Thailand (Lonely Planet, 13th Edition) - China Williams [595]
Phra Nang (0 7566 5025; www.vacationvillage.co.th; r 8000B; ) Charming Mallorca-style digs – they’re a bit pricey though.
Pimalai Resort & Spa (0 7560 7999; www.pimalai.com; r/bungalows 11,500-31,000B; ) The sprawling, manicured gardens are interspersed with splendid water features and fountains. The Thai villas all have slick, modern Thai furnishings and excellent views of the beautiful bay below. There are several pools and restaurants on the grounds, a spa and small library.
AO KHLONG JAAK
The splendid beach here is named after the inland waterfall.
Andalanta Resort (0 7566 5018; www.andalanta.com; bungalows 2500-6500B; ) You’ll find a large campus of comfortable and modern air-con bungalows (some with a loft), which all face out onto the sea. The garden is a delight, there’s an alluring restaurant, and the waterfall is a 30- to 40-minute walk away. Overall, Andalanta is one of the top spots for families. Call ahead and the staff will pick you up at Ban Sala Dan.
AO MAI PAI
There are only three resorts on this lovely isolated beach.
Bamboo Bay Resort (0 7561 8240; www.bamboobay.net; bungalows 700-1700B) Clinging to the hillside above Ao Mai Pai beach, this place has a variety of brick and concrete bungalows on stilts and a fine restaurant down on the sand. The best bungalows come with balconies and grand sea views – it’s worth paying the extra baht to stay in one.
Baan Phu Lae (08 1201 1704; www.baanphulae.com; bungalows 900-1200B; ) The restaurant and many of the bungalows sit right on the semiprivate beach and have perfect sunset views. The thatch bungalows come with bamboo-framed beds and rustic porches made for slinging up a hammock.
La Laanta (0 7566 5066; www.lalaanta.com; bungalows 2900-6300B; ) The southernmost resort on the island, La Laanta is perhaps the friendliest spot in the Land of Smiles, and it isn’t saccharine sweet – the owners are genuine folks who make sure all of their guests are enjoying their stay. The bungalows aren’t the island’s best, but they’re very reasonably priced for what you get: creamy walls decorated with swirling floral murals, comfy beds covered in overstuffed pillows, and modern bathrooms with stylish bucket sinks. The resort is a popular spot for families and honeymooners.
EAST COAST
Often snubbed for the strips of Andaman-facing beach on the island’s other coast, Ko Lanta’s east side has a couple of gems if honey-toned dunes aren’t your first priority.
Ban Lanta (Old Town)
These options inhabit old Chinese shophouses near the pier.
Orange House (08 3104 3109; bungalows 800-1200B; ) If you want to stay in Old Town, but can’t afford to stay at Mango House, this friendly spot offers a couple of quaint rooms that look out over the lazy long-tail boats tied to the wooden pier.
Mango House (08 1968 6477; r 2000B) Mango House puts the ‘teak’ in boutique with several well-appointed rooms that feel decidedly old-school. It’s like sleeping in an old fisherman’s home, except the beds feel like clouds, and the bathrooms have been modernised with the savvy use of sleek concrete and stainless-steel fixtures. Enjoy breakfast on the beautiful terrace that yawns over the ocean.
Ban Sang Ga U
Sang Kha Ou Resort & Spa (08 1443 3232; bungalows 500-3500B; ) It’s like you stumbled into Alice in Jungleland – the rooms are in the trees, the trees are in the rooms –it’s all so deliciously nonsensical. The smiley owner (a dead ringer for the Buddha statue at the front desk) knows that his resort is a little quirky, and chortles as wide-eyed backpackers stumble through the twilight zone of classical statues, terracotta warriors and indiscernible papier-mâché projects. Lodging gets a bit lacklustre as the prices go up, so it’s best to stick with one of the treehouses, or try one of the beached boats transformed into two-storey suites.
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