Saiyok River House

We chose this place because it was one of only two options within our budget as long-term travellers. It's quiet and pretty isolated, and the rooms are clean. But the pool water seemed suspicious, there was a sewer smell in the bathroom, and the place could use quite a bit of maintenance.

The food was a real highlight: we had dinner here twice, both meals were delicious and portions generous. The staff were consistently friendly and helpful, and there's parking. They also offer massage, and there's a pool beside a villa for rent, though I assume anyone can use it. You will need a car to get around, otherwise it could be difficult. We booked two nights and added a third. In room 305, the spacious first room, we could sit on the patio with the river just a few meters away down the bank. Dense plants gave it a lovely nature feel, with birdsong, but mosquitoes were everywhere, so bring repellent. Everything worked, it was very clean and cleaned daily, and the soft bed was super comfortable. It was quiet too. The front door stuck a little, and there was a drain smell. Trap pipes on the sinks would help. I'd give that room 4/5. For the extra night we moved to room 203. It was a bit smaller but still had nice space and features. The musty air took a few hours of air conditioning to clear. The sink pipe leaked onto the floor, and the toilet often wouldn't flush until the second or third try, leaving water sitting for a few minutes. When someone came to check, naturally it flushed fine. The plumbing needs attention. That room gets 2/5. Your experience could vary a lot depending on which room you get, but ours was good overall.

Elephants came to swim in the river opposite our room most mornings around 10:30, which was amazing. The room was lovely, though a little run down, and the windows wouldn't lock. We arrived from Kanchanaburi by taxi from the bus station and were greeted warmly with a room key. The staff were really helpful and made an extra effort to communicate using Google Translate. The restaurant food was OK, but the pool looked dirty and we didn't want to swim. Getting around was difficult because no taxis or tuk tuks served the area, and private taxis were very expensive. We walked to the cave and back, then cut our stay short to move into the city for public buses. It's close to the train station.

I was there in the last week of February and really enjoyed both the weather and the stay. The place is quiet and far from city traffic, with nature all around. There’s a river below, though the property sits up on a hill, so I couldn’t get down to its edge. Parking is set aside for each guest, and the whole property is gated.