We have just returned from our wonderful trip to Thailand. The highlight of our trip was outspokenly the area of Kachanaburi in the Monchailai Forest Retreat. Arriving at the property was like entering into an amazingly beautiful forest, a huge jungle with bamboo trees all over the place. The only sounds capturing your ears are coming from birds and the cracking of the trees. If you are searching for relaxation and becoming one with the nature, this is without any doubt the place to be. Located on the riverside, you can walk down through a small path or you could enjoy the natural spring water swimming pool. The breakfast was delicious and the service very friendly, although body language was more the case than spoken English. The rooms are beautifully designed with wood works, very clean and neat and a bathroom every woman can dream of. The area is rich in things to visit from waterfalls to elephant ridings, rafting on the river or a visit to the Tiger Temple.
We also had the opportunity meeting the owner; who spends a lot of time with his guests and really cares about making his guests satisfied.
One thing we would recommend future visitors is to hire a car once arriving in Kachanaburi, as taxi’s charge a lot for the one-hour ride and you will definitely need it as busses & trains stop at 5 pm and in the area they do not have the rental service.
After our stay in Monchailai Forest Retreat, we also tried Monchailai River retreat which was another unique experience; both properties in a very different style. From the jungle to the boathouse. We highly recommend both properties, only make sure you organize own transportation, as otherwise you will be walking a lot and loosing beside the kilo’s also the opportunities of visiting the area.

This place was amazing!
Initially i was a little unsure as when our Bangkok taxi driver took us down the little dirt road to the retreat, he started to tell us it looked dangerous and was too close to Burma. In fact, he was clearly a city man and didn't have a clue.
The retreat is miles from Burma, perfectly safe and near enough (but far enough away) to other resorts that you are not completely isolated.
The staff were incredible and attentive at all times and the front of house manager, Win, spoke amazing English. He arranged all our tours and took us out on every one himself. He was well informed about each place we visited and every recommendation he made was excellent. He even haggled on ticket prices on our behalf without us asking! The highlights were the hot spring and fish spa across the river, hellfire pass and the many waterfalls in Kanchanburi.
The resort itself was everything i'd hoped. Quiet, relaxing and secluded. The food was great and being a vegetarian they cooked off menu for us every meal time to ensure we had variety. The room was beautiful furnished with handcrafted wooden furniture and the bed was very comfortable. This was the perfect getaway!

The room was clean. The staff were nice. However, this hotel lacked a wow factor. We were allocated a mountain view room. There was no mountain view due to the tall trees growing directly in front of our room. Even from the main area it was difficult to view the spectacular river. The garden seemed overgrown and was not up to its potential. There were many steps to get to this room. The bed was hard. There was pleasant enchanting music playing throughout the forest when we arrived but at night this turned into unharmonious western music which made it difficult to get an early nights sleep. The airconditioning was good but it may have also been responsible for the excruciating noise possibly made by the compressor that woke us up early in the morning. I wanted this hotel to be so good but sadly this hotel was lacking in many areas.

We set out from Bangkok to visit the Tiger Temple in Kanchanaburi and found our very own garden of Eden. The Mom Chailai Forest resort truly lives up to the promises made on the web site. Set in a forest glade, high up on the banks of the Kwai River, the setting is one of pristine natural beauty, lovingly tended by the staff. The accommodation, (all with names such as Forest Charm and Forest Kiss) is quite remarkable, ranging from luxury suites to larger cottages, all set within the forest glade. Each one has it's own little fenced off garden area for relaxing. the interiors are all different, but the natural theme is the same, using Ingeneously designed furniture made from old wooden farm implements or drift wood. All the bathrooms are designed to give the feeling of the outdoors, with artistic usage of stone, wood and greenery. There is even a bamboo shower with rain water for real nature lovers.
Facilities/activities available seem to be endless. Just ask and it appears. Bicycles are provided and are a great way to get around the retreat. Star gazing is a must and the staff are keen to show off their sky at night. After a day at the tiger temple, elephant riding or rafting on the river, dinner is served. The combination of fresh local produce, fish from the river, a good chef and eating outdoors with a candelabra on the table for light is truly a dream like experience. Mom chailai is not just a bed for the night it is a big bit of heaven right here on earth and certainly deserves a 5 star rating. We met the owners, who described their vision when planted the first sapling trees here 20 years ago. they called it 'natures breath' and so it is.