Every traveller has a different criteria when it comes to lodging. Fern Paradise might not be for everyone, but for many it is a beautiful home-away-from-home that sits outside the city of chiang mai. I hope that for Dr, Niwat and his family, that the visitors that do decided to stay there are of the this persuasion. We found Fern Paradise by shear luck. trapped in an airport with a long layover. We impulsively decided to go up to chiang mai without having any plans in place. Fern Paradise is outside the main gates of chiang mai. a bit off the beaten path, but not isolated at all. Dr. Niwat and Om and the rest of the family were beyond accomodating. If you are lucky enough to catch a few moments to sit down and get to know them, you will find that this is an amazing family. The food is excellent. Breakfast is served down by the water, or dinner was served as an option underneath your room. It was our favorite place to stay in Thailand. not to mention one of the most beautiful (the fern collection is AMAZING!)

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!