“That’s the secret—to create intimate rooms within the landscape”

from different cultures and places,” says Rengthong. “The shape of the blue garden gate, for example, comes from Bali. The lion on top of it we saw in Portugal.”

It was garden design that first brought Bensley to Asia. A graduate of California State University, he won the American Society of Landscape Architects’ highest honour for a student, and was awarded a full fellowship to Harvard’s Graduate School of Design. Bolstered by the encouragement of his frequent collaborator, Thai architect Lek Bunnag, Bensley moved to Asia in the 1980s. He established his own landscape design practice that blossomed into the now-iconic Bensley Design Studios.

Since the studio was founded in 1989, Bensley and his atelier of energetic architects based in Bangkok and Bali have designed some of the world’s most important hotels, resorts, spas and palaces. His extroverted, more-is-more approach that has earned him the title The King of Exotic Luxe. However, eco-sensitivity and conservation has always been his top priority. “Nothing should be built in sensitive environments,” he says. “I try to mitigate the damage and build with a minimal impact.” Some of his projects include the Siam Bangkok,

the Rosewood in Luang Prabang, the St Regis Bali and the Four Seasons in Chang Rai—a glamping resort in the Golden Triangle. Recently, Bensley put his name to the Shinta Mani Bensley Collection, which includes the Shinta Mani Wild, a luxury tented camp deep in the jungle that he designed using a small architectural footprint, taking care not to destroy the surrounding natural environment. Bensley’s mantra is simple: “We all need to tread lightly on the planet.”

With an affinity for art, nature and the exotic, Bensley and Rengthong’s travels fuel their creativity. They often return from trips with ideas to re-invent or further embellish the garden and interiors of Baan Botanica.

What’s next on the cards for these two tastemakers? “We’re building a house in Chiang Mai as an escape from Bangkok,” Rengthong says.

One thing’s for sure: it will be just as wonderful as Baan Botanica but built with even more care and sensitivity for the environment. As Bensley has often said: “My main purpose in life, besides having as much fun as possible, is to help the needy, animals and the planet through conservation.”