the Mini-Zoo is close enough to visit on foot.

A good day could start with a round on the golf course or a swim at the outdoor pool, then a drive to Sarika Waterfall and Wat Tham Sarika in the afternoon. A trip to Khao Yai National Park needs a full day, so it works best as a separate outing from the waterfalls. The waterfalls run strongest in the rainy season, which is worth knowing if you want to see them at full flow.