February 10, 2008
Remote relaxation
This is a great place to stay on Koh Tao if you like to be in the middle of nowhere and spend your days diving or snorkelling. There's no beach, so if you're a beach loungey kind of person probably not for you. They've set up a few salas down by the ocean for lounging that are just perfect. I personally loved the sand-free beach holiday.
The snorkelling and diving are some of the best on the island. It's situated on the side of a mountain that slopes into a bay lined in giant boulders (thus no sandy beach...). These boulders make for an amazing view above and below water. On my trips there I've seen the usual colourful array of fish and other marine life, as well as baby black tip reef sharks, a sea turtle and a blue spotted sting ray. There is now a dive shop at the resort run by a lovely Norwegian guy named P.A.. He's a great dive instructor and is very knowledgeable about the area. (When I was there in Feb 2008, I found out that his wife is pregnant and they are going home to Norway in a couple months to have the baby. He said he was looking for someone to run the dive shop for him though. He's very conscientious, so I imagine he would find someone really great to take over. I'll update next time I go there.)
All of the bungalows have amazing views over the bay. The rooms are really clean and well kitted out for a very reasonable price. The only down side to some people might be that because you're in the middle of nowhere in the jungle, there's a lot of "wildlife" (a.k.a. bugs :), though this really depends on the time of the year.
The staff are awesome. They are really hospitable and warm and make you feel like you're hanging out at someone's house. They have always been accommodating and helpful to us. They always remember us on return trips, which is always nice. Last time I was there I even ran into some other regulars that I had met the year before, a really nice Canadian-Chinese family.
Combine the spectacular natural beauty with the great down-home hospitality and it's definitely my resort of choice in Thailand. But then again, I'm a snorkel junkie...
The snorkelling and diving are some of the best on the island. It's situated on the side of a mountain that slopes into a bay lined in giant boulders (thus no sandy beach...). These boulders make for an amazing view above and below water. On my trips there I've seen the usual colourful array of fish and other marine life, as well as baby black tip reef sharks, a sea turtle and a blue spotted sting ray. There is now a dive shop at the resort run by a lovely Norwegian guy named P.A.. He's a great dive instructor and is very knowledgeable about the area. (When I was there in Feb 2008, I found out that his wife is pregnant and they are going home to Norway in a couple months to have the baby. He said he was looking for someone to run the dive shop for him though. He's very conscientious, so I imagine he would find someone really great to take over. I'll update next time I go there.)
All of the bungalows have amazing views over the bay. The rooms are really clean and well kitted out for a very reasonable price. The only down side to some people might be that because you're in the middle of nowhere in the jungle, there's a lot of "wildlife" (a.k.a. bugs :), though this really depends on the time of the year.
The staff are awesome. They are really hospitable and warm and make you feel like you're hanging out at someone's house. They have always been accommodating and helpful to us. They always remember us on return trips, which is always nice. Last time I was there I even ran into some other regulars that I had met the year before, a really nice Canadian-Chinese family.
Combine the spectacular natural beauty with the great down-home hospitality and it's definitely my resort of choice in Thailand. But then again, I'm a snorkel junkie...
The sunrise view from our balcony.
The view from the top of the roc…
The morning bustle at the fishin…
The morning bustle at the fishin…
The morning bustle at the fishin…
The ocean side spirit houses
The view back up to the resort f…
Our regular hang out spot - the …
The view back to the open deck a…
Our favourite bungalow - room 4
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