The Thailand that isn’t on the tour route
Baanpong Lodge sits 30km outside Chiang Mai, in working countryside. No tour buses, no shophouses selling elephant trousers — just trees and plants everywhere you look, a pool, a kitchen that cooks to order, and the village getting on with its day around you.
Thirty minutes is the whole point
Everything Chiang Mai is famous for is still within reach. What you leave behind is everything it has become famous for.
Out here the mornings are birdsong and cool air off the mountains. The food is what the kitchen actually cooks at home. The village gets on with its own day around you, and nobody will try to sell you a boat trip.
You are not on your own out here either. Expats who have settled in the valley, travellers who wanted the countryside, and Thai families up from the city all end up at the same few tables — which makes the bar rather better company than a hotel lobby in town.
When you do want the city, it is half an hour away — and the hot springs, the caves, the golf and the jungle trails are closer from here than they are from the Old City.
Four ways people use this place
Some stay a night, some stay a few weeks, and plenty never book a room at all.
Stay a few nights
Loft chalets and single-floor rooms from 32 to 65 square metres, plus a hand-built 80 square metre stone cottage.
Stay a few weeks
Long-stay guests, retirees and people working out what living in the Chiang Mai countryside actually costs. Longer stays cost less per night.
Drive out for the day
The pool, the swim-up bar and the restaurant are open to visitors. No room needed, and no need to book.
Take the whole place
Weddings, parties and gatherings around the pool, with the restaurant, the meeting room and the bar around it, the kitchen catering and the rooms on site.
What is actually here
Small enough that you will know the staff by name before you leave, with more to do than a place this quiet has any right to have.
- Outdoor swimming pool
- Rustic tiki bar & swim-up bar
- Thai and Western kitchen
- Hot tub
- Gym
- Pool table & arcade
- Event space
- Around the lodge
Rooms come with air conditioning, hot water, Wi-Fi, satellite TV, a fridge and a terrace.
The lodge itself is compact rather than sprawling — the walking is outside the gate. The village lake is a few minutes on foot, the mountain trails start not much further on, and the lanes through the village are worth an hour on their own.
The kitchen cooks to order
Thai food made the way the kitchen makes it for itself, and Western food for the nights you want something familiar. Tell the chef how you like it and that is how it arrives.
There is also a Texas smoker by the pool, which is why ribs, pulled pork and brisket are on the menu every day rather than once a month. Smoked here, low and slow, not bought in.
The whole menu is online with prices and photographs of the actual dishes — worth a look before you drive out, and the reason most day visitors come back.
Come out just for the day
Bring the family, swim all afternoon, eat lunch by the pool and drive home. It is the cheapest holiday in Chiang Mai and it takes half an hour to get to. Children welcome, and no need to book.
The hot tub and both bars are open to day visitors too — which is how a lot of afternoons out here turn into evenings.
What guests say
“The units are stylish and well-designed. The food at the restaurant was tasty and very affordable. Great poolside bar to relax beside if you don’t feel like going out.”
“This Lodge is wonderfully quiet. The staff attentive and efficient. If you are looking for a quiet, comfortable retreat, this place is wonderful.”
“Everything was very modern, worked well and was spotlessly clean. Staff was friendly, fluent in English, and helpful. Good Thai menu for dinner and they will cook to order.”
The honest answers
- How far out is it, really?
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About 25–30 km east of the old city, in San Kamphaeng. That is 20–25 minutes from the airport and 30–45 minutes into town depending on traffic. Far enough out to be quiet; close enough that the city is an easy trip when you want it.
- What does a room cost?
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Rates depend on the season and how long you stay — tell us your dates and we’ll send you a price. Longer stays cost less per night.
We would rather talk to you than publish a rate card that suits nobody. Coming for the day is simpler — there is a small fee if you want to use the pool, and nothing to arrange in advance.
- Do I need a car?
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No, but you need a plan. We can arrange an airport transfer (roughly 800–1,200 THB); Grab and Bolt run out here and into the city for about 450–650 THB each way. We can also arrange a motorcycle rental, which covers everything within twenty minutes of the lodge.
- Is there anything to do out there?
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The San Kamphaeng hot springs, Muang On cave, two golf courses, the Bo Sang umbrella village and a lot of jungle trail are all closer to us than they are to the city. Here is the list.
- Can I come out without booking a room?
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Yes. The pool, the hot tub, the bars and the restaurant all take day visitors, with no booking needed and a small fee if you want to use the pool. The menu is online.
- Do you cook Western food?
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Both, every day, and the chef cooks to order — so a table can have a proper Thai curry and a burger on it at the same time without anybody compromising.
- What if I want to stay for weeks?
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Plenty of people do. Longer stays cost less per night, and we have written up what living out here actually involves — costs, medical care, getting around and the weather.
97 Moo 8 T. Ontai, San Kamphaeng District, Chiang Mai 50130 · Google Maps
Tell us your dates
Send us when you are thinking of coming and what you need, and we will come back to you with a price. Or just pick up the phone — it is usually faster.