AZALA: Escape to the Natural Paradise
Doi Chang is like a teenager, a happy, fun-loving, lively person who can stay up all night without getting tired. Compared with Doi Wawee, it is like an adult who has already passed that age. Doi Wawee just wants to stay relax in calmness in real nature.
The accommodation that is considered our highlight at Doi Wawee is AZALA, meaning ‘green heart’. This place is true to its name and is called natural therapy. The focus is on retreat, which means rehabilitating the body by experiencing part of nature in each house, which is eco-friendly designed.
At the entrance to the Thung Phrao Church Section 10, when you see the church, turn right and keep following the path. Finally, you’ll see the ZUULA sign. You just park there and bring your belongings to ZUULA. Tell people who stay at ZUULA that you have reserved.
P’Care, the staff, smiled and welcomed me well. In the midst of the pouring rain, there were many umbrellas at ZUULA. She didn’t hesitate to set them up for me.
To put it simply, AZALA has two parts: ZUULA (restaurant) and AZALA (accommodation).
ZUULA used to be a coffee shop, actually saying a restaurant would be more appropriate. It is available to serve customers who are not staying. I understand that at this time there are not enough personnel to help take care of AZALA’s work, so P’No has changed ZUULA to be AZALA’s lobby. That means if you come, come check in at ZUULA first. On the side of the road, there are farm trees that were planted for the customers. The grass is used for thatching the roof.
P’No is a founder, designer, executive chef, marketer, publicist, purchasing manager, customer relations manager, security guard, and too many others to list. In conclusion, calling him Chief Everything Officer would be most appropriate.
If I say that P’No is an artist who works in the area of sustainability, it wouldn’t be wrong. Everything looks luxurious and expensive, elevating the level of service. Delete the pictures of homestays who eat vegetable paste from mountain people or those who eat grilled pork like many Thais do. To be at AZALA is tangible, practical, and truly environmentally friendly.
The team of P’No includes P’Care, a strong woman from Doi Wawee, and Nong Meng, a well-built man who is a waiter and people who help facilitate many things. There were two younger women but I can’t recall their name. I needed to say sorry to forget them.
Many people may wonder what drivers are required here? From ZUULA, AZALA can actually be reached on foot, but with AZALA’s good service, they don’t allow customers to walk up to their accommodations because it’s steep. If he knew how many mountains I had climbed he might change his mind. But it’s good. The service score is 10 out of 10 like this.
The ride up to the accommodation from ZUULA takes only 7 minutes.
I was considerate of P’Care carrying the young man’s heavy backpack. But it looks like she was happy to do it.
When she finished opening the room for me, she said “Dinner is at six.”
For dinner, guests will eat at ZUULA, while the breakfast will be served to their rooms.
I nodded and waited for the time.
“Very wide,” I could only think to myself when I saw the room.
The size of the ZETU room is 2 people. If you can bring friends to visit, there will probably be another 10 people. It’s really spacious.
“You can eat anything on the shelf,” P’Care said before disappearing. I hurriedly locked the door. At first I thought I would lie down and rest a bit. It’s only four o’clock. But in any case, it would be nice to walk around and explore.
Six bags of children’s snacks like potatoes and things like that make me smile. Eating these for free is a big wow factor. Some places you have to pay extra if you eat snacks. I opened the refrigerator. Line of beer cans. I don’t like alcohol. Leave the intoxicants there. The interesting things are fresh fruits: mandarin oranges, dragon fruit, mangoes, and apples. Knives and cutting boards are ready. Unfortunately, dinner was coming up. It’s better to wake up early tomorrow and eat some fruits, not today.
People here really love to use wood. As you can see from the tray, it’s probably made of bamboo or some kind of wood. I really like the mango peeling board. It is a hard wood with handmade arts.
The back of the room is a net. The kind of net that you can keep lying down and reading books. But the falling rain prevents my intention to do so. I decided to sit and look at the flowers in the room. When you come to relax, you should sit and admire the natural scene around the house. Read a book comfortably.
At evening ZUULA, the atmosphere is worth millions. The cocoa-colored Mae Suai River flows quickly. It becomes the beautiful sound of nature like a stream of nectar from heaven. A cool breeze blew. I liked that there were candles lit at the dining table. The wind blows and the candle flame flickers. It’s like a relaxing dance of the flame. The soft music playing serves to clean up my mind. It helps to expand my senses to another level. The sky is slowly getting darker every moment. I stared at the silverware used to tie napkins. Intrigued by the beautiful patterns, I felt connected to ZUULA quickly.
While waiting for guests from another house to come down to eat, P’No also had time to stop by and chat with me.
“Today it’s Mediterranean style.”
I’m still listening. I can’t imagine being on Doi Wawee ‘What can be Mediterranean’
I asked about decorative items. ZUULA had kitchenware, not just decorations. They are parts of workshop for customers who come in just in time for the season like making tea season.
“If you want to eat anything, you can ask for it. But I don’t want to have a menu for customers to choose from. Just the customer tells us that they don’t eat anything, that’s enough. We will provide great dining experience for you.”
P’No said with eyes that were fascinated by what he was doing. I listened and felt good too. Until P’No asked to prepare another dish for another group of customers, I slowly reconsidered what I love with this dining atmosphere.
P’No is really great. He worked in a variety of services. He used to be a chef too. It’s interesting to see what the food will be like. When I called to make a reservation, P’No asked first if any customers are allergic to anything. Is there anything you don’t eat?
The bite size of the shrimp is peeled. The chef peeled off the shrimp tails before cooking. This is warm hospitality and inviting atmosphere that I will remember in my whole life. Customers just need to be responsible for scooping it into their mouths, chewing it, and enjoying it.
In conclusion, I don’t know what the food is called, but it’s very delicious. No need to add any additional seasonings. The taste is just right. There are 4 dishes: salads, fragrant grilled vegetables served with sauces and warm seafood soup. Finished off with sweet dishes that have the right and fresh amount of flavor. There are fresh fruits mixed in well. It was not so sweet. What a perfect dining experience!
“The vegetables are fresh and juicy. The taste is very delicious.”
I answered as soon as P’Care asked about food. While we were driving back to the accommodation, P’Care asked what kind of breakfast I would like for breakfast. I answered without thinking that it was European style. (I was fed up with Thai food.) The serving time was made at 8:00 AM. (If you want to wake up late, you can tell them.) P’Care said good night and thanked me before walking into the accommodation in the light rain.
P’No said that the activities will be crafted according to the customers. For example, if customers come during the period when tea leaves are ready to serve, there will be a tea making workshop. If you come during rice planting period, you might be able to plant rice. Activities can be flexible with P’No according to your reserved time to stay.
Luckily I came at the end of the rainy season and the beginning of winter. Listening to the sound of rain falling on the grass roof is a good moment in life. The grass roof actually doesn’t make much noise. It was really quiet at night. I looked at a bathroom decorated in a natural style. Anyone who wants to soak in the outdoor tub can do as well. Each house has a high level of privacy.
Safety is there from the moment the accommodation is reserved. P’No will think how many people are coming. Your group has children or not? What is the age of him? For example, the ZETU room that I stayed in is quite high from the grass. P’No will not allow families with small children to stay.
The other houses are closer to the grass and are more spacious. The houses are not as dangerous as ZETU. P’No will recommend the best house for you. You just specify the date and time you want to stay.
Another warm feeling is P’No will be boarding and sleeping at ZUULA, so if there’s anything that needs help late at night, You can contact P’No at any time. He will come to support you at once.
Gladly, for those who will reserve a house from mid of December 2023 onwards, AZALA has decided to expand one more house, which will be made into several connected rooms. The type we call Lodge, which we have to wait and see when the auspicious time will be launched and what will the accommodation look like?
I had the opportunity to look up at the construction area. We can only hope that it will be finished soon in time to welcome tourists who want to enjoy their special moment of life. The type that I have experienced which is an extremely valuable experience. I can’t find it anywhere.
Anyone who will reserve accommodation need to call P’No, Chief Everything Officer of AZALA, at 090–319–1874. For the ZETU type of house, it can accommodate 2 people at full capacity. If your group is around 2–4 people, there will be another type of house. For the Lodge type, it may accommodate approximately 4–8 people. There will probably not be more than 20 people in total for the entire accommodation. Reserve in advance. AZALA has a lot of people making reservations. It’s a very special experience that you should come to at least once.
If you use a car-calling application from Mae Fah Luang Airport to Doi Wawee, the price should be around 900 to 1000 Baht. (October 2023)