Our new, traditionally-styled Thai pool villa, Green Gecko, is now available! The villa stands on independent grounds with its own swimming pool. Full details on this exciting new house may be found. Privacy is assured at your own Villa in the midst of the rice paddies! Just relax at this rural retreat, or adventure into the traditions of the surrounding villages. The Thai house gardens. Gecko Villa is set in over 60,000sqm of private grounds, with a walled garden, fish ponds, and orchards where we grow a large variety of mango, banana, passion fruit and other plants including chilies, papaya, galangal, Thai basil, lemongrass, herbs and more... The house itself consists of several separate buildings set around a private garden and linked by wooden verandahs and decks. These also lead to the private swimming pool that is set into the deck at the same level. The house has a large air-conditioned Master Bedroom with a teak, King sized bed, en suite W.C. sink, and adjoining garden shower. Its private verandah also boasts a hammock in which to laze under the fragrant frangipani flowers. The second air-conditioned King-bedded bedroom enjoys views over the garden and swimming pool towards the rice fields, and has an en suite W.C. and shower. A third, fan-cooled king bedroom shares this bathroom with the second bedroom. Relaxation at the villa. The large air-conditioned living dining room offers satellite TV (BBC, CNN, TV5 etc.), a DVD/CD player and sound system, and a selection of DVD films and books. Water hyacinth sofas and armchairs with comfortable cushions, as well as cotton futons, offer plenty of space to relax in comfort, whilst the large indoor dining table is just the place to enjoy indoor meals and conversations. Further extensive wooden decks and outdoor hardwood tables, chairs and benches also permit guests to enjoy outdoor meals, or to relax with a drink al fresco. Should you wish to access the internet at the villa, we have a notebook available which offers wireless internet connectivity at inexpensive rates. Thai cuisine the Villa kitchen. As self-catering holidays often tie you to the kitchen, at Gecko Villa we prepare and serve all your meals for you, free of charge. We will also be happy to show you how to make Thai and Isaan dishes. The Villa has a fully equipped kitchen with refrigerator, freezer, toaster, kettle, coffee maker, microwave, hobs and oven. The kitchen is separated into a formal Western style kitchen and an open-air Thai kitchen, set off a spacious balcony. Barbecues can be arranged here. Your private swimming pool. Your own tranquil swimming pool is finished in hand-made tiles, in mottled hues of green from celadon to emerald. Sun loungers allow you to simply lie back and soak up the tropical sun. Service at Gecko Villa - relax enjoy your holiday! The property and grounds are serviced daily. We understand that you are on a well-earned vacation and we will do our best to make our house your Thai home. If you would like to see and experience local lifestyles and traditions, do let us know (and please do have a look a our page!). Should you prefer privacy - again, just inform us! For more complete details on the villa, your arrival and the family which will look after you, please visit our. To find out more about traditional Thai houses in rural Northeast Thailand, click. For a floorplan, please click. For guest comments, please see below. Reviews Testimonials. Having visited Thailand twice before, it was a real pleasure to visit Gecko Villa! Your hospitality was superb and we felt like part of the family. We particularly enjoyed seeing lifestyles that have fast disappeared elsewhere and feeling really welcome. We will not hesitate to recommend you! Undoubtedly Gecko has been the highlight of our last two trips and will certainly be so of the next. Had a great time! Loved the garden shower and the bedroom! Can now make some som tam and spicy beef - but eating it here we miss the atmosphere of Gecko! Good luck to you both. An inimitable experience. We look forward to coming back and to meeting you all againit'll be a case of visiting old friends. www.smarttravelasia.com For a back-to-nature away-from-it-all escape in Thailand's Northeastern province of Isaan (bordering Laos), the Gecko Villa, set amidst rice fields and cattle farms, is an option. Located in Amphoer Prajak Sinlapakom, in Udon Thani, the resort is very much in the local Thai style, constructed on stilts, but with air-conditioned bedrooms and living rooms and a private swimming pool finished in hand-made tile. There are no set menus at this three-villa resort. Guests state their craving and the chefs will prepare it. Learn Thai cooking, visit temples on a bicycle, shop for handicraft or ride a water buffalo. ResponsibleTravel.com I am reborn! Simply the best holiday I have ever been on Reviewed 19 Jun 2007 by Christine Cowell Q. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday? The relaxing villa, great pool, food, and the great people. Q. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, and minimized impacts on the environment? Yes. Q. Finally, how would you rate your holiday overall? 5 just what we needed. Some wonderful memories, I would not hesitate to recommend it to a friend Reviewed 26 Feb 2006 by John Harrison First THANK YOU. If it was not for your web site I would never have found this accommodation! How can I describe this accommodation? I don't know if I can, but here goes Hazel and I spent 6 nights there at the end of February 2006. This is almost the peak of the hottest and driest part of the year. This accommodation is adequately described on its web site. What it cannot describe and what I may have trouble in describing is the peace, tranquillity and blissful surroundings. At the time I called it the Garden of Eden, Nirvana and Heaven on Earth. We both lead very busy working lives and this accommodation was the perfect location to chill out, wind down and re-charge the batteries. I know I am not doing the place justice as I struggle to find the right words, but this is so different from anywhere I else I have been. Ten and Euang, they run the property, will call each day at meal times and cook the most wonderful local food. They are more than happy to introduce you to local life or leave you to your own devices. The local people were very friendly and never stopped smiling. 1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday? On the last day it was my 57th birthday... Ten arranged for some of his family and friends to come to the accommodation and we had a birthday party - Thai Style - we were treated like long lost friends. It was fantastic! (understatement!). For any doubting Thomas' out there.. NO, I didn't get a bill. 2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday? Take lots to read, or DVD's or CD's. A pair of binoculars would have been good to watch the wildlife! (Webmaster note: we now have a pair of binoculars - thanks for the recommendation!) 3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, and minimized impacts on the environment? We met a lot of local people during out visit, they are financially very poor. But the right contact with outsiders will hopefully encourage the children to learn at school and widen their horizons. These people have a lot to offer and we have a lot to learn from them. Some stories to tell the grandchildren, I would not hesitate to recommend it to a friend Thailand farmstay, reviewed by Charlie Marshall. Q. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday? The power cut one night; Ten and his wife (the owners) took us out to eat locally, which involved piling half the town into the back of the 4WD, driving to the local eatery and singing some video karaoke with the local teachers. After that, we were taken to the local village monthly festival - an experience we never would have had we...

Thailand Tips Resources - answers to your questions. We have tried to provide full details on your travel to, and holiday at, this Thai Villa throughout the site. This page aims to list some questions you may have in a more or less chronological order, and provide answers to these inquiries. How do I book and pay for the holiday Villa? How do I book domestic Thai travel to Udon Thani? Before travelling to Thailand. Arrival at Gecko Villa. Staying at Gecko Villa. General Thailand tips. How do I reserve the Villa? You may check the availability of Gecko Villa online by clicking. To book the property, either with the proposed dates of your stay and details of the number of guests, or fill in the form. You may also telephone us on +66-81-9180500 (Thai time: GMT +6 hours!). We will reply rapidly with a confirmation. Do you require a deposit? We generally request a deposit (by bank transfer) of part of the cost of your envisaged stay, depending upon the dates of your visit. Gecko Villa is a single, standalone property, so cancellations or no-shows can be quite damaging to the families involved in running Gecko Villa - not only in terms of lost revenue but also because considerable effort is taken prior to your arrival to ensure a good stock of fresh food etc. We regret the need for this deposit and do ask for your understanding. How do I know my deposit is secure? We will send you full bank account details in order for you to be able to make your deposit. A deposit by bank transfer avoids the need for you to process a credit card payment online, as such credit card payments are considered by many to lack security. Your transfer will be to the main Bangkok branch of the international bank HSBC, to a specific account name and number, allowing you (and your bank) full recourse to track the payment. We also provide you with a full address and telephone number (see. ) Furthermore we will be happy to provide you with independent proof of identity of the account holder, who works for a NYSE listed company transfers payments to the Thai bank account of the owners of Gecko Villa. Gecko Villa has been operating since 2000, is a member of ResponsibleTravel.com and fully supports the belief that sustainable travel in a project such as this must, first and foremost, enlist the full confidence of its guests. How do I book tickets to Udon Thani? By Air Most visitors to Thailand will arrive first in Bangkok. There are daily non-stop flights from Bangkok to Udon Thani (airport code UTH) on the national carrier, Thai Airways, as well as on the budget airlines Nok Air and Air Asia. We recommend Nok Air, which is partially owned by Thai Airways and provides cheap, frequent flights, with the possibility of reserving your chosen seat. You may book your air tickets to Udon Thani online via the internet sites of. If you are combining a stay at Gecko Villa with a visit to Chiang Mai in Thailand's North, there are daily flights between Chiang Mai and Udon Thani on Nok Air. Do note that Thai Airways and Nok Air serve Udon Thani from Don Muang airport in Bangkok, whilst Air Asia departs from Suwwanaphumi, the new international airport of Bangkok. By Car If you are driving to Gecko Villa, we will arrange a convenient time and place to meet you near the property and to lead you back to Gecko Villa. By Train You can book in advance by email with the State Railways of Thailand or via a travel agency. To book with the State Railways of Thailand, email them at least 15 days before your date of travel on passenger-ser@railway.co.th or fax + 66 2 225 6068. Your fax or e-mail must include the journey, date, train number, departure time, class, seat or sleeper (upper or lower berth), number of passengers, your name and e-mail address, and whether you want to collect your tickets at Bangkok Airport station (Don Muang) or Bangkok Hualamphong station in the city centre. You will obtain an e-mail confirmation and you then collect a ticket and pay at the station booking office at least one hour before departure. Bookings open 30 days before departure, but email bookings are only accepted more than 15 days before departure to give them time to respond. The Thai railways charge 200 Baht (3 or $5) per email booking. Alternatively, you may book via an independent company online, Do we need visas? Most Western passport holders may enter Thailand with an entry stamp granted on arrival, valid for 30 days. If you do need a visa, or plan to stay over 30 days, you can obtain a 60 or 90 day visa at most Thai embassies and consulates. This can usually be done by mail if there is no consulate in your city. What should we bring with us? Generally, you will be able to buy whatever you may need locally at prices that are much more attractive than in your home country. Most visitors to Thailand seem to end up taking back much more luggage than they arrive with, so pack light! A Thai phrasebook (preferably with translated phrases written in Thai script) if you wish to venture out alone in the surrounding villages - or alternatively a willingness to use smiles, sign language and laughter! Suntan lotion Electrical adapter if required for laptop, mobile, digital camera etc., and spare batteries if these are not of a standard size. Reading material if you plan to laze by the pool: there are a number of books available at the property, but we suggest you choose your own books in your preferred language prior to arrival, as bookshops are not easily accessible or particularly inspiring here! A camera or video camera, with film/tape...and a charger (see. ) Sunglasses Cotton clothing: this is lighter and cooler in the heat and dries rapidly after washing. Do note that whilst t-shirts are acceptable for public wear, a shirt with a collar or polo shirt is considered more polite. In the same way, long trousers are considered more formal than shorts. Women should not wear tops showing shoulders in temples. Prescription medication if required, although almost all medicines are available over the counter in Thailand if you have the generic name. What's the weather like? The Hot Season (February - May) The plains are dry and golden with rice ready for harvesting. The Green Season (June - November) Frogs glug groat. Dazzling green fireflies illuminate the night with their neon doodlings. The plains are emerald green with rice shoots. The Cool Season (November - January) The days are sunny and hot, and the nights refreshingly cool. Each season has its advantages. In the green season for example, you may well encounter tropical storms (generally in the late afternoon or evening), but you will also get to see Isaan at its liveliest, with green rice paddies and many villagers at work, whilst in the hot season you can soak up the sun under cloudless skies, but may feel too lethargic to do anything other than relax by the pool with a cold beer! Will my electrical appliances work in Thailand? The electric current in Thailand is 220 Volts AC (50 cycles). If your electrical devices require a 110-volt transformer, then it makes sense to travel with one throughout the kingdom. The most common plug type is the two flat pronged North American type but round prongs are also seen throughout the country. Power outages or electricity cuts are still relatively common in Thailand. They are usually brief. Do I need malarial medication in Thailand? Statistically, you are more likely to die in Thailand in a road accident than of malaria - if that is of any comfort! Malaria is generally restricted to remote border areas. Do feel free to bring mosquito repellent (the DEET based ones are the most efficient) and to use the mosquito nets in your bedroom should you wish to - even if you are highly unlikely to catch malaria, you'll keep the mozzies away! Further information is available on the World Health Organzation page. What about dengue fever? Again, use common sense, nets where available and mosquito repellent. Can I rely on ATM machines, or...