Stay Wild & Cafe in Chiang Mai, Thailand
Thailand is slowly but surely green-lighting interprovincial travel. Bangkok residents, like this one, are rejoicing at the opportunity to escape the grey concrete jungle and immerse ourselves in nature for a couple days.
If this sounds like something you’re looking to do, we’d recommend heading over to Stay Wild & Cafe in Chiang Mai. The homestay is located in a lush forest and situated right next to a waterfall where you can literally go forest bathing.
Read on to see what else this homestay has to offer.
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Stay Wild & Cafe in Chiang Mai has limited phone service so you can fully disconnect
As the homestay’s name suggests, Stay Wild & Cafe is in the middle of a forest in Chiang Mai. Surrounded on all sides by abundant forests and located right next to a waterfall, guests will be as close to nature as one can hope. Plus, phone service is scarce here.Â
Image credit: Stay Wild & Cafe
While the spacious treehouse cafe and lounging area does have WiFi, the homestay’s staff have mentioned that guests may have a difficult time getting service when they’re in their rooms. So, don’t forget to clear your inbox before packing your bags.
Image credit: @sneakoutclub
Regardless of whether or not they have service, though, you’d probably be looking at anything but that tiny screen in your hands while unwinding in this secluded cabin adjacent to a waterfall.
Image credit: @n.e.w.ny
During your stay here, your front yard is a stream. So, instead of waking up to the sight of a tiny soi full of heavy traffic and honking cars, the first things you experience here are the minimalistic cabin’s neutral tones, the forest and its songs.Â
Image credit: Stay Wild & Café
Also, the villa has an outdoor tub where visitors can practice shinrinyoku, or “Forest Bathing”. The concept theorises that immersing yourself in nature and distancing ourselves from the hustle and bustle of the city can drastically lower our stress levels as well as reverse the effects of burnout.
What better place to forest bathe than in an outdoor tub in the middle of lush greenery?
Image credit: Stay Wild & Cafe
This modern cabin with floor-to-ceiling windows, a private terrace with a hammock-bed, and an outdoor bathtub is called the “Private Villa Top View” and starts from ฿3,000 (~USD92) per night.Â
Image credit: @teerapich
After months of staring at our screens, spending a couple days submerged in an outdoor tub where we can look out onto a waterfall sounds like the break we didn’t know we needed.
The homestay has a cafe that serves Northern dishes like Khao Soi
Of course, no vacation is complete without indulging in dishes we didn’t have to cook.
Image credit: @thanawin.s
Stay Wild & Cafe has got you covered with their treehouse-style dining area that serves popular favourites like Pad Thai, Pad See-Ew and Green Curry.Â
Image credit: Stay Wild & Café
They also got what’s arguably one of Chiang Mai’s best dishes: the drool-worthy and spice packed staple, Khao Soi. The dish is curried for hours along with seasoned chicken, and then topped with dry and crunchy-licious egg noodles and sprinkled with herbs.Â
Image credit: @thanawin_s
Guests can enjoy their meals in the open air seating area that has tables and chairs, or opt for sitting on traditional Thai cushions and eating off a lower table.
Image credit: Stay Wild & Café
If you’re not really feeling a meal, you could also get coffee and tea here. Better yet, you can even take it with you and sit in one of the cafe’s outdoor nest-like chairs for some quiet reflection time.
Image credit: ผมม้าพาเที่ยว
All in all, the homestay’s lodgings and cafe area is conducive towards healing through nature.
Perfect mountain escape from the city
You don’t have to be an environmental advocate like Greta Thunberg to fully appreciate nature, as well as how precious it is. Being stuck in the city for months is enough to remind us of its value.Â
With the months of emphasis on staying put and being productive in the face of the current situation, we think that spending a few days in the forest may be just what we need to push us into the next quarter with high spirits.
What better place to do it than at a homestay that offers limited phone service, complete immersion into nature and an outdoor tub?Â
Stay Wild & Cafe
Address: 3052 Kuet Chang, Mae Taeng District, Chiang Mai 50150
Telephone: +66 8 9441 6365
Stay Wild & Cafe Facebook | Google Maps
Cover images adapted from (Clockwise from left): @sneakoutclub, Stay Wild & Cafe, Stay Wild & Cafe
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