Ko Kood Resorts Review, Thailand |
Recently, my girlfriend and I took a romantic escape to Ko Kood, an island about 300km southeast of Bangkok, close to the Cambodian border. It is not too far from Ko Chang, but much less touristed.
In search of the perfect romantic setting, we spent a day visiting all the resorts in our area and checking out their rooms, restaurants and beaches. It was worth it, because we found what we were looking for at the Peter Pan Resort in one of their bungalows on the beach. The food was extraordinary, the beach was beautiful, the service was great and it didn't damage my wallet half as much as you would have expected.
Ko Kood Resorts Review, ThailandBut there are many choices on Ko Kood, and I'm posting this to help you find the one best for you. Firstly, here are the places I looked at online before we went. I set a budget of 2000B/night (~AU$66) and was only really looking at air-con rooms, although it turned out that air conditioning wasn't really necessary because it was cool at night and we were out all day anyway.
| Resort | Reviews | Room | Price | B/fast |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Koh Kood Far East Resort | A/C, 3-bed | 1000 | ||
| Dusita Resort | TripAdvisor, Kohlaoya | Bungalow, A/C | 1400 | No |
| Siam Beach | A/C | 1500 | ||
| Ao Noi Resort | TripAdvisor | Hut, A/C | 1500 | Yes |
| Wuttichai | House | 1500 | Yes | |
| Koh Kood Resort | TripAdvisor | Garden Bungalow, A/C | 1800 | Yes |
| Holiday Cottage | Bungalow, A/C | 1800 | Yes | |
| The Beach Natural Resort | TripAdvisor | Garden View, A/C | 1900 | Yes |
| Neverland Beach Resort | TripAdvisor | A/C, Hot shower | 2000 | Yes |
| Hin Dad Resort | Garden View, A/C | 2000 | Yes | |
| Suanya Kohkood Resort and Spa | Air House | 2000 | Yes | |
| Analay | TripAdvisor | Seaview Bungalow, A/C | 2400 | Yes |
Let me give you a quick impression of the places we looked at once we arrived.
Dusita
We checked into Dusita when we arrived, not wanting to turn up without a booking. It was okay, had a nice garden and pretty good snorkling off the beach front. The beach wasn't like Australian beaches or anything, but the water was nice. The service at Dusita was poor, being a family run place where the staff are probably pretty over their jobs already. Snorkel hire was free and kayak and motorbike hire probably the cheapest on the island. The food was average by Thai standards which is still pretty good anywhere else in the world.
The best things about Dusita was the cheap kayak and motorbike hire and snorkeling off the beach and around the rocks.
Hin Dad
Just next door to Dusita is Hin Dad, where we went in search of a better meal. The food at Hin Dad was delicious and the setting in the restaurant idyllic. The staff were very friendly and even walked us back to Dusita with their torches after our meal. Unfortunately Hin Dad doesn't really have a beach and their available rooms didn't win us over so we continued searching through the other resorts.
Siam Beach
I reckon these guys must have got to Ko Kood first, because it's a real budget place with a freaking awesome beach. Can't say much about the restaurant or service, except that the staff got a bit upset when we compared Siam Beach to the more expensive resorts. The beachfront rooms were cute, but the best ones were already taken when we were there.
The Beach Natural Resort
Hmmm... despite the name, this resort doesn't really have a beach. It's priced at westerners and therefore not very good value. We did not see any locals there, just overweight farangs getting overpriced Thai massages. The setting seemed well maintained though.
Away Resort
Another resort priced for westerners (1000B/day for kayak hire? WTF? You could buy a kayak for that price in Thailand). If you're rich, or a woman, you'll probably like it though - it has that 5 star feel about it (the one that makes you feel like a sap for paying people to give you fake smiles). Being at the river mouth they didn't have their own beach, so I didn't see the appeal. Don't be put off by my evaluation though, it's just not my style.
Tinkerbell Resort
This resort had such a good spot on the beach and looked so cute that we really wanted to stay. Problem was, it wasn't finished yet. Damn!
Peter Pan Resort
Between the Tinkerbell and Away Resorts and on a nice long stretch of white beach, is the Peter Pan Resort. My girlfriend and I both loved this place because of the genuine and friendly service of the staff and the magic setting. With an excellent restaurant on the beach and small javanese-style bungalows (amongst other accommodation styles), Peter Pan ticked all the boxes. The price of the bungalow was just 1500B/night including breakfast. Both dinner and breakfast were to die for, and I'd certainly go back to this resort.
That's about it folks. I hope this article helps you find your perfect romantic setting. Realistically, it probably won't. It will probably rain, you'll lose your sunglasses, miss the ferry, fight with with your boyfriend or girlfriend and end up breaking up. Such is life, don't sweat it ;)
For your reference, here are the contact details of some of the resorts mentioned (and not mentioned) in this article:
Peter Pan Resort +66 (0) 818261188 Koh Kood Far East Resort +66 (0) 862091076 Dusita Resort +66 (0) 815641472 Siam Beach +66 (0) 819455789 Koh Kood Resort +66 (0) 870265515 Holiday Cottage +66 (0) 818297751 The Beach Natural Resort +66 (0) 860099420 Neverland Beach Resort +66 (0) 39523430 Mark House Bungalow +66 (0) 861330402 Klong Chao +66 (0) 39520318
P.S. We actually did miss our connecting songthaew to the speedboat because the bus was late. Fortunately we found a taxi driver with no regard for the speed limit and we made it in time. It's quite far from the bus station in Trat to the ferry terminal, and Bangkok traffic can get pretty slow, so allow for a bit of extra time if you're coming from Bangkok.
About Roger Keays
 |
Roger Keays is an artist, an engineer, and a student of life. He has no fixed address and has left footprints on 40-something different countries around the world. Roger is addicted to surfing. His other interests are music, psychology, languages, the proper use of semicolons, and finding good food. |
