Kwai Tara Riverside Villas

The location and atmosphere were nice, the staff were kind, and we could enjoy the nearby elephants camp. Cleanliness and the shower weren't up to my preferred standard. The toilet and sheets weren't clean, and a gekko got into the room. The shower had only a small boiler, so it was weak and couldn't provide enough warm water flow.

The rooms looked nice, but they were fairly worn, with loose sink fixtures and bathroom surface, a drawer that wouldn't stay shut, and one broken deck chair. The grounds could use attention too. Still, the large windows, river access, wonderful hanging net, and upper viewpoint made those issues easy to overlook. Dinner was amazing both nights, well prepared, on time, and not expensive. The American breakfast wasn't good, but the Thai one was excellent. Some of the Sunday buffet food was good, though they had run out by 9 a.m. The staff were responsive and polite. The location is great, the villas are modern, and free river rafting was a lot of fun. We went twice and loved floating down the river. You can hear the elephants next door every morning, which is both scary and exciting. We didn't visit because it's an elephant attraction for riding. I saw hundreds of other rafts to stay on, and this is likely the most modern looking. I'd come back.

The villa is out of town, with lots of space and a river view. The furniture is a bit old, though generally clean. Staff were helpful and quick to respond on LINE Chat. At night, the corridor lights outside the villa attracted small flies. Dinner at the restaurant was good and reasonably priced. It was my first time trying Thai Original Mookata. Breakfast was delivered to our room, and the free one-hour river raft ride at 4:30 p.m. was a good experience.

The river view was the best part, even with a bit of haze during our stay. If you're in room 210, the corner on the right, you can watch elephants bathing in the morning at the tourist attraction next door. We stayed in a riverside room, which means walking down steps and crossing a little stair-bridge over the river, so it isn't wheelchair friendly. There are rooms closer to reception and parking, too. The price seemed fair, and the room and service were okay, though not outstanding. Food was decent, but our laundry took a long time. It's quite remote, so I'd only suggest it if you have your own transport. There are several other hotels along the river, which makes the area nice.