The ride of a lifetime. Courtesy of YouTube.com

I had an inkling that I knew the Rose Garden somehow. Thailand was where I went to on my first plane ride and, to this day, remains one of my favourite places to visit.

This time round, it took us about an hour to get to the Rose Garden by car. As we got nearer, the sense of familiarity grew stronger. I doubt if it was because I remember the place (Rose Garden today is very different from the one I visited) but more from all the fond memories I had as a 12-year-old.

Rose Garden today sits on over 70 acres, replete with a hotel, traditional Thai houses, a spa, a myriad of gardens (flora, herb, sculpture…), a multitude of dining places and even its own “klong” or river and floating market. A world of difference from the place I came to for the first ever Thai cultural show in the city.

Over the weekend, I was swept away by the strong sense of family among the people who run the resort. Being a family-owned resort, every single detail on this enormous plot of land was carefully thought through, implemented and cared for, just as they would their own home – from the flowers that grace the dining room to the paintings on the wall to the antique vase that was unearthed in a friend’s backyard.

The toiletries in the rooms are developed in-house with essence extracted from flowers from the garden. The family of the security guard grows the vegetable that is served at lunch. And I had a taste of mulberry pancakes, with mulberry harvested from their own plants (where else?).

I was told that only the best will do for Rose Garden. Hence, the top horticulturalist was enlisted when the Garden was being landscaped, the seven traditional Thai houses acquired in North Thailand were carefully deconstructed and then reassembled in the resort, and only the family’s favourite recipes are served at the restaurants.

With its idyllic location by the river, the warmth and friendliness of the team that runs the resort, the perfection that they apply to every inch of the place, it’s easy to be lulled into the zenith state of relaxation at the Rose Garden.

My favourite things at the Rose Garden
• The café – it’s the funkiest, furnished entirely with the family’s restored furniture. It also serves absolutely yummy home-baked treats.
• The toiletries – my favourite being the lemongrass shampoo and shower gel, developed at the resort of course.
• All the delicious meals – especially the traditional dishes at Chang Inn that you rarely find at other Thai restaurants.
• The art collection – every painting and antique porcelain tells a story. Just ask.
• The traditional Thai houses – made even lovelier, set by the lake.

And oh yes, there are also lots of thing to do around the area. Here are two for starters.

• Visit Nakhon Pathom night market where you can eat the best of Thai street food under the Phra Pathom Chedi pagoda (Nakhon Pathom means ‘first city‘ – it was where Buddhism took root in Thailand)

• Go on a tour of a fruit orchard and take a ride on a tractor like no other. Watch this video to get a feel of the experience.