Paradise KohYao

This is quite possibly the most beautiful place I have ever stayed. The speed boat that picks you up (20 mins from Krabi or an hour from Phuket) is comfortable, but the approach to the island literally takes your breath away. You are greeted by the wonderful friendly staff who take your cases to your room straight from the dock. The rooms are beautifully decorated and comfortable and the beach that houses the bars and restaurant is gorgeous with crystal clear and calm waters. There is a lovely pool area (can be a little bit deep if you have little kids, so just beware). The staff throughout our stay could not do enough for you and, although the price of food and drink is higher than resort prices, its still pretty reasonable. Part of our stay involved a free boat trip and free 30 minute massage which were unexpected bonuses. You could also hire a canoe for 200 Bhat for 3 hours. We used this to explore a completely deserted cove just round the corner. During our stay there was some work going on during the day at the rear of the resort, but I have to be honest, we didnt really notice as it was very discreet. All in all, one of my favorite memories of our holiday, I only wish we had stayed 4 days rather than three so we could have explored the island a little bit more. Read less

Such an amazing place to stay. Boat takes you from mainland to island. Greeted by lovely staff. Idyllic location on beachfront framed by limestone cliffs. Refurbished rooms with great views. Two restaurants and bars. Pool. Fantastic staff. In an isolated space so food and drink a little more expensive but good quality. Take any extras with you as no shops nearby. Can pay 350 baht to go into village which is small and limited shopping. Read less

Very beautiful place. Lovely surroundings and perfect see shore. Staff is very nice, especially waitress Smile was super friendly and helpful. During a highly recommendable boat trip (mangrove kayaking, tropical fisch snorkeling and animal spotting) we were guided by Anis, a super tour guide, with lost of experience and humor. Also the massage by Wa & Da was great. Thank you so much! We really enjoyed our stay and relaxed a lot. Read less

To start off with the obvious, this place is gorgeous. The setting is idyllic, lush and tropical set on a lovely little bay with a beautiful beach. As you come around the headland on the boat across from the marina in Phuket it is enough to take your breath away. It takes a little bit for you to realise that something is not quite right.... and there it is, a jack hammer. Multiple jack hammers, endless heavy machinery. All day, every day. Not quite the peacefulness described. You double check the website, no mention of ongoing heavy building work anywhere, nor in any emails with the resort. Just lots of descriptions of how their remote location affords guests peaceful seclusion in a tropical paradise. Recent reveiws do not reflect this which is interesting as apparently it has been going for a few months and is certainly the main topic of conversation amongst guests. It starts at around 9 each morning and goes til around 5:30- 6pm. As they're also renovating buildings near the main restaurant it makes for very long, very noisy days. When staff are asked why there is nothing to indicate that there is building work taking place on their website, as most places do in these situations, you are told that the owner won't allow it. So instead the poor staff on the ground are left to deal with unhappy guests who instead of finding themselves relaxing in tranquility spend their days trying to make themselves heard over the constant intrusive noise of heavy construction. It's a real disappointment. There are a few other things that should be noted. General upkeep needs greater attention, 'rustic' will only get you so far. Many of the double shaded sun lounges look very tired and uninviting, the outdoor activities area needs smartening up so it looks less like an area for furniture overflow storage. The sun lounge cushions are in a terrible state and need washing at the very least, as do many of the seat cushions in the restaurant. The pool isn't huge but it's lovely, unfortunately it's also missing many patches of tiles giving it an air of neglect and a safety risk as those areas catch on your feet. Breakfast could do with more attention and variety. More fresh local fruit such as bananas, mango etc, more cereal options maybe? There are many good things about the resort... the accommodation is lovely, comfortable and well maintained. The staff are friendly and helpful. The day spa is fabulous -or would be if you weren't having your treatment next to the incessant grinding of some machine or another. The grounds are beautiful and once the noise of the building work finishes for the day it really is so nice to sit and watch the hornbills, listening to the music of the surrounding rainforest. The laundry service has been excellent and when our bathroom /outdoor shower sliding door was sticking it was fixed almost immediately. I would love to come back one day, I truly would, but it would definitely be on the proviso that all major works were complete as it does have such an impact on staying in this magical part of the world. Read less