We live in the age of experience, indeed of experience, in which everything from buying bread to visiting the bottom of the ocean must be new, unique and, if possible, the prerogative of a lucky few. However, since there are very few places left to discover, the tourism sector tries to find solutions to always experience something different, starting with accommodation. From tents hung on cliffs, to capsules in the desert, to planes and trains parked in the jungle and renovated with the greatest possible luxury, the only limit is your imagination and budget.
For those people who plan a trip to Southeast Asia and are looking for this type of experience, an option that cannot escape them is without a doubt the new InterContinental Khao Yai Resort, at the gates of the Khao Yai National Park, in Thailand, at about two and a half hours drive from Bangkok. The hotel has been created by recovering some old wagons that were placed in the middle of the jungle, among elephants, tigers, flowers and rare tropical fruits.
When we talk about the link between the world of fine hospitality and the world of railways, our mind goes straight to the iconic Orient Express. The Intercontinental Khao Yai, however, does not move on the tracks, instead it occupies one hundred acres of land where five lakes act as a mirror for locomotives transformed into luxury suites. The architect of this fascinating project is the well-known American architect and interior designer Bill Bensley, a convinced ambassador of local crafts and a sincere lover of trains, who knew how to have fun recreating a romantic and distant atmosphere.
The concept pays homage to the golden age of rail travel in the early 20th century, when Khao Yai was a must-see in northeast Thailand. The resort is brimming with themed memorabilia: mountains of vintage trunks, whistles, timetable signs and a traditional stationmaster’s bell, the sound of which signals the arrival of guests, a miniature museum packed with antiques and train-related curiosities, from floor to ceiling.
“Collecting objects for this project was an adventure in itself,” says Bensley, who also confesses his favorite: a giant map from the 1920s showing all the seasons in the country. As with any self-respecting journey, the first step is to buy the ticket, which takes place in a reception that looks like the classic ticket offices of the beginning of the 20th century.Once they have obtained their ticket, that is, the wooden card that opens the door, guests are escorted to their room .
The property, which opened its doors in mid-2022, consists of a central building with 45 rooms decorated in a railway style, as well as 19 impressive suites and villas, housed in restored and adapted carriages. Each suite car features a unique design and is named after a different destination: Hanoi, Kuala Lumpur, Singapore, Saigon and all the cities served by the railway during the reign of Rama V, the ruler who endowed Thailand with a railway system. modern, making the country an important crossroads for those traveling in Asia in the late 19th and 20th centuries.
Bensley went hunting for old wagons all over the country; some had remained unused for more than 50 years and had been almost completely engulfed by trees and, after restoration, some of these plants were preserved to exemplify the project’s connection to nature. Of the 19 carriages available, 12 measure 47 square meters, with the bedroom located at one end, the lounge with a minibar at the other, and a bathroom in the center. A door in the bedroom leads to a sleek outdoor bathtub, while the living room opens onto a terrace with a daybed and desk, and the rainforest as a backdrop.
To achieve the feeling of actually traveling on board a train, the suites are adorned with elaborate panels and panoramic wallpapers that replace the car windows. Added to this are custom-made fabrics and lighting designed to simulate natural light. However, the ultimate luxury experience is found in the four 116-square-meter private villas, plus a 223-meter presidential one, all equipped with private pools and splendid panoramic views of the lakes populated by swans and colorful tropical fish.
No less evocative are the common areas, all imbued with the same elegant nostalgia and inserted inside carriages that also have an outdoor terrace. Thus we find a spa area, a heated swimming pool, a restaurant open all day, the Papillon jazz bar, with cocktails that evoke sophisticated first-class travel, a kids’ club, the tea car and a refined bistro called Poirot, in homage to to the detective who solved the Agatha Christie Murder on the Orient Express case. Here the traveler will be able to savor succulent French-style dishes.
The InterContinental Khao Yai project is not only glamorous, but also has a clear vocation for sustainability, from the recovered wagons, to the exclusive use of local materials, through the reduction of plastic and the effort to eliminate waste in the kitchen . The resort aims to be a model of hospitality in what has always been a beloved destination for royalty, dating back to the ancient Khmer and Siamese empires, and is now visited by Thais and foreigners alike.
The organization also offers various activities to explore the surroundings, as well as Thai dance classes, yoga or sessions with a local healer, for which the resort’s general manager, James Sutcliffe, considers a stay at the InterContinental “an adventure without limits that allows you to bring a deep knowledge of the place, with an awareness of what luxury means for the demanding modern traveler.” Of course, you can also simply enjoy the sunset, dreaming of sailing through tropical landscapes aboard an elegant steam train from the last century.To each his own experience.
