Lanta Nakara Resort, Koh Lanta, Krabi

Lanta Nakara Resort, Koh Lanta, Krabi

Lanta Nakara Resort is a beautifully landscaped tropical resort offering a relaxed atmosphere. of Long Beach, the longest beach on Koh Lanta. Located only 70 kilometers from Krabi, the family-operated, beach side Lanta Nakara Resort offers complete relaxation in beautiful surroundings.

Dining options include a restaurant featuring the chef who helped make Relax Bay Tropicana famous.

Water temperature remains at 28-30 degrees all year and the three kilometer beach invites long lazy walks.There is excellent swimming and a rock reef for snorkeling five minutes walk away.

Nakara Resort offers 3 types of guest rooms with a total of 74 rooms; 8 Beachfront bungalows, 32 Luxury bungalows, 19 Deluxe bungalows and 15 Superior Bungalows.

A medium ranged priced resort, well worth visiting on a long stretching beach of lovely Koh Lanta.

Booking by Hotels Combined

Booking by Agoda

Deluxe bungalow

Luxury Bungalow Bedroom

Swimming Pool

Koh Lanta scenery

Long Beach

The Centric Ratchada Hotel, Bangkok

The Centric Ratchada Hotel, Bangkok

Stayed in this hotel in Bangkok since it was conveniently located for me during that specific trip. It is around the corner of the Fortune Tower IT Mall and it's located within a 5 minute walk from Rama 9 MRTA subway station.

Being located at the corner of Ratchadapisek and Ding Daen and very near Asoke junction on Sukhumvit, the location is central and very good.

It's also close to Bangkok's Suvarnabumi airport, it took me 30 minutes during the day time from the hotel to the airport.

The staff was very friendly, helpful and accommodating. Upon arrival I was transferred to 3 different rooms before I finally had a room with wifi connection. Only certain floors have wifi, so make sure you get on to the right floor, the 8th floor is one of those floors that supports wifi. At the reception cards can be purchased.

The hotel seems to be popular with Asian travel parties, Chinese mainly but there were plenty of other Asian travellers in the hotel when I was there.

Breakfast was very Asian but had also toast and eggs to offer, a bit meagre on the Western side.

The rooms were ok but all 3 rooms that I got to see smelled very strongly of tobacco, a typical Asian feat it seems.

The rooms itself were pretty non descript although rather spacious with a separated shower/bathroom/wardrobe (with safety box) area.

The lobby was big but lacked atmosphere.

The hotel is located in a small soi which may be hard to find, although Bangkok taxi drivers tend to know it. The soi has a few interesting small shops and restaurants to show.

The room rate was good, just below 1.500,-THB including breakfast and all taxes.

Booking by Hotels Combined

Booking by Agoda

Mango Bay Grand Resort, Koh Tao

Mango Bay Grand Resort, Koh Tao

As a diver living on Koh Samui, see my dive blog for my dive adventures, I've been diving Mango Bay and Koh Tao since I arrived on these shores, in 1999. Mango Bay was a popular spot for it's shallow but beautiful waters. It's always been a snorkelers paradise and for entry level dives it's an excellent training location.

Over the years this beautiful bay on Koh Tao has seen a bit of development and one of the results is Mango Bay Grand Resort. The bay can be reached by long tail boat by means of a free shuttle service or when weather conditions won't allow this, by an unpaved road and from the parking lot it's just 400 steps down to the resort!

Similar to the resort, all building materials had to be brought in by boat!

The views here are spectacular and you can literally drop from the mooring point into the clear water.

Things to keep in mind that it is very isolated, so bring all you need (cash, books etc) and electricity is only available from 6 pm to midnight, so it can get very hot and sweaty in your room. Back to the basics on Koh Tao!

Rooms are fairly priced and if you're looking for a (very) quiet and relaxing environment, this may be it!

Booking by Hotels Combined

Booking by Agoda

Room with fan

Bungalow with aircon

Bungalow on the slopes


Sea view

Sea Lodge, Koh Tao

Sea Lodge, Koh Tao

This is the place where I usually stay when I'm on Koh Tao and I'm there quite a lot, for work when I accompany my IDC candidates for moral and logistical support for their their PADI IE's. Possibly I'm there 5 or 6 times a year at least. After Koh Samui where I live since 1999, this must be the place in Thailand where I spend a lot of time.

The Sea Lodge only has 4 rooms, a family room with 3 beds, accommodating 4 people, a room with 2 beds and 2 rooms accommodating two people, one room with a twin and one room with a double bed.

Breakfast is optional but all rooms are fitted with air conditioning and ceiling fans, hot water shower, mini bar, 40 channel satellite TV and free wifi.

The location is excellent! Coming off the Seatran ferry, it's straight ahead, 50 meters from the pier, the building you will be facing walking off the ferry, smack downtown Mae Haad, so to speak. Plenty of good restaurants in walking distance and all dive boats leave within a 100 meters from the Sea Lodge.

Convenient and easy if you're diving on Koh Tao or just for a couple of days on business or a short breakaway.

Booking by Agoda

Booking by Hotels Combined

The family room

Sunset on Koh Tao viewed from the Sea Lodge

Novotel Centara, Hat Yai

Novotel Centara, Hat Yai

The Novotel Centara Hat Yai Hotel, is in the heart of the city's commercial and shopping districts, within easy reach of the airport, connections to Bangkok, and the Malaysian border.

With this in mind, it's ideally located if you're doing a visa/border run or if you're just visiting this bustling Southern Thai city.

With five meeting rooms able to accommodate up to 300 people, the Novotel Centara Hat Yai Hotel offers an ideal venue for business and social gatherings of every kind. The business center provides Internet access, fax/photocopying services, translation facilities, and secretarial services. The four restaurants and the bar at the Novotel Centara Hat Yai Hotel serve a variety of different cuisines. The 237 well-appointed guestrooms and suites offer a range of amenities to ensure a relaxing stay. Recreational facilities include a swimming pool, a fully equipped fitness center, a sauna, and traditional Thai massage treatments.

If you don't want to try out some excellent restaurants, lining the bustling city streets, you can try one of these indoor restaurants;

Lobby Lounge Enjoy cocktails and live music. Opening hours: 4pm-1am on weekdays, 4pm-2am on weekends.

Cappuccino Corner Relax with coffee, tea, fruit juice or delicious baked goods. Opening hours: 9am-9.30pm.

Saneha Cafe Restaurant Authentic Thai and selected international cuisine. Open hours: 6.30am-11.30pm.

Hagi Japanese Corner Fine Japanese cuisine. Opening hours: 11.30am – 9.30pm.

Ginger Authentic Thai, Japanese and Chinese cuisine with a wine bar and live music. Opening hours: 11.30am - 2pm for lunch and 6pm to 11pm for dinner.

Good rates and great location, if in Hat Yai, definitely worth wile looking into with affordable rates.

Booking by Hotels Combined

Booking by Agoda

Deluxe room

Dynasty Club Room; Spacious 36 sqm. room featuring air-conditioning, private bathroom bath/shower, Satellite TV/ Movies, Minibar, In-room safe, Internet Access, etc. Dynasty Club lounge and benefits included.

One of the restaurants

Exterior view of the Novotel Centara Hotel in Hat Yai.

Xen Suites, Don Muang, Bangkok

Xen Suites, Don Muang, Bangkok

My parents stayed here during the airport closures in Bangkok at the end of 2008 in November for two nights, during the protests that made world wide news.

The hotel is very conveniently located near Bangkok's domestic Don Muang airport and the Impact Exhibition & Convention center, the largest exhibition and convention center in Thailand.

An IT center is also within walking distance and two big shopping malls are within easy taxi reach at Chaeng Wattana, a well known road in Bangkok.

Xen Suites is formerly and probably better known by taxi drives as Quality Suites.

The price and quality of the rooms are good and if you need to be in this area, it's excellent value for money.

Booking by Hotels Combined

Booking by Agoda

Imperial Queen's Park Hotel, Bangkok

Imperial Queen's Park Hotel, Bangkok

Imperial Queen's Park is the only hotel in Bangkok with direct access to a park. Fresh-air, lush gardens, ponds, badminton, and a playground are, just down the steps from the Parkview Restaurant, in Benjasiri Park. Nearby find a driving range and tennis courts. Imperial Queen's Park is located on Soi 22, in the middle of the bustling Sukhumvit restaurant and entertainment district. Prom Phong BTS Skytrain stop, Emporium Shopping Center and the famous Queen Sirikit Conference Center are all a few minutes walk away. Designed to appeal to all guests, one pool will be in the shade while the other is in the sun, there are pools on the 4th and the 9th floor.

A magnificent 37-storey, twin tower hotel, The Imperial Queen's Park Hotel dominantly graces Bangkok's beautiful skyline, from its downtown Sukhumvit Road location. With its outstanding first-class facilities and services, this grand hotel is destined for legendary status.

Everything in this 1,400 guest room hotel is on a grand scale; The 1,600 square metre bobby is four times the size of those in ordinary hotels; deluxe rooms are a spacious 38 to 40 sq.m. and a grand 700 sq.m. Penthouse; luxury suites range in size from 240 to 350 sq.m.: there are over 2,500 sq.m. of convention space; two swimming pools set in roof-top gardens; and six exquisitely designed restaurants specializing in Thai, Japanese, Chinese Continental, Vietnamese cuisines which have numerous private rooms for business functions and intimate dining.

It's also part of the Imperial group that houses the Imperial Boathouse and Imperial Samui on Koh Samui.

Although this is a top end hotel, I find the rates rather affordable and excellent value for money.

The hotel supports also various restaurants;

Parkview Restaurant

Located on the ground floor with direct access to Benjasiri Park, this round-the-clock restaurant offers a wide selection of meals. From 6am-10am a buffet breakfast which features Western and Oriental favorites is available. Lunch and dinner buffets have carving stations and dessert counters.

Lai Thong Thai Restaurant

Lai Thong Thai Restaurant is located on the lobby level and offers Royal Thai Cuisine in a modern Thai setting. The restaurant features a wide selection of entrees as well as set menus on special occasions. Open for dinner only from 6pm-10pm. lobby level

Les Nymphéas French Restaurant

Located on the 4th floor overlooking the pool, 'Les Nymphéas' delights guests with authentic French cuisine and large Monet reproductions. Open for lunch 11:30am-2pm and dinner 6pm-10pm.

The Uncle Ho Vietnamese Restaurant

Located on the 4th floor, this well known and popular restaurant serves Vietnamese meals in a relaxed atmosphere. Lunch 11.30-2pm, dinner 6-10pm.

Shabu-Shabu

Located on the 9th floor, this is a favorite restaurant for those who enjoy the traditional Japanese experience of cooking raw ingredients at the table in a shabu-shabu or crockpot. A lot of fun for youngsters as well as grown-ups. Open 6-10pm.

Kacho Japanese Restaurant

Located on the top (37th) floor, Kacho offers lunch and dinner guests a spectacular view of Bangkok in elegant high-end surroundings. For a traditional Japanese experience try one of the seven private dining rooms. Lunch 11:30am-2pm, dinner 6-10pm.

The Lobby Lounge

You can sit leisurely or order snacks and drinks all day. In the afternoon there is an elaborate tea set up and a pianist to lend a pleasant sound to your mood. Open daily 10.30am-10.30pm.

The Sundowner's Jazz Club

Meet friends and business associates while listening to the eclectic sounds of a live band. The Sundowner's Jazz Bar is a pleasurable venue to meet at. Open Daily 5pm-2am.

The Imperial China Chinese Restaurant

Also situated on the 4th floor, this restaurant serves Cantonese cuisine in a luxurious setting. There are eight private rooms as well as a special room for a private party of up to 120. As well as the popular a la carte favorites, Dim Sum is served at lunchtimes.

Great location in Bangkok and excellent value for money thus receiving my recommendation.

Booking by Hotels Combined

Booking by Agoda