Fern Paradise really is as good as the reviews suggest. Jen and I are in our early 50s, and this was our first holiday without kids since 1984. After 5 nights in the bustle of Bangkok (which we loved) we were ready for some rural peace & quiet, and Fern Paradise was just what we were looking for.
We stayed in rice barn No 9, a beautifully refurbished original Thai farm building, with ensuite and air-conditioning. Huge bed, lovely linen. The barns have louvre windows from floor to ceiling and are fully fly-screened, so you can sleep with the aircon off if you want.
Morning saw us enjoying a delicious breakfast by the canal. We chose our breakfast from the menu the night before, and each morning we would be introduced to a new exotic fruit.
If you are lucky enough to have the tour of the grounds hosted by the resort’s architect and owner, Dr Tantayanusorn, you will learn a great deal about the rice-growing culture of northern Thailand, and about ferns from all over the world. The grounds are a living nursery and museum.
Some reviewers have commented that Fern Paradise is a bit out of town. The road on which it is situated is a busy thoroughfare so we had no trouble catching a ‘Green Car’ (a pick-up made into an oversize Tuk Tuk) into Chiang Mai CBD for a fixed fare of 17baht (about 50c). We felt that the peace and tranquility of Fern Paradise more than compensated for the little extra effort to get into town. All the day trips we went on were happy to pick us up from the ‘Bus Stop’ at Fern Paradise.
These reviews always mention Om, and rightly so. He is a Legend! Om is the perfect host and nothing is too much trouble. He really makes you feel like a welcome guest at his home. If you order dinner, Om organizes it from a restaurant, and serves it to you under the stars on the canal. He booked several day trips & activities for us, and they were all brilliant, so take his advice when looking for something to do.
There is a small library with good books, magazines and DVDs, the IT department is the most relaxed in the world, and the grounds are great for an evening stroll.
We were sad to leave this place of peace and friendship. It is definitely on our short list of places to revisit one day.

We followed trip advisor reviews for our 3 stop holiday in Thailand.Many things about Fern Paradise were very nice with the staff and courteous welcome and the charming hosts. But we can't agree with this very high rating and found the following annoying.
1) A real hassle to get to the location as many taxi's didnt understand where it was.
2) The beds were hard and uncomfortable.
3) The mosquito's were large and hungry.
4) Breakfast was very average.

My wife and I were hoping for some tranquility and peace after being in Bangkok for 5 days--we found "Paradise". From the first meeting of Ohm, the owner, to being driven into a "jungle of Ferns, to having breakfast by a creek, we were spellbound. Our every wish and desire was looked after with sincere gratitude for us sharing their "home". It is definitely a place we come back to!

I could sit here and write about how great this place is until 2009, but I would only be rewording what has already been said by all the other travellers that have had the privilege to stay at Fern Paradise! If you love nature (like us Canadians do), are looking for a retreat outside of an amazing city, and would like to be treated like family by some amazingly kind people, than this is the place for you!

We are a very well travelled couple who travelled throughout Thailand for 3 weeks in April 2008, from North to South. We stayed in a wide variety of places ($20 CAN/night to $280 CAN/night) in Chiang Mai, Bangkok, Phuket, Phi Phi Island, Krabi, etc.... That being said, this is the only place I am taking the time to write about aside from one other property on Phi Phi Island (Phi Phi Island Village). If you are looking to stay close to the action and the "crazy hustle & bustle," then you should experience that in Bangkok. Chiang Mai is a special city that is complimented nicely by staying at a place like Fern Paradise. It is still very easy to do all of your site-seeing with your home base at FP. Why not spend a couple of bucks for transportation and then retreat after a busy day to this oasis. After all, when will you be in Thailand again?

Breakfasts are amazing! So are the dinners too for that matter. We tried authentic Thai cuisine and it was fabulous. We were spoiled. I miss the unique fruits that we were served at breakfast, the sound of the "jungle" coming alive while we slept (reminded me of the Masai Mara in Kenya), and the cool little shower and the "rice barn" room itself! Sooo neat! Awesome! Where else in the world will you be able to stay in such a unique place with beauty and nature all around you. We stayed in the "Asplenium Barn."

Things to do: temples, cooking classes, and I would absolutley recommend the "Patara Elephant Farm." You get to be an elephant trainer for the day, care for them, swim with them, learn about them, and ride them bareback. They are treated well, not like some of the other places we saw that were more like the "circus." Worth every penny, our favorite memory of our entire journey throughout Thailand!!!

Have fun!