Pimalai Resort & Spa, Koh Lanta

Pimalai Resort & Spa, Koh Lanta

This luxurious resort is nestled in a tropical forest facing a pristine white sand beach which is one of Koh Lanta’s finest. Pimalai (a member of the Small Luxury Hotels of the World) is set on 100 acres of lush greenery and directly on a stretch of unspoiled beach.

This exclusive beach resort combines all the right ingredients - subtle five star comforts, natural beauty, environmental friendliness and lots of space.

There are 121 accommodation units to choose from, 3 restaurants, 2 swimming pools and a fantastic beach to top it all off. It's located in the Southern part of Koh Lanta at Ba Kan Biang Bay and beach. A small village is within a 10 minute walk and gives some alternatives in case you get bored of the excellent food in the hotel!

If you want a quiet beach, luxury and great food and accommodation, without a doubt this must be your call on Koh Lanta. Room rates aren't cheap but worth every Baht!

Bookings by Agoda

Bookings by Hotels Combined

Deluxe room

Pavilion suite living room

Beach Villa 2 bed rooms, living room area

Bay front deluxe room

The Horizon Swimming pool

Centara Duangtawan, Chiang Mai

Centara Duangtawan, Chiang Mai

My sister stayed in the Centara Duangtawan in Chiang Mai for a couple of days in July 2010 and they really liked the hotel.

The Centara Duangtawan is located directly near the old town of Chiang Mai, as centrally located as you can think of and the hotel is just moments away from the stellar Night Bazaar and it's world famous shopping area.

The breakfast is up to Centara standards and they have a pool on one of the lower floors although i personally almost never use a pool when I'm in a hotel in the city.

The prices for this hotel are also stunning and are a real steal.

If I end up in Chiang Mai, I know which hotel will be very high on my priority list!

Booking by Agoda

Booking by Hotels Combined

Hotel exterior

Deluxe room

One bedroom suite

Family suite

Swimming pool

Milky Bay Resort, Ao Ban Tai, Koh Phangan

Milky Bay Resort, Ao Ban Tai, Koh Phangan

Located at the long stretching Ao Ban Tai on Koh Phangan and is part of the long unbroken stretch of white sand beach that runs from Ban Khai right the way up to Thongsala. Most of the land along the coastline has been formed as coconut plantation and the area takes on a dreamy desert island feel with palms leaning into the calm emerald sea. Ao Ban Tai has a broad beach that is protected from the high seas by the rich coral reef that follows the south and west coastline, providing a haven for beautiful and harmless marine life and a great place to go snorkeling.

The resort is also located relatively near the Haad Rin or Full Moon Party beach, so an ideal location if that's your reason for visiting, although 4 nights accommodation are required over the FMP period.

The staff is very accommodating and friendly in this resort and the bungalows at Milky Bay all come with air-con and hot water as standard. The decor inside the rooms is pleasing and each room has a spacious balcony with sea or garden views.

On the beachfront there is a volleyball net, other activities include table tennis, free pool tables in the bar area and of course the sunset swimming pool. Other facilities include massage sala, herbal steam room and salon.

A good location with rooms in various price ranges.

Booking by Agoda

Booking by Hotels Combined

Superior room

Studio

Beach front Studio

Double room Villa

Beach

Kao Lak Youth Club, Kao Lak

Kao Lak Youth Club, Kao Lak

During a Similan Islands dive trip in January 2009, I stayed one night in this Youth Club in Kao Lak.

The name is rather misleading though, it's a hotel with a couple of stand alone bungalows build on a hill and isn't anywhere what you would expect from a youth club.

The rooms are all wood and simple but nice, if you're near reception you also get Wifi in the room. The rooms also come with air conditioning, TV and fridge, pretty much what you would expect in your average hotel room and not in a youth club.

They're located very centrally inside Kao Lak, not on the beach if that's what you're looking for and they're very reasonably priced.

A good choice for me when I was passing through, convenient and price conscious.

Booking by Agoda

Booking by Hotels Combined

View of reception with resort in the back

Bungalow

Amari Nova Suite Hotel, Pattaya

Amari Nova Suite Hotel, Pattaya

Having just stayed in the Amari Nova Platinum for the third time, it''s worthwhile pointing this Amari hotel in Pattaya out as well.

It's not as conveniently located as the Nova Platinum, it's actually hidden between some small streets where only local Pattaya cab drivers know their way around, so make sure you pick up a card from the reception with instructions in Thai to find it back. The hotel does offer golf cart trips to the main road where you can jump on a 10 Baht taxi and you'll find that the entertainment and shopping areas aren't actually that far away.

The 77 studios and bedroom suites are spacious though and are well worth their value.

The extensive facilities have been designed to pamper guests and also include a rooftop swimming pool with jacuzzi and a fitness centre. The hotel is home to a stylishly innovative lounging and dining experience with the (‘Minus 5’) -5 Supperclub, a trendy restaurant to chill out in with family and friends, as well as the coolest bar in this bustling city, -5 Ice Bar, where chilled drinks and funky tunes are served at subzero temperatures.

All around this hotel gets the thumbs up and for a nice relaxation time, it's highly recommended.

Booking by Agoda

Booking by Hotels Combined

One bed room suite

One bed room corner suite

Suite room

Kitchen

Swimming pool

Haad Yao Bay View Resort, Koh Phangan

Haad Yao Bay View Resort, Koh Phangan

This is located at one of the longer beaches on Koh Phangan, Haad means beach in Thai and Yao means big. The resort used to house the first concrete building on this beach, a good 10 or so years ago and whilst visiting Koh Phangan very recently for the very first time after having lived on Koh Samui for almost 11 years, I stayed at this resort.

It's very conveniently located on Haad Yao, at the Northern corner and has very attractive prices on all of their rooms, all fitted with air con and wifi in the room. The staff was also very help full. When I was there earlier this month it was a very young average guest staying there.

If you want a convenient and fairly cheap aircon room and don't mind the big concrete building compared to the cosy bungalows Koh Phangan has to offer, this place may be well down your alley.

Booking by Agoda

Booking by Hotels Combined

Standard room

Swimming pool

Exterior view from the beach

Haad Yao beach looking South

Kaw Kwang Beach Resort, Koh Lanta

Kaw Kwang Beach Resort, Koh Lanta

It has been around 16 years since I was first on Koh Lanta and a few years later I visited again. May 2010 saw the return of me and instead of a single traveller back in the days, I came with my family this time around.

Back in the days it was just sand roads around the island and Kaw Kwang Beach resort was a top end resort and one of the very first resorts on the island at all.

Time does tell and the resort nowadays has lost a bit of its former glory. The resort is now surrounded by high end resorts 21st century style. This is no problem however since the rooms at Kaw Kwang are decently priced and especially the Garden View rooms and bungalows have excellent value.

One of the other things that didn't change over all those years are the nice beaches, seemingly endless long and hardly occupied, although in all fairness, we visited during the beginning of low season and many places around the island were already closed.

We had a family room, which was a basic two room bungalow, the only thing that comes to mind was that the bathroom had a strong smell, so we sprayed, which helped. I did notice at reception that we weren't the only ones with this problem. At the end of the day no serious big problem, I guess it comes with an aged resort.

Wifi was available at the reception area only but of good quality and the food was ok, big portions but nothing special. They have a very nice garden to relax in and a lovely piece of beach in front.

It was great to be back on Koh Lanta again and we all enjoyed our stay at Kaw Kwang. For a good deal, you might want to check this resort out, decent prices and very near the piers and ferries at Saladan village.

Booking by Agoda

Booking by Hotels Combined

Pool

Modern Beach front bungalow

Deluxe Beach and Superior Garden view

Family room

Pool with ocean and beach view

Relaxing garden with sala

Klong Kao beach