My husband and I just returned from the most fabulous 4 night honeymoon at the Four Seasons Tented Camp. If you are vacillating about whether or not to splurge on this super expensive resort, don't hesitate. It is completely and totally worth it!! You sleep under the clearest, star filled sky and wake up to the most incredible sunrises. You hear the beautiful sounds of nature (birds, elephants, river, wind, leaves rustling). This resort lets you experience nature while being pampered in 5 star fashion.

We were totally blown away by the level of detail that went into every aspect of the camp. From the well outfitted, luxurious tents that had leather bound furniture, dark wood and copper details to the delicious meals and cocktails and unique outdoor spa treatments. The staff knows everyone by name and is eager to cater to any request you have.

Since many details have already been covered by previous reviews, I will talk about the hightlights of our stay. Have breakfast at 8-8-30am and get to see elephants (and babies!!) returning from where they sleep in the jungle. If you want some free time to relax by the pool or book an extra excursion or activity such as a cooking class, you should book a 4 night stay. Take advantage of the sundowner snacks and cocktails at the Burma Bar every night. If you are interested in cooking, take a cooking class with the executive chef. He is so passionate and talented and will teach you how to recreate those delicious Thai flavors at home.

Tent #2, #13, #14 have the BEST views. Your preference will depend on if you'd rather be closer to the elephant camp/burma bar OR to the restaurant/pool. For us, #13 was IDEAL because we wanted to be further from the main restaurant area. #15 is the most private but it's right by the elephant camp and doesn't have river views.

The Four Seasons Tented Camp is put simply an episode of Fantasy Island come to life. From the moment you step off the plane in Chiang Rai, till you sadly board the outboard skiff to return back down the Mekong from whence you came, I was completely blown away by the sublime caliber of the service and experience. To call this just a 'hotel' or 'resort' is really to miss the point altogether. Unless you are related to Ernest Hemingway or Isak Dinesen, this place is absolutely unlike anything you could ever imagine or experience. The pictures on both the 4 Seasons Website and on this blog (while certainly attractive and were helpful in making my decision to honeymoon here) cannot do the camp justice. It needs to be experienced in person to be fully realized or believed.

Imagine staying in the most authentic, luxurious & hospitable lodge smack in the middle of the jungle. This is what the Tented Camp is like. While the maximum capacity of guests is about 30 (there are 15 tents total and while I have heard they allow families there were thankfully only couples here during my stay) there are almost 150 staff members!!! This is not an exaggeration. You really cannot lift a finger here without someone immediately popping up to help you. Its not in any bit annoying either. Its almost as if the excellent and warm staff has a 6th sense attuned to your every need. Unlike so many other 'high end' resorts I have stayed in around the world, any kind of resentment or attitude toward the guests is utterly absent here. The people employed by the camp take a bona fide interest in hospitality and in making sure you have a wonderful time.

We arrived via a short flight from bangkok and were greeted at the airport right on time by a staff member of the camp. Upon arrival in Chiang Rai, you are instantly whisked into a range rover, graciously given cold lemon grass scented towels and cold water to drink. The drive to the mouth of the mekong where u pick up your skiff is about an hour and very pleasant. Once you get to your boat, your luggage stays in the car (the road up to the camp is purportedly very bumpy and arriving by boat is so much cooler and more fun anyway) and after a very brisk 15 minute trip up the river you arrive at a small dock with a steep stairway leading up to the many sublime pleasures awaiting you over the course of your next 3 days.

As the 'mysteries' of the camp slowly reveal themselves over your short but fulfilling stay, I hesistate to report on every detail. I think its more fun to experience things the way we did--slowly learning your way around the camp and enjoying and experiencing the myriad pleasures as a surprise. Nevertheless as reading the descriptions of others on what they did hear influenced me to give this place a shot, I do want to include some brief details and pictures of what you will find at this resort.

The tents are simply gorgeous and appointed with an incredible and tasteful attention to detail. They will remind you of a ralph lauren safari advertisement.

The food is fantastic, with the choice of a western and thai menu at every meal. Both menus change daily and everything we had was delicious.

I will say the elephant training (this is depicted on the website) was unbelievably memorable and executed with such a high level of intimacy and respect for the natural environoment I was just amazed. Everyone who works here will treat you wonderfully. Some point over your stay you will undoubtedly meet Jason Friedman, the camp manager, who is so charming you will feel as if you are an honored guest in his own home (which you sort of are).

Another really special aspect of the resort is their classy gift shop. I walked in expecting to find sundries, magazines and inexpensive souvenirs but this was not the case. Rather, the shop is stocked with beautiful one of a kind hand crafted homeware made by Lotus Arts De Vivre. Again, we were so blown away by the quality and beauty of what we found in the shop we ended up purchasing an incredible candy dish that I know we will treasure for years and will serve as a meaningful reminder of our wonderful experience at the tented camp.

I really am hardly the sort to get so excited over a resort or hotel and cannot even believe I am taking the time to actually post a review. But there is something so magical about this place and my wife and I were treated so royally I felt compelled to share my experience and rave about the tented camp online.

Is it expensive? Absolutely. At just over 2k/day the tented camp is by far the most expensive resort we have ever stayed at. Nevertheless, it is not overpriced. We beleived this place was worth every penny. Everything is included (with the exception of an optional trip to Burma, which with private guide, transportation, visas, etc. comes out to a reasonable $300 or so) and the elephant experiences alone will be worth the cost of admission for many. My advice is if you want one of the most unique and unforgettable hospitality and eco-tourist experiences of your life, forget about the money and book a 3 night stay at the camp. You will not regret it.

PS i tried to include more photos but for some reason they werent uploaded. i think they were too big. If u need any, please dont hesistate to email me and I will send them to you.

Perhaps the most romantic hotel in the world. Your private limo wisks you from the Chiang Rai airport to a private long-tailed boat for a 10 minute trip to tented camp. Tented camp in name, but it's as if Ralph Lauren goes camping. The units are so incredibly furnished and laid out that you never want to leave them. But leave them you must because elephant driving lessons await, or perhaps a private boat trip down the Mekong, or Thai cooking lessons, or a massage in a spa where the rain forest music is, well, live. Food is sublime and available whenever you desire a meal, the staff is gracious beyond belief and the elephants are adorable. I am reluctant to rave about this spot because I want to return and there are only 15 units. If you ever wanted to experience the ultimate in tranquility this is the place.

This place is exceedingly expensive, but the Four Seasons pulls it off and make its worthwhile! The tents are amazing - they have both aircon and heating (heating is needed in December) and a wonderful free standing bath where you can relax and take in the views. The experience with the elephants is fantastic - a bit daunting when you first get up close but you soon realise that these gently beasts have done it all before and completely ignore you and your commands! Word of warning - we did a mornings training on commands and an afternoon trek along the river with the elephants, but some guests were only given the opportunity to do one of these two things. Insist on doing both - they are the highlight of your stay, and you will really be missing otherwise. The half day river trip to the Golden Triangle was ok, but could really be improved upon. Jason, the camp host, I found to be too over the top for my tastes - lots of people like him - but for me he was too gushing and didn't quite know when to leave guests on their own! The food was amazing - the best vegetarian Thai food I have eaten. The chef was very flexible and professional and would cook anything that you like if you request in advance. There is a lot of walking between restaurants and tents and bars and the spa - if you are not relatively fit then you may struggle a little. Overall, I'm still dreaming about the place