The Explorer’s Lodge at the Four Seasons Tented Camp hotel review - Chiang Rai, Thailand

Long celebrated by nature-loving aesthetes for its boundless rolling hills and far-flung seclusion, the Golden Triangle’s appeal has become even more tempting with the launch of the new Explorer’s Lodge at the Four Seasons Tented Camp.

Perched on a hillside near where the Ruak and Mekong Rivers meet, the two-bedroom villa is the resort’s alternative to its 15 two-sleeper luxury tents, dotted throughout the jungle with surrounding views of Thailand, Myanmar and Burma.

Designer Bill Bensley’s mood-board takes its cues from the resort’s 19th century safari-adventure theme, dressing the lodge with handcrafted wooden furniture, timber flooring, hurricane lamps and standout hand-hammered copper bathtubs. But with an outdoor plunge pool and, beyond that, a range of activities surrounding the camp’s rehabilitated elephants, it’s difficult to imagine spending too much time indoors.

We suggest a bracing climb to the resort’s highest point to watch the sunrise from behind the mountains of Laos over breakfast, before retiring back to the camp for a traditional Thai massage in the spa, surrounded by the lush bamboo jungle.