Having been to the well-known cities of Bangkok, Chiang Mai and Phuket many, many times throughout the years (I live in neighboring Malaysia, so somehow, Thailand always ends up a popular vacation choice) — I’ve always wanted to explore a different and less-touristy side of the country. I visited the beautiful Mae Hong Son just the previous year, and was already itching to explore more places. So imagine my excitement when I was invited to visit Khao Kho, located in the central Thailand province of Phetchabun. It’s is a new, harder to reach, widely unheard-of place (at least to me), and I was looking forward to staying at the oh-so-charming The Blue Sky Resort Khao Kho.

The Blue Sky Resort Khao Kho

I might not have heard of Khao Kho before, but I have definitely seen pictures of The Blue Sky Resort Khao Kho circling around the internet. Perhaps it is because this hotel brand also has several other beautiful resorts in famous resort towns like Hua Hin and Ranong, but I think it is mainly because of it’s English countryside theme. Think cottage-like houses, wrought iron gates, white paned windows and doors, flowering vines climbing over walls, landscaped gardens and fountains… and even a clock on the top of a red-painted tower!

The Blue Sky Resort Khao Kho is nestled within the Khao Kho mountain-range, and occupies a land area so huge that it even has its own flower garden, a maze and real estate properties. There’s even a hill at the back of the resort that offers 360 degree views of the entire place! The nearest town is Lomsak at the bottom of the hill, and it’s about 1.5 hours away from the bigger city of Phitsanulok.

All ready to board Nok Air to Phitsanulok.

View of central Thailand from the propeller plane.

Gateway to Khao Kho — the Phitsanulok Airport.

View from my drive from Phisanulok to Khao Kho.

Leaving the beauty of central Thailand on Thai Lion Air.

Getting to the Blue Sky Resort Khao Kho

I wanted to get to Khao Kho as early as we could — so we boarded the first flight out of Kuala Lumpur to Bangkok in the morning. The two-hour flight on Air Asia landed us in Don Mueang International Airport at about 8am; where we were to catch a flight on Nok Air to Phitsanulok (the nearest airport to Khao Kho). Unfortunately, our flight was delayed for 4 hours, and we only managed to board the propeller plane just after noon. We arrived at the Phitsanulok Airport in an hour. Other airlines that fly into Phitsanulok from Bangkok are Thai Air Asia and Thai Lion Air (we took this airline back).

We were met at the airport by Ms.Bimb from The Blue Sky Resort Khao Kho, who was kind enough to come pick us up for the 1.5-hour drive to the resort. Along the way, we were greeted with green mountain landscapes and farmland; and surprisingly, so many many many adorable cafes! It is also possible to drive to Khao Kho from Bangkok, and the journey takes approximately 6 hours.

The main entrance to the BlueSky Resort Khao Kho.

The reception area decorated with flowers to resemble an old English country house.

I think I’m in an actual fairy tale land!

Absolutely loving this English countryside vibe, in the mountains of central Thailand.

So many lovely buildings and landscaped gardens.

The Blue Sky Experience

After a whole day of traveling, we finally arrived at Blue Sky at about 5pm. The sun was almost setting, and it gave the white-washed resort a pinkish glow. It also lighted up the reception area, which is decorated to resemble a country house — it is adorned with flowers, face sculptures, lavish sofas, lacy curtains, brass lamps… and even has a fireplace and a mantelpiece filled with porcelain dolls.

Check-in and the resort briefing were completed really fast, and I was then ushered to my room. I really can’t find words to describe my first view of the entire expanse of the resort. I was totally mesmerized and just gawked at every corner — like literally! It was all just too pretty with small fountains and red flowers and blue skies. And even after staying there for four days, every time I walked through the grounds, I felt as if I was transported into an enchanted fairy tale land.

The new room buildings at the Blue Sky Resort Khao Kho.

That huge balcony in this building belongs to my room!

My pretty cottage-like room…

… and the absolutely gorgeous view from the balcony.

Just chilling by the lounge sofa in the evenings.

My Room at the Blue Sky Resort

The Blue Sky Resort Khao Khao initially had three 2-storey buildings that had Deluxe, Deluxe Corner, Deluxe Junior and Family rooms; but have recently expanded to include another two new buildings (and they are expanding still)! Our room was located in the new building — a lovely corner room near the reception, with an enormous balcony that faced the beautiful gardens. During our stay, I absolutely enjoyed the evenings (and cold nights) just chilling on the balcony.

And our room was sooooo adorable! Once again, I felt like I just stepped into a space and time warp and landed in a cottage in Britain (magically leaving the Thai mountains and the Southeast Asian heat). The room is furnished with white curtains, white sheets, and pink, green and flowery throw pillows; and has the modern room comforts like an LCD television, air-conditioning, a mini bar, hair-dryer, and a complete set of bathroom amenities. The bed was super comfy, and I especially loved the lounge sofa just beneath the windows — such a nice place to read a book and while the day away.

The pretty little standalone family villas at The Cotswold.

Spires and spiral staircases, just like mini castles.

Little wrought-iron gates leading into the private villas.

Master bedroom, and another one upstairs.

Admiring the world from the top of my tower!

Villa at the Cotswold

The buildings for our room-type are located within The Blue Sky Resort Khao Kho‘s main grounds — but just a little further away (and up a small hill) lies The Cotswold, a group of stand-alone family villas. We were given a little tour, and I think they are the perfect little holiday home for the entire family. The villas come with two bedrooms — the master room on the bottom floor; and the second room is either on the first floor connected by an outdoor spiral stairway, or a little loft. The exterior of the villas made them look like they could really blend into the Cotswold (you can read about my road trip there, a few years back) — stone walls, turret roofs, and they included some Tudor-style architecture too!

There are also some real estate property around the area, including a castle-like condominium. During our visit, the nearby Clubhouse was just about to be launched — and includes event rooms, a gym and a swimming pool that are accessible to all Blue Sky guests.

All set to see the beautiful sunset from the Bluesky Restaurant.

Our delicious outdoor dinner spread.

A whole pork knuckle, just for us.

Breakfast time!

My morning international breakfast buffet spread.

The BlueSky Restaurant

The BlueSky Restaurant opens for breakfast, lunch and dinner — and it also welcomes non-staying visitors who come to dine while admiring the beautiful resort views. During our stay, we spent most of our time exploring Khao Kho and had most meals outside; but we did get the chance to have a buffet breakfast meal and a couple of dinners at the restaurant. They have a pretty decent breakfast spread with international selections, delicious Thai porridge (which seems to be a Khao Kho breakfast favorite), and the usual egg, bread and salad counter. And I do need to give a special shout-out because the restaurant offered SOY MILK to add to my morning coffee (I’m lactose intolerant so I was super stoked about this)!

Dinner was great too. They offered a selection of Western and Thai favorites — and since we were in Thailand, of course it’s tomyum all the way! We also ordered some of the restaurant’s specialties that included bacon salad, pork knuckle, fried catfish, tamarind prawns, and locally grown cabbage (it’s planted in farms all over Khao Kho). Yums!

Oh, and the best part about dining in the restaurant at dusk? The gorgeous sunset from the outdoor terrace!

The meticulously kept BlueSky Garden at the Blue Sky Resort Khao Kho.

Fountains, flowers and the bright blue sky.

Oh, just casually skipping down the garden path.

Beautiful flowers bloom at every turn throughout the BlueSky Garden.

I reached the pavilion at the end of the Garden Maze!

The BlueSky Garden

I think the crown of The Blue Sky Resort Khao Kho has got to be its gorgeous garden. You can see the whole garden from anywhere within the resort grounds — from the room balcony and the restaurant, to the beautiful rooftop towers. I was told that there are about 17 gardeners who tend to the stunning landscape and gardens of Blue Sky, and what a wonderful job they have done. Different flowers bloom every season, and because I don’t really know much about flowers — I just admire them for their beautiful colors (of mainly blue and red during my visit). The BlueSky Garden is decorated with little statues, huge fountains, and even flower swings and chairs; making every single corner insta-worthy. It really is an Instagram heaven!

There is also a maze next to the garden, which leads to a two-storey pavilion at the end of it. It offers lovely views of the surrounding mountains and the sunset, and is a great place for pictures too. During my visit to the garden, there were a few couples taking wedding photos around the area. The BlueSky Garden is open to the public for an entrance fee of THB100 (US$3), but resort guests can roam around freely.

At the Blue Sky Resort Khao Kho’s 360 View Point.

The breathtaking view of the resort and the surrounding Khao Khao mountain-range.

Sunset at the 360 View Point.

Such a gorgeous little garden to watch the end of the day.

The wonderful peeps of the Blue Sky Resort, just chilling on the grass.

360° View Point and a Gorgeous Sunset

I thought that my elevated view of the resort from the rooftop towers were absolutely gorgeous — until I made my way up to its 360° View Point. Didn’t think it could get any… uhmm, gorgeous-er, but it did. Located on top of a hill right behind The Blue Sky Resort Khao Kho, the garden space at the viewpoint is also wonderfully designed — it has trimmed grass, flower swings, and little cabanas with net hammocks. There’s also another pavilion in the area, with even higher views of the already high views of the resort and its surrounding mountains.

We made it a point to visit at sunset, and boy, what a magnificent view it gave us. So for the most beautiful sunset views at The Blue Sky Resort Khao Kho, head to the 360° View Point at 5.30pm, and patiently watch the sky turn colors. To get to the viewpoint, there is a flight of stairs between the room buildings that lead up the hill — so I guess it is for resort guests only.

Dancing above the sea of clouds on the top of the Phu Thap Buek Mountain.

Don’t think I’ve ever seen a temple as beautiful as Wat Pha Sorn Kaew.

There’s almost 5 million mosaic tiles all around me!

Running towards the windmills at Khao Kho’s Wind Farm.

Abandoned military base on the mountains — remnants from the late 1900’s war for Khao Kho.

What to do in Khao Kho

I really could have just spent my days chilling and soaking in the beautiful surroundings at The Blue Sky Resort Khao Kho, but there are so many many things to do in Khao Kho. During our visit, we drove up the Phu Thap Buek Mountain at dawn to catch the most incredible view of the sea of clouds; visited Wat Pha Sorn Kaew that is probably THE most beautiful mosaic temple I have ever seen; traversed around the Khao Kho Wind Farm on a buggy; learned about the war history of Khao Kho; and visited some of the prettiest themed cafes in the area.

If you have time to visit the nearby towns and cities next to Khao Kho, and have a car or an assigned driver to bring you around (like us!) — drop by Lomsak that has an incredibly huge night market every Saturday; or the gateway of Phitsanulok to visit its huge temple, and dine with your legs hanging out! Will write more about my favorite things to do in Khao Kho in my next post.

A must-take picture with the BlueSky Resort Khao Kho sign!

I was surrounded with such mesmerising scenery — everywhere, everyday.

Beauty at every corner at the Blue Sky Resort.

The resort is surrounded by pretty benches, cute statues, colorful flowers and so much greenery.

Thanks for making my stay so lovely — Mr Johnny (far right), Mr Chanon (not in pic), Ms Bimb (second from right), Ms Bee (not in pic) and all the wonderful staff.

At the End of the Day

I had the most wonderful time at The Blue Sky Resort Khao Kho. Other than the picturesque views and the lovely English cottage-like rooms — I have to give a special mention to the wonderful staff at the resort. All throughout my stay, the service was impeccable, the people were friendly, and we were really made to feel as if we were ‘home’. As most visitors to the Khao Kho area are Thai, English is not as widely spoken here compared to the more touristy and busy cities in the country. However, there are a few who do speak excellent English; and whenever we encounter a communication problem with a staff, they would immediately find someone who could speak to us. It’s just amazing how good Thai hospitality is!

It’s hard to imagine a whole English countryside-themed resort nestled within the mountains in central Thailand, and even harder to imagine all the beautiful views all around it. I am so glad to have had the chance to visit this part of the country — and so thankful to be able to stay at The Blue Sky Resort Khao Kho. The resort is charming, dreamy, and absolutely enchanting. It’s a great place to come with family, friends; and in my case, that someone special — for a fun-filled, beauty-filled, and definitely photo-op-filled mountain getaway.

The clocktower of the Blue Sky Resort Khao Kho.

Found a tent at the BlueSky Garden to while the day away!

THE BLUE SKY RESORT KHAO KHO
Address: 96 Moo 5, T. Campson,
A Tambon Khao Kho, Khao Kho District,
Phetchabun 67280, Thailand.
Book on Agoda.

*She Walks the World stayed at the Blue Sky Resort Khao Kho as a guest; and as always, all opinions stated here are my own.
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