Eat well, sleep well and recharge away from the city

I am lured to Khao Yai by the InterContinental Khao Yai, a train-centric resort set in thick forests and lakes with swans that flock to you on cue when you stand on the feeding platform.

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FROM C1 3. STAY IN A TRAIN-THEMED LUXURY RESORT

Online photos promise a unique getaway backed by a hospitality brand with dependable quality. But I wince at the 10,500 baht a night stay, priced even higher than InterContinental Bangkok.

Thankfully, I am not disappointed. Rates for the low season months between May and July start at 7,268 baht.

At check-in, a polite request and my IHG One Rewards membership tier accords me a double upgrade – to a heritage train car suite from the 1950s that comes with an outdoor Victorian-era bathtub.

Being a train carriage, the suite has a shoebox width of a mere 2.5m. But the 20m depth of the wagon makes up for it. The romantic decor, rich panelling and generous use of mirrors overcome the shortcomings, and the travel glamour stacks up. There are also regular-shaped rooms, decorated in train themes, in the main building.

Despite being located in the forest, the bathroom's water pressure is even stronger than that of my 12th-floor apartment in Singapore, and the organic insect repellent keeps the mosquitoes at bay. One evening, I doze off in the outdoor bathtub while counting stars.

American landscape guru and architect Bill Bensley – famous for his work on numerous luxe properties by the likes of Four Seasons, Capella and Rosewood – works his magic on the Khao Yai property, conceptualising the resort around the nostalgic charm of Khao Yai's earlier days as a railroad gateway.