Just a bit over an hour from Chiang Mai in Doi Saket, you will find this part park, part picnic ground, part playground and part farm, Take A Walk House and Coffee. The vicinity of Panghai is constantly getting more and more attention as an attraction.
The unexpected location
It is unexpected to find this place off the highway between Chiang Rai and Chiang Mai. Take a Walk House hosts a treehouse, a copy of a Hobbiton home and a place where you can visit a neat farm, enjoy coffee and cakes in a cute café, or relax by the Mae Wang River.
My daughter said that this was the best playground she has been to in Chiang Mai so far. A good review from a girl used to places like Nic’s Playground and Triplets Eat and Play in Chiang Mai.
The whole area was planned as a camping ground for kids from Waldorf schools. So the vast and rustic houses were never intended for tourism. But when Covid struck, everything changed. The coffee shop opened because the original plan was impossible to work out. We enjoyed our first visit so much that we decided to come back and stay for one night. The picture below is house nr. 5 next to the coffee shop. These houses are under consideration for long term rental; there is an idea to attract people that want to stay long term, digital nomads and others.
And why not, a peaceful and natural environment with a great playground. At the moment, these houses don’t have any decorations, though.
Coming here is a day out, though, since you have to get on the number 118 highway towards Chiang Rai. Please plan to spend at least a few hours to make the trip worth it.
For the current Take a Walk House and Coffee accommodation, you need to remember these houses were initially built for teachers and students coming here for an international camp. They have five places that, as of today’s information, prices range from 1500 baht per night inclusive of breakfast/2 person. There is a family house for client’s that need a larger home. Very large, cool, but no aircon.
We stayed one night in June. It wasn’t hot at night. Rather pleasant. You can see fireflies and the frogs croaking reminding you that you are very close to water.
People are starting to travel and explore again after the partial lockdown we just had. The parking at the cafeteria was full, but the area is big, so it is not hard to keep social distance.
The owners and staff are amiable and answer quickly on Facebook messenger. So it is an excellent way to contact them on social media.
The Homestay
The actual homestay, a beautiful teak wooden house surrounded by a few tiny houses for rent, is called Baan Dindandawn Onsen Homestay.
Currently closed but the owners gave us an inspection and it looks lovely. This homestay comes with pool access and private small onsens bathtubs. They have their rooms connected to the hot springs of Doi Saket. Rooms in this building start from prices a bit over 2000 baht.
Dindandawn Onsen will open in July 2021. But better to check directly with the owners for this part.
At the moment, you park at a parking lot, then walk along a stream for 100 meters and on the left, you will see the area with the homestay before you pass the bridge over to the playground and café. (there is currently a yellow sign that says no entry). So there are two parts, the original homestay building and the freestanding houses near the cafe and playground.
Have a look at this slideshow for the Baan Dindandawn Onsen:
Take A Walk House and Coffee Facebook page here.
And Baan Dindandawn Onsen Facebook Page here.
The location for Take A Walk House and Coffee in Google maps you find here.
Just one more thing, There are photos of people camping in the area. According to the owners, their camping ground is now closed, so this is not an option anymore.
