For one, the low season offers massive discounts on rooms. That means you can take a romantic getaway for less and, when it rains, stay in and enjoy the misty mountain views from your room.   

 

Sip wine and listen to the rain fall at Granmonte Asoke Valley (www.granmonte.com), the multi-award-winning vineyard led by Nikki Lohitnavy, Thailand's first female winemaker and a recent appearance in Forbes's inaugural Asia 30 under 30 list. They offer wine tasting programs and farm tours from B300, but we recommend going for a wine and dine package which starts at B950 at lunch or dinner. This season’s must-tries are 2015 Verdelho, which just won a silver medal from the prestigious Decanter World Wine Awards 2016, and the NV Cremant Extra Brut, which won a consolation prize from the same event. To absorb some culture, visit Khao Yai Art Museum, which exhibits the vast contemporary arts collection of businessman Pongchai Chindasook. Architecture hunters will also want to stop by the quaint cottages and cafe of Birder’s Lodge (044-300-185, goo.gl/dx09y7) and the industrial-chic Yellow Submarine Coffee Tank (096-981-0682, goo.gl/xD35D8) near the entrance of Khao Yai National Park, where the waterfalls are in full flow.

 

Granmonte Guesthouse (084-904-1944, 081-622-6662, www.granmonteguesthouse.com) is offering 40-percent discounts on weekdays (B3,120 from B5,000), but we also like the look of the weekend Wine & Dine package (B8,680 per couple), which gets you one night in a deluxe room, two bottles of wine plus Thai or Western lunch, dinner and breakfast, from now until Sep 30. Nature lovers may want to book a room at the newly-opened Nhapha Khao Yai Resort (093-636-9999. www.nhapha-khaoyai.com), whose rooms are carved out of a disused quarry. Room rates are B8,000 for a villa and B12,000 for a grand villa. They offer 20-percent discount weekdays.

How to get there

It's an easy drive from Bangkok to Khao Yai which is about 200 kilometers from Bangkok.

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Sangkhlaburi

Why now

Head here

Stay here

Though Chiang Mai still gets most  of the attention, this neighboring province draws people in with its slower pace of life and manicured farms, which are at their greenest this time of year. 

 

 

Your first stop must be Choui Fong Tea (053-771-563, www.fb.com/ChouiFongTea), arguably Thailand’s most stunning tea-house thanks to a modern-tropical design from Bangkok-based firm Idin Architects and a location that overlooks the plantation. The one-year-old Sawanbondin Farm (www.fb.com/Sawanbondin.farm) is also winning hearts with its organic concept and clay workshops which start at B150 per hour. Here, you can also stroll around and pick up vegetables to cook up in your own meal. Cafe-cum-resort Ryokan Cafe (081-868-3010, www.fb.com/RyokanCafe) is another beautiful stop thanks to its traditional Japanese-style rooms. In mid-July, visitors here will witness a vast field of yellow sun hemp, which will be ploughed in order to grow organic Japanese rice (you can also help with this in September). For something to set the pulse racing, Singha Park (091-576-0374 , www.fb.com/SinghaparkChiangrai) just welcomed a new zipline station overlooking the picturesque tea and flower plantations, where you can also find Barn House Pizzeria. 

 

Sawanbondin Farm offers rooms at B500-B600 per night while Ryokan Cafe is B4,500 per night with futons and tatami mats. Kick back on the terrace overlooking the rice fields, reminiscent of rural Japan, or enjoy an alfresco rock bathtub with piping hot Japanese mineral water. 

Thai Lion Air (www.lionairthai.com) offers the cheapest rates at the moment at B1,850, while full-service Bangkok Airways (www.bangkokair.com) is B3,280 for a round-trip.