Villas + Apartments Thailand off the beaten track

We spent a week at a villa called Green Gecko in the Northeast of Thailand, before heading up to Vientiane in Laos and on to Luang Prabang.

We've rented skiing chalets before in Europe, and a beachside villa near Sanur in Bali, but this was completely different. The property was set on private grounds consisting of sugar cane plantations, woodlands and gardens, amongst a sea of emerald rice paddies. It was effectively a stunning, traditionally Thai villa in the middle of nowhere, which was fascinating - we got to see and experience what is the real Thailand, rather than a house or hotel in a tourist resort.

The difference was made by the local family who picked us up at the airport to take us to the villa. They lived in a village a few kilometres away, and prepared all our meals throughout our stay (deliciously zingy and fresh Thai fare), showed us how to cook some of the dishes, accompanied us to local areas of interest - and even did our laundry and the washing up! So we effectively had our own pool villa but also the service one might get at a resort, with the added plus of getting to know the locals.

I'd definitely recommend this place to anyone looking to get off the beaten path, or to those looking to just relax and chill out away from it all (although those looking for a wild nightlife or luxury shopping malls would be advised to look elsewhere!)