Traveler Review on Koh Phi Phi

Total rip off hotel

Me and my boyfriend arrived in Phi Phi and were ushered towards all the different places to stay on the island. The place I had ear marked to stay in was apparently fully booked and was recommended staying PPD Chukit as it had a half price deal making it 1800 baht. After being shown the room, I found a cockroach... not a good start. Then went to cool off in the pool, which turned out to be a basically nothing much more than a paddling/dip pool. Dinner was provided in the evening, which was an incredibly basic buffet, but to my horror when putting more food out they put the fresh food on top of the food that had been there for however knows how long! Then to make me feel even worse breakfast was exactly the same food in the morning!!!
The final straw to this hotel was at the end of our stay they tried to claim we were checking out late (which we weren't) and tried to charge us for another night!!!
Totally over priced hotel, would not recommend it to anyone... unless you have lots of money to throw around and don't care about sharing your room with cockroaches!

Ruined our stay in paradise

My husband and I booked a trip to the Phi Phi islands in Thailand from Phuket. There are many travel shops where you can do this and we went around a lot of them searching for the cheapest price. Every single one recommended the Phi Phi Don Chukit Resort as the best resort to stay in and so we booked it up. It was a package trip including boat, snorkelling on the first day and two nights on the main island, Phi Phi Don.

The resort is a long walk down from the pier when you're carrying a heavy backpack but the location is great in Tonsai Bay near shops, stalls, restaurants and bars. It looks beautiful from the outside - petite pale blue bungalows surrounded by green grass and palm trees on one of the world's most idyllic islands. However, disaster loomed straight away and the horrible sounding name of the resort really just sums it up.

After being in our room for 2 minutes I noticed a black mark on the wall. When I went over to inspect it, it was actually a huge line of ants parading their way up our wall and over the bed towards a suspicious looking spot of dirt. I followed the trail backwards and it took me all the way across the wall where they eventually disappeared out the window. Now, some bugs I don't like and I would have freaked out if it had been spiders or beetles or something, and I don't mind ants, but there were literally hundreds of them and, quite frankly, I wasn't going to sleep anywhere near them and especially not on the bed where they'd be trailing over my head. I would have had to have kept my mouth firmly closed all night in fear of swallowing the tiny things. Plus our toilet was leaking. We went straight back to reception where a couple of the staff followed us back to our room with pest spray. Well, really this wasn't going to get rid of them, there were far too many and the procession was getting bigger every second. One of the woman then began to slap at the wall with her hand so some of the ants dropped to the floor. The other then sprayed the pesticide all around the room. They then looked at us as if to say, there problem solved! I told them no way was I still sleeping in there - there were now dead ants all over the floor and the bed and they were still coming in through the window (which wouldn't completely shut properly so there was no way of stopping them). They said it was fine and that we could change rooms straight away so I didn't need to make a fuss which I was very happy about.

They took us to another room and we checked the place thoroughly before agreeing to it. After no signs of ants or any other such disgusting insects, we took to checking some of the island out. On our second day on the island however, we were joyfully met by, yes, more ants. I couldn't believe it! There weren't anywhere near as many this time though and they weren't near the bed so I wasn't too bothered by them. We did have another little visitor though - a gecko lizard that just would not leave our room. My husband hates lizards and he freaked out which gave me a good laugh but even I jumped up on the bed with this one as it was a fast little thing. Eventually we managed to get it out the door and get to bed.

We did have other problems with the resort - the shower room was dirty and the water smelt rotten and whenever we used the shower it didn't even feel like we were clean. The room was generally nice though - a decent size with a big bed and a TV, and the buffet breakfast in the restaurant was nice with lovely views overlooking the bay.

The morning of our departure I ended up in tears. I opened my backpack to pack my bits and bobs in to find it completely infested with the tiny ants. The little buggers had managed to get in every pocket and crevice possible and were all in my clothes and make up bag. We used up almost an entire body spray killing them off but my bag was still full of them. I hated having to carry it around on my back in case they started crawling up my neck. There were so many in there that I had to buy a new bag when we got back to the mainland and ended up washing everything in my bag just in case there were still some left.

Room rates start at £20 a night for a standard fan room, reaching up to £140 for a deluxe family room. Because we paid for it as part of a package deal, we didn't pay as much, but on their website our garden view bungalow costs £45 a night and there is no way in hell it was anywhere near worth that amount.

Our problems may just have been because we were in a garden view bungalow and not a beach or sea front one, which may have been lovely, but the place just gave me a horrible view. We went there looking for a relaxing and wonderful stay in paradise and this resort just ruined it for us. I felt cheated out of our time there and I wish we could go back and stay in a different place instead so that we could have had the trip we expected and wanted it to be.

disgusting

arrived today with my girlfriend and fed up with 2 days of travelling about we ended up getting a beach front bungalow. true to most of the hotel leaflets in thailand, which are clearly photo-shopped, it was nothing like the picture on the wall of the travel agent's. it smelt of disinfectant, but a cold shower which washed the disinfectant away soon revealed the true, stale smell! the rooms are grotty, basic, and poorly maintained. we werent excepting the savoy, but at 1400 baht for the night we expected cleanliness. the staff are rude so i cant even be bothered to argue the toss, and the kid who wheeled our bags from the pier to the room wouldnt leave us until we tipped him. unfortunately we didnt have any setang or 1 baht coins so we had to give him 20 to get rid of him! we're currently on the net looking for somewhere else with decent reviews!

From : http://www.tripadvisor.com/

Traveler Reviews Koh Samui

Best Food on the Island

Agree with majority of people. This place is fantastic. We were backpacking, so the cheap food was perfect for us. Again, had to Q and wait for a seat, but goes to show how popular this place was. Even when there were no tables, they got some from the back and made room for you. Def recommend the pancakes! They came in handy after an evening on the road drinking and partying! Just goes to show, never judge a book by its cover......

Best of Chaweng

The vast majority of restaurants in Chaweng are overpriced and pretentious. Thank heavens for Ninja Crepes! The food here is really fresh, delicious and reasonably priced. It is made and served by a jolly Thai lady (the owner, I assume) who obviously takes great pride in making sure that everyone is happy. The portions may be a little small, but at these prices if you are a Western tourist you can afford to order two dishes if you are hungry! The best dishes I had at Ninja were the Thai fish cakes and the pla-muk-something-or-other (fresh deep fried squid that was caught the same morning). The service and setting may not be too flash, but the food is so good that it didn't really put us off at all. If you are in a rush, it's perfectly acceptable to walk up to the counter to order or pay your bill Thai-style.

true thailand on a plate

Very basic, but fantastic food, 3 of us had started, main & a few changs for 550bht! You have to wait a while (we waited about 30 mins) but then whats the rush!? and its worth the wait. People seem to take photos of the kitchen which is pretty much part of the seating area, certainly not a gordon ramsey restaurant, but for value for money its certainly worth a visit!

Great food, good prices

Very good thai food, and good prices. I'd definitely eat here again if I go back to Koh Samui. Sparse decorations, plastic chairs and busy atmosphere, but very good food and efficient staff

From : http://www.tripadvisor.com/

Traveler Reviews Khao Lak

Traveler Reviews Koh Phagnan

I stayed at Harmony Beach resort when I first arrived in Thailand and it was perfect! The beach is secluded and very peaceful, the staff were amazing, the food is lovely and the rooms were just right. As a lone traveler and 21 years old i was slightly worried about my trip in Thailand, but it was the perfect start to an amazing time in Thailand. I even went back there before i flew home for a few nights.

if you wanna experience true koh phangan, this is the place, waking up everyday on the beach with picturesque surroundings, accommodation nice and clean, great food and service, lots to do, the host dave is a legend, will help you with everything and he made our trip feel so safe, highly recommend anyone to stay there

We stayed at Harmony Beach for the full moon party in Sept 09. Place was really really nice - private beach and comfortable large rooms. Service was excellent, food was excellent and the owners and staff couldn't do enough to help. Easy access to Haad Rin without being in the heart of it and attracts a cool chilled out clientele. Perfect.

Harmony beach resort is paradise, when you first arrive it is in the middle of no where down the hillside, once you arrive it is just beautiful.
The rooms are very basic, (mosquito net is advised) but clean, the beach is fantastic however in rainy season the sea is not very deep so it is not suitable for swimming, and it is muddy underfoot. the pool is under redevelopment, which will be lovely once it is done.
the food and drink the bar/restaurant was lovely, very relaxed, the food was very nice and not to expensive considering the convenience.
if you are wanting a quiet place, i would advise to go when it is not the full moon party as it is full and alot nosier, however it is still nice, maximum amount of people is 40,
It is in the perfect location to get into Hadd rin for a night out 100 bhat pp for a taxi, which the staff will organise. The staff are fabulous, Chai esp went out of his way to make our stay as comfort as possible.
it is possible to hire a scooter from the road at the top of harmony beach for 200Bhat a day, ask the staff and they will point you in the right direction of some must see places.
all in all 5/5. i would go back at the drop of a hat.

My partner and I travelled to Koh Phangan for 5 days in June 2009. Harmony Beach Resort was exactly what we were looking for: a beautiful, quiet, tropical beach resort where we could relax, do nothing and unwind. The private beach is very beautiful with stunning rock formations at either end. Our room was fairly basic, comfortable, and air-conditioned. The free wifi worked outside on the balcony (and in the restaurant) but not in the room itself.

The resort has kayaks for complimentary use, which we really enjoyed. The restaurant makes excellent Thai meals (the Western food was average) at a price that is a little higher than the rest of Thailand, but we didn't mind for the convenience.

The staff - Chai and Neung - made our stay really special, helping us out beyond the call of duty. They organised a trip to the nearby Marine National Park, motorbike hire, and even arranged a large bike helmet for my big head!

The swimming pool was still 'under renovation', but we didn't mind as we were happy to swim at the beach. The resort was very quiet as it was off season and tourism was generally quiet in Thailand due to the economy / swine flu scare.

The resort was located on the main road between Thong Sala and Hat Rin just at the start of the nasty hilly section which meant that we could safely ride out motorbike around most of the island.

We would recommend Harmony Beach Resort to travellers looking for peace, quiet and a beautiful beach setting.

From : http://www.tripadvisor.com

This is just some information that led you to found a way. The location has many attractions. Where you can see from the article on August 3, I note not related to place or hotel owner who said anything.

Traveler Reviews Koh Samet

on Saikaew beach (white sand beach)

Just finished two nights at Sai Kaew B R. Right now the hotel resembles a construction zone! The charming beach front hotel I've stayed at previously, is in the process of being demolished and replaced with a western style resort. Part of the new hotel is open for business. They are offering discounted rooms while undergoing "renovations". It is a lot more and worse than that. So I would highly recommend staying away until all contruction is finished it's just not worth it.
A couple of other minor things - they charge 300thb for 1 hour of internet (about $8) and the connection is very slow. The pool area is nice but the water is not very clean. To get to the beach you have walk about 200 yds though the construction area and the air quality is terrible - not what you want at the beach.

I stayed here so many times. Rooms were comfy, very beautiful and super clean. Service, breakfast and location were great. Pools were nice and good for both adults and kids. They have many good restaurants wit fabulous taste and decoration also. Staff were very friendly and accommodating. We left our car at their parking next to the resort office. Can take thier boat from/to Koh Samed everyday , all free of charge!

I won't describe the rooms or sevice etc as this information is clear from the other reviews people have written, & I agree.
I'd just like to warn folks about the EXTENSIVE building work going on at the premises at the moment. To get to the main beach you have to walk between two buliding sites, which are curtained off with green netting. As the building work is fairly low tech there isn't too much noise, but you can still hear the work going on when you are on the beach, which detracts from the 'island paradise' feel.
The beach IS beautiful - but not that clean. There are suspicious looking black pipes running from the side of the restaurant into the sea, so we kept away from the small private bay. There was also some rubbish on the main beach & in the sea (nowhere as bad as some big beaches in the UK though!)

The restaurants on the main beach are pretty indifferent in the day, but some serve fabulous sea food in the evenings.

We only had one drink whilst on sunbeds near the hotel seafront restaurant. One beer and one lemon soda cost 365 baht (£7.30) . A cheap one course meal of noodles in a local cafe cost 30 baht (60p) so you can see why this had us reeling!!

Also, avoid the temple with the large Buddha behind the hotel. The monks will entice you in and then 'give' you lucky charms which they then want payment for, & if you give them some money they ask for more.

>>>if you need more than this. Discover articles in my blog by date 21 Aug 2009

From : www.tripadvisor.com

Review Koh Lanta Krabi

This Review is part of your readers want to know the story of this part of the island.

I would definetly recommend this place as long as you don't expect to see the sea when you are in your bungalow. We are staying here at the end of the low season and the price should be 1000B. We are paying 600B and it's certainly worth it.

We are staying in the Deluxe Beach Bungalow, it's a shame that you cannot see the beach from your bungalow as the window does not face the beach. You can see the beach from your veranda. The bungalow is spacious with air con, T.V with plenty of English speaking channels, hot shower and fridge. There is also a swimming pool which is in use at the moment (shallow pool for children as well). This is the one of the best deal's that we have had in Thailand.
The bungalow is clean and well maintained. Because it is low season, the bar and restaurant are closed until 1st November. Don't fear, plenty of places open nearby.
Prices go up on the Ist November.
Bungalow is fantastic, it has been furnished to make you feel that you are at home. The pool is well maintained.
From : http://www.virtualtourist.com/



Hubby and I honeymooned here in March 2009. We spent 4 days in Phuket before heading to Ko Lanta and the contrast is astounding. If you want night markets and grandpas in g-strings on beaches, Phuket is for you. If you want an entire coast of white sand / aqua water beaches with next to no one on them, then Ko Lanta it is. Sure there are resorts and tourists but you're not suffocated by them everywhere you go. It's very easy to get away from it all on Lanta :)


I stayed with my hubby and 6 other adult friends at Ancient Realm in late April ’09.

Green season had just started so we took advantage of the green promotion on A.R’s website (800 baht pn inc American style breakfast, free internet, 2 bottles of water in room daily, discount coupons for spa treatments, etc). We all agreed this was an excellent value for money package. To top it all off Clinton & Suki (the owners) had a 99 baht cocktail special (24/7) going while we were there. Suki and the bar staff make beautiful cocktails with no skimping on the alcohol (Suki is also a very good ‘shots’ creator)!

One of our group is taking his wife and teenager back in September to Thailand and has already booked a few nights again at A.R as part of their trip.

To summarise, the highlights for us were:
• outdoor hot water showers were great (toilet covered but not shower)
• air con in all of our rooms was quiet and very efficient
• showers had good pressure
• rooms very clean
• mini bar in room reasonably priced (I hardly use mini bars as they are often priced to the hilt but the prices weren't much more than buying them outside so we did indulge a couple of times).
• bungalows have small gardens around each with place to sit outside, creates ambience and a little space from neighbours
• resort right on beach
• circular bar with thatched roof is next to beach and a covered ‘relax’ area that has cushions, chairs, mattress type facilities to lounge around and read, play cards or talk
• motorbike rental was just as cheap as offsite rentals
• small, ambient places on beach to dine at reasonable prices (including A.R)
• free internet (bit slow sometimes but free and it worked so it did us okay)
• on a nice stretch of beach but also close to Saladan town

The BEST bit was perching ourselves on the tall bar stools around the circular bar hut right on the beach (think of the movie Cocktail); especially towards nights end and just shooting the breeze with Clinton, Suki, staff and other guests. One night it was just our group with Clinton and Suki; I got into the inner sanctum of the bar to learn how to make some of the cocktails we were enjoying! I also realised how many strawberries Suki uses in her strawberry daiquiris (major strawberry, major YUM!).

A.R has a small pool and a couple of cold water spas which looked very inviting which some in my group used; they are right next to the beachfront. Because the pool is on the small side I asked if this presented an issue for any of my friends and the consensus was “it was fine, a place to cool off in nice surroundings” and "it was nice to have even though the beach is right at your doorstep”. One of the guys jumped in fully clothed on a “it’s my holiday and I’ll do what I want to” whim! Another couple utilised the hammocks that are strung between trees in the garden near the bar and the neighbouring ‘balai’ type hut. Very ambient.

There weren’t really any ‘lowlights’ to speak of. Perhaps for peeps who want instant answers to a myriad of questions it would help if Clinton was sometimes a little quicker to respond via email; however I wish to stress ‘sometimes’ as being the operative word.

To balance this I’d also like to add that many other places we emailed in Malaysia, Thailand and Laos we didn’t even get responses. On the few times we had to wait a few days for a reply Clinton did then give a detailed response and the courtesy of an explanation (which he doesn’t have to do), but it was appreciated. Most of the time though he replied promptly and sometimes offered extra info to help with planning which was great!

The weather was not kind to us for ocean diving and snorkelling day trips, very rough and windy offshore, but that has nothing to do with the resort. The weather inland was great however so we hired motorbikes and explored the island (can be navigated in a day but you need 2 or 3 days if you want to relax the riding and stop to partake of activities like cave exploring, elephant riding, or swimming at all the beaches, etc). Suki arranged 4 motorbikes easily for us and just as cheap as anywhere else we found on the island.

The other thing we really appreciated was that the resort looked EXACTLY like the photo's on their website. I really do value websites that 'what you see IS what you get'!

If you read this Clinton and Suki – thank you for your positive and wonderful contribution to our month long Asian adventure. Some will see you again in September; hubby and I will see you next year to stay again and catch that diving we missed this time around. Good luck with you future endeavours too.

If anyone has specific questions that I haven’t covered in this generalised report please feel free to PM me.

Someone else has described Ancient Realm as a Flashpackers and I find myself inclined to agree in some respects. Before you write it off based on that assessment let me say it is a rare and wonderful thing to find a place that is good value that gives you that home away from home feel. Ancient Realm does exactly that. It has very comfortable accommodations that I can't flaw, that uber laid back feel and staff that have a bend-over backwards attitude. And the spa... oh the spa. Sooooooooooo good! Forget about the ridiculously expensive McDonaldsesque chain resorts and their 'pool scene' and stay here! You have an entire coast of Andaman sea beaches to choose from, who needs a pool? :)

Suki is an absolute treasure who truly cares about her guests. Clint is a bartender extraordinaire (among other things I'm sure) with an uncanny knack of making drinks appear bottomless. Scooter rental is super cheap and easy. Couple a scooter with a sense of adventure and you'll make some memories to tell the Grand kids about one day. On that note, if you're considering a traditional Thai bamboo tattoo as a take home momento make sure you see Kwan (http://www.myspace.com/kwanbambootattoo)

The only thing I can see room for improvement at Ancient Realm is the food. It wasn't bad, but it wasn't great either. Hubby and I aren't exactly foodies but we definitely like to seek out the good eats. Perhaps our expectations were a little high overall of Thai food, due to the amount of kick arrrrse Thai restaurants in Australia. Time for Lime next door was good, but a bit pricey. Funnily enough the best food we found on Lanta was the day before we left when we had lunch @ a dodgy looking restaurant attached to Ocean View Resort (down the beach about 5 minutes walk to the right of Ancient Realm). Their spring rolls were fresh, not frozen and the vegetarian green curry is the best I've ever had!

All in all we LOVED the 9 days we spent @ Ancient Realm and hope to make it back at some stage. Maybe a few years down the track we'll bring the kids... it is a VERY family friendly place, but not in an obnoxious "kids club" kind of way.

The Ancient Realm resort is a little paradise!! We have two children aged 8 and 12 and we planned on spending a week at the resort and then moving up the coast towards Krabi. However, we all had such a great time that we decided to spend a full 17 days at the resort. The staff are great and we really felt at home. I would highly recommend this resort to anyone who is looking for a very relaxing island style beach holiday

From : www.tripadvisor.com

Traveler Reviews Koh-Kood

Very near to Bangkok do not want no help. (But not Meeting friends move) so much fun and want to return any more help.
Beautiful atmosphere, good food, service excellent, but should improve.
I love this place, amazing sea, great staff
We stayed two nights package. It was very good . The sea food was very fresh. The sea was very clear. We wished to stay longer in this place.
Lovely very quiet spot, where guests do not talk much to each other. Enjoyed our stay after travelling in Laos for 3 weeks, but pleased we hung out with the locals away from the resort.
We spent Christmas at KK Resort and absolutely loved it! After a long trip via Trat and the S.A. Hotel (which I DO NOT recommend) we arrived at KK Resort a sunny morning. We stayed in a Garden Bungalow, which was clean and neat and with air-co. A beautiful terrass where we spent lazy nights watching starts and listening to the sounds of the island after dinner. The food was awesome, plain, no-fuss stuff, but fresh and exactly what you would expect in a place like this. The beach is rather small, but the bay is almost endless and you can easily find a spot far away from anybody else. Walking on the beach at sunset watching the starfish and crabs was a daily activity. Don't miss the waterfall! Have a dive in and enjoy the swim! Np ATM on the island so bring cash, or pay in advance. Really no need for much money as there really isn't anything to buy on the island! We're going back this year!
My wife and I recently booked the 4-night 'Romantic Getaway' package at Koh kood Resort(http://www.kohkoodresort.in.th/).The beach was not near as impressive as some of the others on the island, however the water is still very clean. The resort is set within a number of trees which unlike some of the other resorts that we saw provided nice shaded areas when you have had too much sun. The rooms are fairly basic but nice nonetheless and the air-con was an added bonus when required. The outdoor shower was a nice touch as well.When we stayed there were a number of dogs hanging around the resort that fought all day and night. The management did very little about this and it certainly made everyone on edge and unsettled and really did impact our 'romantic' experience. We spent many nights up late trying to get rid of the dogs and there wasn't a great deal that we could do.The romantic package is fairly good - the snorkelling was great fun and although the waterfall was relatively dry it was also good.Staying at the resort wasn't 'fun' - staff didn't encourage interaction between guests.For the money that we paid it was competitive with other resorts but if I had my time again I would probably go for somewhere like Neverland Resort which has an awesome beach.The website says that there is internet - but there isn't. We didn't need it but for those of you who do then you should know.We were told that we could pay the outstanding balance by credit card at the resort, however we were told that they do not have this facility and were forced to go to a neighbouring resort to use our card there. The manager at this resort charges you 5% commission so bring cash with you.Would I recommend it? No not really.
Koh Kood Resort is beautifully situated in a smaller bay, protected from the wind and waves. Water is clear, beach is small but nice. The bungalows are simple and cleaning is made upon request. This was a bit unclear from the beginning and informtion about the routines upon arrival were minimal. The staff was a bit "off" but very friendly and helpfull. If you want more fancy stuff you should choose the resort next to Koh Kood Resort, The Beach. We went there for dinners now and then and their internet was working, Koh Kood had constant errors with internet.One thing that we really appriciated was the absence of the obligational pop-hit music that is polluting most of the restaurants everywere, the Beach Resort included! We like eating our dinners listening to the waves of the sea, the birds and the wind in the palmtrees! And we surely did!I am a vegetarian and I missed the tofu-alternative, there was only a handful of dishes I could eat. But my wife and our friends enjoyed the food. It was simple and fresh, no fancie stuff here either!The place was not only visited by forigners but also Thai families were celebrating holidays there. That´s a plus for sure!We and our friends really enjoyed the simplicity and beauty of the Koh Kood Resort. I warmly recomend it!