International Lifestyle Magazine International Lifestyle Magazine Issue 33 | Page 46
Q. What led you to set up these
villas away from the main Thai
tourist destinations?
It was the idea of a friend in the
hotel business. At the time, some
ten years ago now, we had four
young children and there were no
employment opportunities here �
apart from occasional work in the
rice paddies. Traditionally, in Isan,
villagers leave their children at
home with their grandparents and
head to Bangkok or elsewhere
to seek work, but we were keen
to stay together as a family. We
hoped that Gecko Villa would
provide local employment both for
ourselves and for other villagers.
Whilst it took several years of hard
work, we are delighted that all has
turned out well and that the two
properties now support several
families. I would like to thank all
our guests to date, and especially
those who return each year as old
friends!
Q. How do the villas help the
locals?
Apart from providing employment
for certain villagers, we always
aim to purchase local produce,
and services provided for guests -
such as traditional Thai massage
or trips on the local lotus lake � are
also provided by local villagers.
Many of our guests are also
very kind in supporting us in
helping the local village primary
school, donating items such as
educational material or second
hand computers, or arranging for
the children to be fed a good meal.
We also promote reforestation and
recycling, and I think the impact of
reforesting disused rice paddies is
now clearly understood by those
living in the area.
Q. What should guests bring with
them?
Perhaps one thing is a healthy appetite! I am a former chef, and all stays at the villas include all meals which we prepare freshly � this not only means guests do not have to worry about shopping, cooking and doing the washing up � but they get to try authentic Thai dishes, and have more time to relax or explore. Many guests also like to be shown how to prepare a number of the Thai and Isan specialties that we serve. Another thing is perhaps a Lao phrasebook. The level of English around the villas is poor, and guests are surprised that we speak the Lao dialect here, rather than Thai, so a Lao phrasebook is the most handy!Your websites list some unusual activities. Can you recommend what guests should not miss?Well, one trip to take is on our tra-ditional wooden longboat out onto the local lotus lake. This should be experienced in December through February, when the whole lake is a carpet of pink and is at its most spectacular. For getting around locally, we have bicycles, but some guests also learn how to drive our samlor to make them blend in totally! It�s perfect for a visit to local markets, rice-farming villages and schools.The silk and cotton hand-weaving villages are also interesting, as is the World Heritage Site at Ban Chiang nearby. And if visitors really want to go lo-cal, they can try catching and eat- LQJ LQVHFWV �HOGPRXVH KXQWLQJ and more!
Green Gecko showcases tradi-
tional Thai design and offers two
king bedrooms, each with a teak
four poster bed and en-suite bath-
room, a very private swimming
pool, a spacious living and dining
room and a fully equipped kitchen,
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