The Natural Garden Resort — a hillside fruit-orchard resort where you wake up to the Soi Dao mountains and morning mist
Picture waking up in a room, opening the balcony doors and finding the Soi Dao mountains draped in a thin veil of mist, durian and longan trees all around, then strolling a few steps to the garden cafe for a warm coffee to sip while the cool mountain breeze drifts past — The Natural Garden Resort is a small fruit-orchard resort on a hillside in the Khao Soi Dao area, Thap Sai sub-district, Pong Nam Ron district, Chanthaburi, which the owners grew out of the family's fruit orchard into a place to stay surrounded by nature · what guests talk about most is the mountain views that look lovely both morning and evening, the quiet, peaceful atmosphere, and the wide grounds you can wander through all day · rooms range from mountain-view rooms with a balcony to garden villas, pool villas and a glamping camping zone, from around THB 1,500/night · scored 8.8/10 on Trip.com and 4.1 out of 5 on TripAdvisor
The Natural Garden Resort overview — who it suits — to put it as briefly as possible, The Natural Garden Resort is a resort for people who want to escape the bustle and be among nature up in the hills somewhere quiet — it is not a beachfront resort and not a hotel in central Chanthaburi · it sits on a hillside in the Khao Soi Dao area, Thap Sai sub-district, Pong Nam Ron district, which is the mountain zone in the east of the province, a fair distance from town and about 280 kilometres from Bangkok · the selling point is the wide grounds, several dozen rai of genuine fruit orchard — durian, longan, mango, mangosteen and tamarind — set against the backdrop of the Soi Dao mountains · the voices in real reviews line up on who this place suits: couples after a peaceful atmosphere, families bringing kids to run around the garden and swim in the pool, groups of friends who want to camp and catch the mountain breeze, and seminar or outing groups that need private, well-organised space · who it may not suit is anyone wanting the full range of facilities of a city hotel, wanting to walk easily to restaurants and convenience stores, or coming to Chanthaburi for the beaches and city food, because this place is far out and getting around takes a private car · put simply, it is a place to "come and relax with mountain views," not a place to "use as a base for exploring town"
Location and getting there — first you should understand that Khao Soi Dao and Pong Nam Ron district lie in the north-east of Chanthaburi province, next to the Cambodian border, a zone of mountains and fruit orchards rather than coastline · the resort is at 175/3 Moo 8 Soi 14, Thap Sai sub-district, on a hillside with a wide view of the Soi Dao mountains · from central Chanthaburi it is about a 1 to 1.5 hour drive along the route, and from Bangkok about a 4.5 to 5 hour drive · popular nearby spots people go on to include Soi Dao Highland golf course around a 10 min drive, and Soi Dao Waterfall around 20 minutes, plus a wildlife breeding station close by, a few minutes' walk away · Pong Nam Ron Hospital and the district office are about a 10 min drive · an important note reviews mention often is that this place is fairly far out and you really need a private car, because there are no convenience stores or restaurants within walking distance of the resort and getting here by public transport is all but impossible — if you are not driving yourself, plan for a transfer or a rental car in advance · on the flip side, that very remoteness is the reason the atmosphere stays quiet and the air cool and pleasant all day
"The drive out of town is a bit long, but once you arrive it's well worth it. Wake up in the morning, open the balcony and there's a sea of mist and the mountains, the air so cool you don't need the AC, and the kids can run around the garden all day. Genuinely peaceful."
Room types and decor — The Natural Garden Resort has around 22 rooms and villas spread across the garden grounds, in several styles to choose from by budget and taste · starting with the Deluxe with Terrace and the Deluxe Mountain View, the standard rooms, available with either a king or twin beds and a balcony to sit out and take in the view · stepping up are the Garden Villa, a separate cottage in the garden, and the Pool Villa, around 40 sqm with a king bed, for those who want more privacy · and what sets this place apart from other resorts in Chanthaburi is the camping/glamping zone, good-spec tents with comfortable beds and electricity, ideal for anyone who wants to sleep close to nature in the mountain breeze while still being comfortable · every room has air conditioning, a fridge and minibar, a flat-screen TV with satellite channels, free Wi-Fi, and a private bathroom with a shower and toiletries · the decor leans simple and in tune with nature, using wood tones and earth colours — not luxurious but clean and warm · many reviews praise the rooms as clean and the balcony views as lovely, especially rooms and villas facing the mountains · at the same time, a few voices say the beds in some rooms are rather firm and the finish in places is simple in the style of an upcountry resort — anyone expecting five-star hotel luxury should adjust their expectations here
Facilities and the pool — the highlight people mention most is the outdoor pool, set amid the garden with the mountains as a backdrop · the pool has several depths (with a deep section of around 2 metres and up), so it suits both kids splashing about and adults wanting a cool-down soak — plenty of reviews say children love it and play in it all day · besides the pool there is a garden cafe / coffee camp, a popular chill-out spot serving coffee and drinks with mountain views, with lounge corners and a fireplace for cool evenings · there is a massage/spa service to unwind, bikes to borrow for a ride around the garden, and wide grounds for strolling among the fruit trees · for groups and organisations, the place has meeting rooms and activity space for seminars, team building, walk rallies and parties, an area the resort designed specifically to host groups · there is free Wi-Fi in the common areas and free parking · one thing worth knowing is that, sitting up in the hills amid the garden, there may be some insects or dust as nature has it, and at times the garden lights are fairly bright — some reviews say you can't fully see the stars, so if you want to stargaze you may need to pick a spot away from the lights
Food and the cafe — the resort has its own restaurant open for breakfast, lunch and dinner, serving Thai and international food · most guests who book a room get breakfast included in the price, which many reviews praise as tasty and freshly served · since there are no restaurants within walking distance of the resort, eating your main meals on site is the most convenient option — many reviews speak well of the restaurant's food quality and say the kitchen team is happy to adjust dishes on request · the one thing to allow for is that when the resort is busy or hosting a group, ordering a la carte in the morning before ten o'clock can be slow or have limited choices, as some reviews note, so if you get very hungry early it is best to go down during the normal breakfast hours · besides the restaurant, the garden cafe is another star, ideal for a morning coffee in the mist or a lounge by the pool in the afternoon · being in fruit-orchard country, in some seasons the resort has fresh fruit from the garden to try, which is the charm of staying on a real fruit orchard up in Khao Soi Dao · anyone who wants snacks to keep in the room should buy them in town or at a convenience store before heading up the hill, as buying anything outside the resort is hard
Service — service is a point that earns fairly consistent praise in real reviews · on Trip.com the service category sits at around 9.2 and cleanliness around 9.3, which is high for a small upcountry resort · staff and the owners are described as friendly, attentive and good at helping with various activities, especially when you come as a group or family · many say it feels more like staying at a relative's home than a hotel, because the care is quite personal · to be straight about it, a few voices in reviews say that when there are fewer guests or it's off-season, some aspects of the service may be less consistent than at peak, and signage / English-language information is limited, which may be less convenient for foreign travellers coming on their own · overall, service remains a strength that keeps people coming back to stay again
Voices from real reviews (praise and gripes) — gathered from Trip.com, TripAdvisor and other booking platforms, the picture that emerges is fairly consistent · on the praise side: the Soi Dao mountain views that look lovely both morning and evening, especially the morning mist; the quiet, peaceful atmosphere and cool, pleasant air; the wide grounds you can stroll through; the pool kids love; good-quality food and restaurant; friendly, caring staff; and the variety of accommodation from standard rooms to pool villas and camping · TripAdvisor rates the location category as high as 4.5/5 and value 4.3/5 · on the watch-out side: the thing mentioned most is the long distance and the need for a private car, with no shops within walking distance · next come firm or uneven beds in some rooms and loud AC in some rooms, cleanliness in spots that a few reviews flag mildly, service that's inconsistent when there are few guests, limited signage / English information, garden lights bright enough that you can't fully stargaze, and some dust/insects as the nature of a hillside spot · most of these gripes come with being a nature resort in a remote area, rather than being major problems that leave people disappointed
"Genuinely lovely views, sweet staff, tasty food, good value · the only downsides are that the bed in the room was a touch firm and the AC was loud. Next time I'll try sleeping in a tent instead — I want to wake up in the mountain breeze."
Price and value compared — room rates start at around THB 1,500/night for a deluxe room at standard pricing (about US$47 on Trip.com, with an average rate of around US$53) and climb from there by room type · garden villas and mountain-view rooms sit in the middle, while the pool villa — the best room — is at the top of the resort's range, around THB 3,000 and up depending on season · the camping zone is the budget-friendly option for anyone who wants to sleep in the mountain breeze on a light budget · compared with mountain-view stays in the same zone, rates at this level are very good value for the views and space you get, especially if you come as a family or group of friends who can split the cost of a villa, and you still get breakfast included along with use of the pool and the wide garden · TripAdvisor rates the value category at 4.3/5, reflecting that most people feel they get their money's worth · the caveat is you have to factor fuel and travel time into the equation too, because all in, coming here suits people who plan to stay several nights rather than just one
Things to know before you book — a few things help make the stay go more smoothly · one, get your private car ready and fill the tank before heading up the hill, because there is no petrol station or convenience store nearby and the route is a mountain road · two, if you are a light sleeper or sensitive to noise, ask about the AC noise and request to try a different room if you get one with loud AC · three, if you want full mountain views, specify a room or villa facing the mountains when you book · four, buy spare food and supplies to bring in the car from town, as buying anything outside is hard · five, the cool season (November–February) has the coolest air and the best chance of catching a sea of mist in the morning, the popular time that you should book ahead for · six, if you come as a group or want to run a seminar / team building, contact the resort directly to book the space and arrange activities in advance · seven, check the fruit season — if you want to come when there is durian or fresh fruit from the garden, around May–July is the eastern region's fruit season
Summary — from all the real reviews, The Natural Garden Resort is the resort that suits best anyone who wants to get away and relax with Soi Dao mountain views in a quiet fruit-orchard setting · the misty mountain views in the morning, the pool in the garden, the chilled-out cafe, the variety of stays from standard rooms to pool villas and camping, plus food and service that earn praise, make it good value from a starting rate of around THB 1,500/night · if you are looking for a city-centre stay within walking distance of restaurants and food, want five-star hotel luxury, or are coming to Chanthaburi for the beaches, this may not be the answer, and you should consider a stay in town or on the coast instead · but for a relaxing trip where you want to be among nature in the hills, breathe cool air and take things slowly with family or someone you love — The Natural Garden Resort answers that well at an accessible price, and it's why its review scores stay consistently good
Summary from Booking & Agoda
- ✓ Soi Dao mountain views look lovely morning and evening; quiet, peaceful atmosphere
- ✓ Wide fruit-orchard grounds, good for strolling and letting kids run around
- ✓ Pool in the garden and a chilled-out cafe with mountain views
- ✓ Food and service earn praise; friendly staff
- ! Far out; you need a private car, no shops nearby
- ! Beds in some rooms are rather firm; loud AC in some rooms
- ! Signage and English-language information are limited
- ✓ Good value for the mountain views and space you get
- ✓ Varied accommodation, from standard rooms to pool villas and camping
- ✓ Cool, pleasant air; ideal for a multi-night stay
- ✓ Handles seminar groups, team building and families
- ! Service can be inconsistent when there are few guests off-season
- ! Garden lights are bright enough that you can't fully stargaze
- ! Some dust and insects, as the nature of a hillside spot
- 💡If you don't have a private car — the resort is up in the hills far from town, with no shops or public transport around → you'll need to drive yourself or arrange a transfer, and fill the tank / buy snacks to bring before heading up the hill
- 💡If you want five-star hotel luxury — this is a simple nature resort; the beds in some rooms are firm and the AC is loud in some rooms → set your expectations on the views and the atmosphere, or pick the pool villa, which is the best room
- 💡If you're coming to Chanthaburi for the beaches and city food — this place is in the mountain zone on the Pong Nam Ron side, far from the beaches and town → consider a stay in town or on the Kung Wiman beach side instead