Rasananda Resort, Thong Nai Pan Noi Beach, Koh Phangan

Rasananda Resort, Thong Nai Pan Noi Beach, Koh Phangan

You want luxury and a perfect location in Koh Phangan, Rasananda is the place for you!

While well known around the globe for its world famous festivities, Koh Phangan actually has isolated hideaways which bring the gift of tranquility to discerning travelers. Rasananda is an oasis of 44 villas and suites sprawled over 200 meters of sea-view frontage along the pristine white sands of Tong Nai Pan Noi beach, northeast of Phangan island, just 30 minutes away by private speedboat from Samui.

Each of the 44 villas and suites has a private pool and all rooms are well decorated using many locally found materials and include modern amenities like satellite (Apple) LCD TV, home theater, high speed internet access and mini bar. Other hotel facilities for recreation and relaxation include a 'water garden' with bubble-beds, Jacuzzi, sundeck, a fantastic massage service and a yoga studio. The onsite restaurant serves delicious cuisines from around the world as well as reasonably priced fresh seafood.

If you want to get pampered and have the budget to do so, Rasananda is the place to be on Koh Phangan.

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Thai Villa with pool

Garden Suite with Pool

Ocean Front Garden Suite

Ocean Front Pool Villa

Beach View

Hat Yai Golden Crown Hotel, Hat Yai

Hat Yai Golden Crown Hotel, Hat Yai

Memories come back of making visa runs and trips and they always included a nights lay over in Hat Yai.

Nowadays the visa runs are done within a day from Samui, leaving at silly o'clock in the morning and arriving late in the evening back on the island. Not my style at all. I preferred to take the local bus to Hat Yai, from there take a mini bus to the border and than back to Hat Yai or Song Kla with a taxi. Piece of cake and you had a night rest in Hat Yai. This was in the days when there were no shopping malls on Koh Samui! Hat Yai was a nice break.

Had Yai is also known as one of the few cities besides Phuket where the Vegetarian festival is celebrated. A very interesting experience indeed.

My visa run days were way before I started my blogs so unfortunately not too many posts about those trips but nonetheless, let's get back the matter at hand and that's a hotel in Had Yai.

The Had Yai Golden Crown is a typical hotel for the city, cheap, conveniently located near the city and it's shopping. Nothing more, nothing less. For under a 1.000,-THB you get a room, what else do you need just for the night?

Enjoy Had Yai and I still dream of a Chinese restaurant near the rail way station, it was that good!

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Standard Room

Guest room

Guest room

Entrance

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!

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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!

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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.

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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.

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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.

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One bed room suite

One bed room corner suite

Suite room

Kitchen

Swimming pool