Phu Chaisai Mountain Resort — bamboo cottages atop Doi Mae Salong where you wake to a sea of mist
If you want to escape the city and sleep in a bamboo cottage on a mountaintop, then open your door to a sea of mist and endless green ridges, Phu Chaisai Mountain Resort is the place many travellers keep in mind. It's a 4-star boutique resort atop Doi Mae Salong Nai in Mae Chan district, with around 33 thatched bamboo cottages scattered across the hillside among herb gardens, plus an infinity pool with mountain views, a bamboo spa, and horse riding and hiking. From approx. THB 2,200/night.
What sets Phu Chaisai apart from most Chiang Rai resorts is that it really is on a mountaintop. The resort clings to the ridge of Doi Mae Salong Nai, with thatched bamboo cottages stepping down the hillside, surrounded by herb gardens and bamboo groves. From Chiang Rai town it's about an hour and a half of climbing, the last stretch winding and steep — but what you get on arrival is quiet and a 360-degree mountain view you won't find from any in-town stay. This is a place for people who come to be with the mountain, not to use as a base for darting around the city.
The roughly 33 cottages are stand-alone, built almost entirely from bamboo and natural materials. They run from the Mountain Cottage (35 sqm) up to the White Pool Villa and Grand Pool Villa (100 sqm) with a private plunge pool on the balcony facing the mountains. Reviews agree on the warm, nature-blended feel of the bamboo cottages — canopied beds, wooden floors and a balcony to catch the cool breeze. Just understand that the cottages are open and close to nature, so some have insects, geckos or night-time animal sounds, as mountain stays tend to.
"We opened the door in the morning to a sea of mist below the cottage, so quiet you could only hear birds. We sat with coffee on the balcony watching the mountains for an hour and never got bored."
The heart of the resort is its infinity pool whose edge runs out to the mountain ridges — the most-photographed spot in the reviews, especially in the morning before the mist clears. There's also a bamboo spa set in the garden, praised in many reviews for both the massage and the open mountain-facing setting. Activities up here are unhurried: horse riding for the views, hiking, cycling, and strolling the resort's own herb garden. It suits people who want to take it slow rather than chase big-ticket activities.
On food, breakfast draws the most praise — served by a koi pond in the garden, with some produce from the herb garden and local Mae Salong ingredients, and the picture of eating breakfast in the mist comes up often. The consistent note across reviews, though, is that dinner doesn't shine as much as breakfast, and because the resort sits on a mountaintop there's almost nowhere else to eat nearby, so you mostly dine in-house. Anyone staying should set expectations on dinner options before they arrive.
Service earns praise for warm, friendly staff who help arrange activities and suggest routes around the mountain. Beyond the insects and dinner, the complaints that come up are that some cottages are showing their age, the shower pressure is weak in places, and the resort's walkways are steep up-and-down slopes. Anyone with limited mobility or travelling with older relatives should ask for an easy-access cottage at the time of booking.
Honestly, Phu Chaisai is not a polished, slick resort like an in-town hotel. Its charm is the bamboo cottages, the closeness to nature and a mountain view that's hard to come by — which comes with trade-offs in comfort and the drive up. If you want a pristine room, icy air-con and shops within walking distance, it may not be for you. But if you're after a bed in the mountains, mornings that open onto a sea of mist, a soak in the pool looking at the ridges, and you can accept the rawness of a bamboo cottage — Phu Chaisai delivers an experience worth the trip and one you'll remember.
A tip from reading the reviews: come in the late-rains-to-cool season (Nov–Jan) for the best chance of a morning sea of mist and pleasantly cool mountain air. Ask for a mountain-facing cottage and check which ones have been recently renovated before booking. Allow daytime hours for the drive up because the road is winding — and if you're not used to mountain driving, let the resort arrange a transfer for peace of mind.
Summary from Booking & Agoda
- ✓ A mountaintop location with gorgeous mountain views and a morning sea of mist
- ✓ Bamboo cottages with a natural feel — quiet and genuinely relaxing
- ✓ Infinity pool and bamboo spa amid mountain views
- ✓ Great breakfast in a lovely setting by the koi pond in the garden
- ! It's up a mountain — the winding, steep road is far from town and restaurants
- ! Cottages are close to nature, so some have insects and geckos
- ! Dinner doesn't shine as much as breakfast, with limited food options
- ✓ A one-of-a-kind bamboo-cottage atmosphere in the mountains
- ✓ Warm staff who help with activities and mountain routes
- ✓ A range of activities — horse riding, hiking, herb-garden walks
- ✓ Ideal for slow, nature-close relaxation
- ! Some cottages are ageing and shower pressure is weak in places
- ! Steep resort walkways — not convenient for older guests
- ! You mostly dine in-house, with no other restaurants nearby
- 💡If you want a pristine room, cold air-con and shops within walking distance — this is a bamboo cottage up a mountain, close to nature with the odd insect → an in-town Chiang Rai hotel will suit you better.
- 💡If you're not comfortable driving up mountains or are travelling with older relatives — the road up is winding and steep and the resort walkways are sloped → have the resort arrange a transfer and ask for an easy-access cottage at booking.
- 💡If you're particular about dinner — there are no other restaurants around and dinner isn't as strong as breakfast → set expectations on dining in-house and pack some snacks you like.