SALA BANG PA-IN

The latest outpost of homegrown boutique hotel group Sala proves that Thai island retreats don’t necessarily involve palm trees and beaches. Taking over the tip of a narrow forested island in the Chao Phraya River some 30 minutes downstream from templestudded Ayutthaya, this 24-room resort is built like a small village of duplex villas and studio rooms housed in modern interpretations of vernacular architecture. Swathed in blonde woods, textile wall panels, and wickerwork accents, most of the villas come with private plunge pools and lounge decks with river views, while the studio rooms open to snug balconies that look out over a traditional village just across the water. The riverside restaurant specializes in plump river prawns—a local specialty— and is the starting point for dinner cruises and sightseeing tours to the nearby Bang Pa-In Palace on the resort’s wooden riverboat. salahospitality.com/ bang-pa-in; doubles from US$170