The camp lies 45 miles north of Chiang Rai and about a four-hour drive from Chiang Mai. Guests begin the journey with a ride in a traditional long-tail boat along the Mekong and Ruak Rivers, and a camp host looks after each stay. Only guests aged nine and over are admitted.
Each tent is set on a wooden deck above the jungle, with views of the river and the hills of Myanmar. Bill Bensley Design envisioned the tents, which recall the 19th-century adventurers, with vintage furniture, thatched roofs, Thai textiles and teak, and every tent has its own decoration. Baths are built into the living area, and there is an outdoor rain shower, or a handcrafted wooden tub on the deck in some tents. The Explorer Lodge stands at the far end of the camp, with 232 square metres, two bedrooms with their own bathrooms and a private pool on the deck.
Dining is part of the stay and follows the cooking of Thailand, Laos and Myanmar, with Western dishes alongside. Camp Chef Sirintip Sianglert, known as Chef Ning, leads a jungle-to-table kitchen. Burma Bar serves cocktails at sunset over the river basin, and a thatched-roof wine cave holds a daily tasting and a private wine-pairing dinner. Evenings can include a northern Thai dinner with dance and Lanna drums, after a krathong-making session.
The days are for excursions. Guests can watch Asian elephants in their natural habitat, join local fishermen on the Ruak, or travel to Chiang Rai's White Temple and to Wat Huay Pla Kung with its nine-storey golden pagoda. The open-air spa sits in a bamboo forest and combines Thai, Laotian and Burmese traditions, with a herbal compress massage and a bamboo massage among the treatments. The camp can arrange transfers to Four Seasons Resort Chiang Mai, by road or private helicopter, and a private cruise on the Mekong to Luang Prabang.
The camp suits couples and older children who want an adventure with the comforts of Four Seasons.
