Located 2.5 hours northeast of Bangkok by car, Khao Yai has long been a best-kept secret among seasoned returning visitors to Thailand. Everything that made Thailand one of the world’s most popular destinations is neatly tucked into this compact UNESCO World Heritage site area, from lush landscapes and diverse ecosystems and wildlife, to regional culture, adventure activities and wellness destinations.

However, as this pocket of Thailand is the location for season three of White Lotus, it won’t remain a secret forever, with shooting underway later this year and the show poised to premiere some time in 2025. While the shoot will be split between some of the area’s most exclusive properties during the spring shoulder season, InterContinental Khao Yai Resort has all the earmarks of a top-tier destination the White Lotus traveler would savor. Opened in late 2022, architect Bill Bensley designed the resort with a worldly hotel feel tucked into an intimate 45 luxurious rooms and 16 suites. It also boasts the all-important sense of privacy as it is set into 19 hectares of lush tropical landscape with more than 30,000 trees and five lakes.

© InterContinental Khao Yai

Like White Lotus, Bensley’s approach taps into the region’s storied past, drawing upon its status as a former train travel hub. His layout works in 19^th-century heritage train carriages meticulously restored and upcycled into luxurious suites.

The journey is also relayed through the resort’s food outlets. Somying’s Kitchen offers all-day dining, named after the mother of the train conductor. Two of the upcycled train carriages make up Papillion Bar and the tea carriage. The Poirot Restaurant is named after Agatha Christie’s famous detective Hercule Poirot, and quarterly murder mystery dinners are conducted in his honor. Other facilities with their own delightful backdrops include an outdoor Water Tank Pool, a fitness center, Back on Track Spa (located in an upcycled heritage railcar with four individual treatment suites) and Planet Trekkers Kids Club (also housed in a heritage railcar).

© InterContinental Khao Yai

Beyond the resort, visitors will find all the essential outdoor activities that fit in so well in Thailand, from bush trail hikes to zip line rides to bike tours to mountain biking to golf courses (notably, Rancho Charnvee and Toscana Valley). There’s also treks around Khao Yai National Park’s lush forests, waterfalls and vistas. Wild elephants, gibbons and dozens of bird species are some of the wildlife one may spot while exploring the park. Ban Tha Chang Spring is noteworthy for its pristine water, ideal for swimming, and romantic picnic spots.

Small towns and villages, meanwhile, have everything a culture lover or foodie could wish for, starting with Khao Yai Art Museum and two prominent Buddhist temples (Wat Then Phithak Punnaram and Wat Pa Poo Hai Long). One will also find organic farms, eco-tourism attractions, Khao Yai floating market, and independently owned cafés and restaurants. The most surprising finds for some may be the region’s growing wine industry and vineyards; and the Toscana Valley, which fuses together central Italian and central Thai sensibilities.