Rabiengdao Garden Homestay

Getting around the countryside was nice when the frequent rain messed up my plans to travel further west. There’s a long nature walk with seats placed along the way, good for quiet reading, until the mosquitoes show up. This homestay is about 15 minutes off the main road on a good day without rain. If you use Google Maps, don’t follow its directions at the end. Turn left at the convenience store (Thuk Dee Mee Matrathan P.Charoen Panich), or dependable Gmaps will take you to a dead end. A cute red house is waiting when you arrive. It’s spacious, with air conditioning, a water kettle, a fridge, strong water pressure, and mosquito netting on the windows. I left the AC off because I like open windows, and didn’t start the fridge since I wouldn’t use it much. The toiletries provided were expired, though still usable, and the tap water was sometimes murky. Wi-Fi was mostly good, so I could work smoothly. I chose this place partly for the solitude, but nearby residents sometimes broke the quiet by working or talking loudly. The road outside was unlit and unpaved at night, so I’d rather go a little hungry than ride my bike out after dark or in the rain. The welcome booklet had a food menu, but I couldn’t get a reply from the Line account. It also promised free daily breakfast and grilled pork, which became fleeting dreams for a starving tenant. Even with the window nets checked and the toilet door kept shut, I got bitten by insects every day, mosquitoes or otherwise. One night, two big hornet- or wasp-like insects suddenly buzzed around the ceiling light, and I never saw where they came in. I’m generally fine with insects until they bite, so it wasn’t a comfortable stay for me. The host and residents didn’t communicate with me after check-in during my 6-day stay. Still, on day 3 I was pleasantly surprised to find a bag with 4 water bottles and some coffee sachets hanging outside my door.