Unzip the canvas door and step out on the wood deck, cantilevered a handful of metres above the undergrowth in northern Thailand. Sweep one hand out to the milk-chocolate-coloured Ruak river, feeder to the mighty Mekong. Four Seasons Tented Camp Golden Triangle Thailand magical in both name and mystique.
The most agreeable way to reach this magical spot is fly to Chiang Mai, and stay at least one night at Four Seasons Resort Chiang Mai. Watch the resident water buffaloes work the paddy fields, acclimatise to Thai charm, take a hotel car for a four-hour scenic drive north to the 101-hectare Tented Camp. And yes, it is—with the exception of a three-room villa—all under canvas; designer American-born Bill Bensley is known, correctly, for hints of whimsy.
The 15 tents are all identical—54 square metres on big wood decks. One of them is conveniently nearest to “base camp,” reached by a 75-metre-long, attention-demanding, metre-wide path. A freestanding tub-on-legs is, together with a significant camp-style folding secretary desk, a focal point in the main room. Other ablution necessities are in appendages to one end of the tent. There’s a delightful hint of Indiana Jones at bedtime. It’s a battle with the ceiling-hung mosquito net, but somehow one gets into bed. Be prepared to be part of nature.
Elephants, even 30 metres below and far away, can sometimes be heard hollering or snoring—they only sleep for about four hours, invariably after midnight. There are raucous birds, and some nights, there may be a torrential
downpour. In the morning, find a way out of the mosquito net.
Dinner, precluded by a wine tasting, was four courses, international or Thai. Tom kha gai chicken and coconut soup, perhaps, with Monsoon Valley’s 2020 rosé from the Hua Hin vineyard owned by Red Bull heir Chalerm Yoovidhya. Breakfast is to be a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Dress in the mahout gear provided in the tent, put on a freshly laundered denim jacket and wrap-around trousers, and ready for breakfast with the elephants.
Down at the restaurant, resort manager Macall Newman, an African-American Studies and Spanish Language graduate, explains how she knows each elephant’s idiosyncrasies. A couple of mature males pad up, lean one side and then the other, in flip-flop fashion. It’s hard to do justice to a perfect omelette with smoked salmon when Linda and her significant other slowly lumber up, ready to siphon up tray after tray of small squash and cucumber. Fill ‘em up, non-stop. Selfies and laughter, non-stop.
During your stay, the all-inclusive pricing, by the way, offers a Walk with the Elephants experience led by Ton, a hill tribesman who learned his perfect English while drinking beer with foreigners. Elephants never forget. If they do not like you for any reason, they never will. They have long eyelashes but not good eyesight. Their hearing and sense of smell are exemplary. The main beauty need is monthly pedicures, effected with a saw: five nails on front feet, four on the back.
There is just enough time for your own beautification, perhaps a massage in the treetop spa. Just one additional moment, here at Four Seasons Tented Camp Golden Triangle, that you will never forget.
All images courtesy of Four Seasons Tented Camp Golden Triangle.
