The Fruit Hotel | Kanchanaburi, Thailand

Many durian-lovers like to book a relaxing weekend at their favorite durian orchard. Now not only can you sleep in a durian orchard, you can actually sleep inside of a durian in a durian orchard. I imagine you could even eat durian inside the durian too.

This is the creation of Ban Phasawan, an unlikely Disneyland-esque resort set uncannily in the middle of nowhere. The closest city is a tiny Thai market town 30 kilometers away with no tourist amenities. Those who intend to stay at the fruit hotel need to arrive by private transport.

Dragon Fruit House

Walking around, I kept wanting to scratch my head. I couldn’t figure out what this place was doing here or who on earth manages to find it. Besides fruit freaks like me.

Few people visit the area, by-passing it for the more well-trodden city on the border with Myanmar.  That’s because even though it’s absolutely gorgeous, there’s really very little here to attract the average tourist.

The region isn’t even well known for durian. Yet.

Pineapple House

Ban Phasawan Resort may change that. Twelve years ago the owner of the 200 lai property and hotel began importing durian varieties from Nonthaburi, hoping to preserve them from flooding. The resort now boasts over 100 durian varieties, in addition to hundreds of fruit species and flowers imported from all over the world.

It’s creators hope to function as an agricultural education center, catering mostly to school groups, conventions, and the horticulturally obsessed.

The architect with his favorite creation, Tarzan House

That doesn’t quite explain the architectural focus on fruit, but I’m not complaining. This stuff is cool! The resort currently offers over 20 artistic dwellings inspired by the plant world, among them some stranger ones shaped like bamboo shoots and a type of mushroom that sells for $300 a kilo. In addition to durian, you can also sleep inside a mangosteen, a rambutan, a pineapple, or a dragonfruit. All of the dwellings are crafted out of concrete.

Inside the Tarzan House.

There are two durian houses which sleep two to three people. For a cement hotel room, it’s not cheap. Any of the fruit houses cost 2,200 baht per night. After all, it is a resort, set back in the mist-shrouded mountains and replete with a pond, paddle boats, and meandering paths through the orchards. The Phasawan waterfall is close by, and there are hot springs in the area.

More importantly, durians grown on the property can be purchased for 80 baht per kilogram.

To find out more about Ban Phasawan, go to their website (www.banphasawan.com) or buy my Ebook, The Durian Tourist in Thailand.