Nuch's Apple Guest House — An Apple-Shaped Pool in a Garden Where the Owner Learns Your Name on Day One
Places like this are getting harder to find. Nuch's Apple Guest House isn't a big hotel or a polished resort — it's a small home with just three rooms, set in a tropical garden in the Si Bun Rueang countryside of Nong Bua Lamphu, where the owner looks after every guest personally. What people keep coming back to in their reviews is the apple-shaped swimming pool ringed by green garden, and the breakfast that Khun Nuch cooks fresh each morning. If you want somewhere quiet and genuinely friendly rather than a row of identical hotel doors, this is the answer.
Start with the shape of the place. Nuch's Apple Guest House is a small guest house the owner runs out of her own home in a garden setting at Ban Saeng Sawang, Nong Bua Tai, in Si Bun Rueang district — south of Nong Bua Lamphu town. There are only three air-conditioned double rooms, each with a garden view, a queen bed, and a private bathroom. Because the place is so small, the feel is closer to staying with relatives than checking into a hotel — several guests mention talking with the host within minutes of arriving.
The feature every review mentions is the apple-shaped pool in the garden. It's an outdoor pool with a rounded apple-curve outline, a wide deck, two carved wooden elephants standing guard, and banana trees, palms and tropical flowers all around it. The water is clear and blue, and it catches sun most of the day. Late afternoon, once the air cools off, is the easiest time to get in. This is the detail that sets the place apart from most guest houses in the province, where a pool simply isn't on offer.
Breakfast is the other thing guests single out. The kitchen makes both Thai and Western breakfast fresh to order — not a buffet left under heat lamps — when you arrange it ahead. Some reviewers note that with notice, the host will also cook a Thai dinner. One international guest recalls being collected from the airport and welcomed with a glass of wine on the balcony — the kind of looking-after a chain hotel can't really do.
One guest describes it as "a beautiful guest house in a tropical garden, with a special apple-shaped pool and a very charming hostess."
The rooms themselves are better fitted out than you'd expect of a two-star guest house. Reviewers point to plenty of power outlets, a large wardrobe, and a spacious bathroom with natural ventilation. The beds are comfortable and the linen is clean. The décor is simple, with brown timber furniture and framed fruit pictures on the wall that nod to the apple theme. Cleanliness is the one thing guests agree on without exception — it's consistently well kept.
Understand the location before you book. This is rural Si Bun Rueang, not the town centre — villages and fields all around, genuinely quiet, but it means you really want your own car or a rental to make it work. Wat Pa Chantharaprasit is just 0.6 km away, Phu Wiang National Park is around 14 km, and Phu Kao–Phu Phan Kham National Park is about 24 km. The nearest airport is Khon Kaen, roughly 65 km away — a little over an hour by car.
The score sits at 9.1/10 on Trip.com, off a small number of reviews — it's a tiny place known mostly by word of mouth. On TripAdvisor it holds 4.8/5 and ranks first in its category in Si Bun Rueang. The honest limitations worth knowing up front: there are only three rooms, so they fill quickly on holidays; it's a drive from restaurants and convenience stores; and there's no formal airport transfer service (though the owner can help arrange one if you ask in advance). Pets are not allowed.
The bottom line: Nuch's Apple Guest House works for anyone who wants a quiet garden stay, a host who looks after you closely, and a pool at guest-house prices. From around ฿760/night it's strong value once you factor in the pool, the garden, and breakfast cooked to order. If you're driving through Isan and want an unhurried stop, or visiting family around Si Bun Rueang, book ahead — with only three rooms, it doesn't take much to fill them.
Summary from Booking & Agoda
- ✓ Warm, attentive host who looks after every detail
- ✓ Apple-shaped garden pool unlike anywhere else nearby
- ✓ Clean rooms, comfortable beds, spacious bathroom
- ✓ Fresh-cooked breakfast — both Thai and Western
- ! Only three rooms — hard to book on holidays
- ! Rural setting, you'll want your own transport
- ! A drive from restaurants and convenience stores
- ✓ Quiet home in a tropical garden, lovely atmosphere
- ✓ Rooms have many power outlets, big wardrobe, spacious bathroom
- ✓ Host helps arrange transport and suggests things to do
- ✓ Excellent value for a place that has a pool
- ! Few rooms — plan and book ahead
- ! No formal airport transfer service
- ! Pets not allowed
- 💡If you're coming on a long weekend — there are only three rooms and they fill fast → book several weeks ahead and message the owner to confirm availability before you travel
- 💡If you don't have a car — the guest house sits in rural Si Bun Rueang, a drive from restaurants and shops → rent a car or arrange transport with the owner in advance
- 💡If you want breakfast or dinner — the kitchen cooks to order, so it needs notice → tell the owner how many meals you'd like when you book so the ingredients are ready