Bunloed and Angelina (he's Thai, she's French) welcome guests to this charming cluster of self-built huts they call home on the edge of peaceful Ban Kham Pia village, near Phu Wua Wildlife Sanctuary. This is not only the best place from which to explore Phu Wua, it's also a fabulously friendly homestay offering a rare window into traditional Isan village life.
Bunloed built this place himself in order to establish a homestay in his home village. He designed and built the bamboo guest huts, the mud-walled, open kitchen and dining area, and the mud-brick family home. He also planted all the tropical trees and plants that scatter the garden – orchids, pineapples, coconut palms, mangoes, mangosteens, rambutans; all grown organically. He can act as your park guide (around 400/600/800B per half-day/full day/overnight), or simply give you advice on how to explore the area on your own. There are bikes and motorbikes you can use, tasty Isan meals are available, and the owners can introduce you to the mát·mèe weavers and rice farmers of the village. In fact, the homestay is surrounded by rice paddies, most of which are owned by Bunloed's brothers and sisters.
This is a rare opportunity to experience traditional Isan life with a family who can speak English (and French) and who understand the needs and expectations of both foreign travellers and local villagers. Accommodation is basic but comfortable; you fall asleep to the magical sounds of the forest, to be woken by the cry of the village cockerels. It's the sort of place you visit for a day or two, then don't want to leave.
If you're coming by bus, Bunloed will pick you up from Ban Don Chik village on the highway, but it's only a 3km walk. There's no sign for the homestay, but it's the first place to the left of the school at the far end of the village.