A big move!

In September 2014 we started to move Spicy Villa Eco-Lodges to a new location and the last couple of months were very busy!

The move is now complete, but the work continues with a help of our great volunteers.

Why did we move?

We found a great spot of land with a wonderful view over rice fields, close to a local waterfall and a little elephant camp.

The location was amazing and available for building, so we started contemplating the move in the second half of 2014. Given all the pluses of the new location, it didn’t take us long to make a decision and start the move.

We knew there would be a lot of work and we were ready! The first step of our move was to make new bungalows for our guests, followed by a lot of painting. You can have a look at the painting process in our previous article. With new colorful bungalow in place, it was time for planting new palm trees, fruit trees, vegetables, herbs and spices.

The plants are now prospering and the trees are growing quickly. The land in this area is nutritious and the weather is great, so we will soon have a real green jungle surrounding our bungalows.

The work continues

We had a very busy season in December with a lot of guests visiting Spicy Villa at the new location and we saw the need to expand our kitchen and dining area. In the last two weeks this is what we were working on and you can see for yourself that it was a tough job if you play the video below.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d7d_KdD1UNI&feature=youtu.be

Together with our volunteers we also came up with a great way to nurse new seedlings in bamboo stems and we have been seeding like this for the past week. Isn’t it a wonderful idea!? Environmentally friendly and it works! See the picture below.

Where did we move to?

The new location is in the same area as the old one – Mae Win in Mae Wang district. We are now just a little further in the countryside and we like this location a lot as do our guests.

What do the guests who already stayed at the new location say?

Below are excerpts from TripAdvisor reviews from guests who visited as over the last couple of months and stayed at the new location:

“It’s definitely not “fancy” but it is exactly how the locals live. Perched in the hill side, overlooking a valley with rice fields, jungle, and an elephant sanctuary, the view was incredible. I had one of about 8 huts to myself. I really only slept in it, because most of my time was spent at the main hut/kitchen/bar, hanging out with everyone. There is a very strong sense of community here.”

“Spicy Villa was absoultely amazing – There was nothing to fault this place. This isnt a place if you want 5 star accomodation. We learnt so much from the Thai people there, they were all so friendly in the evening and we even got in a few games with them they were amazing people. The place is in the hills and is absolutely BEAUTIFUL i wanted to stay alot longer. We did a cooking class there also which was amazing cooking over a wood fire. The rooms were amazing also. If you are heading to Chiang Mai this is a MUST visit. So peaceful – so perfect. I look forward to returning once again.”

“One of our favorite places on our Thailand trip! The ride up was an adventure in itself. … But the point was to live similar to the local tribe people and the view from our balcony, looking over a valley of rice paddies with the elephant on the hill, made it all worth it.”

“The setting is remote but beautiful. The ‘villas’ are set high in the hills which require a four wheel drive vehicle. Be prepared for a bumpy ride to get there. You are essentially part of a local hill tribe community.”

“The definite highlight of our trip to Thailand! Our family of 5 – kids 18, 13 and 11 had such a great time here. It is a beautiful spot overlooking rice paddies and a river. It had a real community feel, with everyone preparing and sharing food, and hanging out and chatting.”

To see full reviews, look at our recent reviews on TripAdvisor.

Below Is a gallery from new bungalows. We don’t have a lot of pictures yet and we would love it if our guests could send some over. If you have any photos from our new bungalows, please email them to spicywildpumpkin@gmail.com so we can share them online.