Jul 29, 2015 |
A Nice Budget Pet Friendly Hotel in Hua Hin
I’ve always been a fan of Ibis hotels. But when I found out that the Ibis Hua Hin allows cats and dogs into guest rooms I became an even bigger fan!
Toby our blue tabby cat loves to travel too. That’s cause he’s got the wayfaring travel bug. But there are not a lot of hotels that allow pets in Hua Hin. Last I checked there were about 5 in and around Hua Hin. But some pet friendly hotels in Hua Hin are too expensive. And the cheaper ones had some really bad reviews.
However, the Ibis Hua Hin was just right in every aspect. It’s a clean hotel though the standard guest rooms are only 20 square meters. Though their space saving furniture design doesn’t make you feel claustrophobic. And the bed is pretty comfortable too. It’s a short 5 minute walk to a beautiful stretch of Hua Hin’s beach. The service from hotel staff is friendly and courteous.
Reasonably Priced Hotel in Hua Hin but Skip the Breakfast
And it only cost me 1400THB per night including taxes, that’s about $40USD at current exchange rates. The downside is they charge 200THB for breakfast. Normally, it’s 250THB but if you pre-pay for breakfast at check in the Ibis gives you a 50THB discount. We stayed for 3 nights so breakfast for my wife and I totaled 1200THB. That’s nearly the price for an extra night.
Now, I wouldn’t mind paying for good food. But the breakfast at this particular Ibis was truly unimpressive and certainly not worth 200THB. It’s a mix of Western and Thai dishes with not a whole lot of variety. We stayed there for 3 nights and the food just got boring. There’s no egg station where you can order up a fresh cooked omelet or scrambled eggs. Many hotels these days even in the 2 star range has an egg station.
Still A Good Value Hotel to Stay if You’re Bringing Your Pet
Okay, so I’m not staying there just for the breakfast. Most important factor we made on deciding to choose Ibis was because it’s pet friendly.
No pets over 10Kg are allowed however. While staying there I saw quite a few guests with pets. All of them had dogs and from what I saw we were the only ones with a cat. Some guests even had 2 dogs. And pets are not allowed in the dining area as well as the swimming pool. And you can’t leave them alone in the room.
But there were several times we had to leave Toby in the room during the day. If you’re a cat owner then you know already cats sleep during the day. So taking him out during that time is like carrying a sack of rice around for nothing.
There’s room under the sink for a litter box, that’s where we put it…
We just waited until room cleaning was done before leaving our little guy to rest in the comforts of an air conditioned room. What a lucky guy!
Ibis is a very pet friendly hotel in Hua Hin…
No pets allowed at the pool…
But guests with pets are allowed to eat breakfast in the lobby area. Though pets are not allowed in the swimming pool area.
Good Location, Reasonable Rates, The Ibis is Okay in My Book!
Ibis Hua Hin provides guest free shuttle service to most areas in central Hua Hin along Phetchkasem Road. The furthest I think the shuttle will take guests is to Hua Hin Night Market. But you have to make reservations ahead of time at reception. I forgot to take a picture of the shuttle but it fits about 9 to 12 people.
You can also walk to the popular Cicada Weekend Night Market, it’s south of the hotel about a 10 minute walk. The hotel shuttle service can take you there as well.
I really like this hotel. Even if I wasn’t traveling with Toby I would still stay at the Ibis Hua Hin. And although their breakfast is bad I can easily overlook that. But I think most people will like this hotel because it’s a clean hotel with friendly service and not a far walk to the beach.
Read current guests reviews and find discounts for Ibis Hua Hin.
How To Get There
It’s super easy to find this hotel. Go down Petchtkasaem Road (Highway #4) heading towards Khao Takiab. It’s the first hotel you’ll see at the entrance of Khao Takiab.
Jul 13, 2015 |
After my wife spent 5 days at her university campus in order to fulfill her course requirements she met a friend who works at the Amari Vogue Krabi Hotel. She told us it’s a really nice 4 star hotel located on Tub Kaek beach.
At the time we were planning on heading to Kanchanburi instead for a little getaway. But after seeing pictures and reading reviews of the Amari Vogue Krabi I was intrigued. And Tub Kaek beach is well known for beautiful Krabi sunsets.
Amari Vogue Krabi – If you love privacy and seclusion this place will not disappoint…
Our minds were made up in a flash. I booked my flights though Air Asia. Then booked one of Amari Vogue Krabi’s deluxe room at Agoda.com for this review. Our round trip plane tickets cost $250USD. Our 3 nights stay at the Amari Vogue including taxes and breakfast set me back $421USD.
I might’ve overpaid for the plane tickets because I bought them with only a week left before departure. However, the Amari Vogue Krabi was a deal. Due to low season I paid $140 per night (including some member point discounts via Agoda).
A view of the hotel property while waiting to get checked in…
Small Hotel, Big Beach, Super Friendly Hotel Staff and a Big Surprise
When we arrived at hotel’s open air reception area we felt a nice ocean breeze. The air was so clean. We could hardly see any guests out and about. This property has only 57 rooms so it’s a small hotel and just right if you don’t want to be shoulder to shoulder with huge tour group guests. But there are plenty of friendly hotel staff all around to take care of your needs.
We were checked in by a lovely lady who led us to our room which was down a series of steps. About midway down the length of the hotel property we finally reached our room.
It’s not a far walk and I was psyched to see if we would get a deluxe room with a view of the beach. She then led us through the hotel’s spa and up a flight of stairs to room #3201.
We got upgraded to a Spa Suite!
When she opened the door to our room my wife and I were impressed. It was all wood furniture all done up in traditional Thai style. A huge four poster bed with mosquito nets.
And the mattress and pillows were so comfortable. The balcony had a view of the ocean. However there were a row of tall coconut trees in front. But we were not complaining.
Then she opened another set of doors that revealed a room with two massage beds connected to the bathroom. Complete with a jacuzzi bathtub and a shower/steam room. Doing a quick check up online these spa suites are 70 to 80 square meters.
Now I know I definitely booked a deluxe room that didn’t have all the bells and whistles and are only 50 square meters. So, we got upgraded! But the lady who showed us our rooms never mentioned it. But we were grateful and I’m sorry I didn’t get a chance to remember her name.
You’re probably thinking just because we got a sweet room upgrade this is going to be an automatic favorable review. Well I’ve have had room upgrades yet still have had bad experiences. Just take a look at my stay in Pa Prai Villa Plantation review. You can always rely on me for honest hotel reviews.
There are also many small swimming pools and even a private one near the beach. Now I wasn’t planning on using the pool. But I did plan on using the fitness room. And it was a small room and it felt like they just stuck late 90’s equipment inside an office space. I know the Amari Vogue Krabi is a smaller property and they can’t just build a big gym. So it’s not a big deal. But I think they can do better.
Besides, my and wife got a pretty good workout hiking up a national park just 200 meters from the entrance of the Amari Vogue Krabi. Unfortunately we only made it up about three quarters of the way. We weren’t prepared because there were lots of rocks and we were wearing flip flops.
Since it rained in the morning the rocks and soil were slick. We had to make the decision to go back or risk spraining an ankle and that would be bad.
The trail was 3.7 kilometers long and supposedly there is a great view up on top. We went around 9am after breakfast and the weather was cool with the tall trees providing adequate shade. But I can imagine it being too hot if we went for the hike in the afternoon. So it’s best to do the hike early in the morning.
Speaking of breakfast I think the Amari Vogue Krabi has just the right amount of choices. Since they’re not a huge hotel they don’t have a huge spread. Though what they have is certainly enough. Breakfast starts from 6:30am and ends at 10:30am.
They have some Thai and Japanese choices. Even Chinese dim sum. And of course there’s the American breakfast option of eggs cooked to order and bacon. They even had pork sausages which is the first I’ve seen in a hotel, though they don’t have it every morning.
A good hearty breakfast in my book…
But you can see the Amari Vogue is keeping up to date on todays health issues. This is the first resort I’ve ever seen carrying gluten free breads and cereals. They even have fruit smoothies and an herbal ginger drink for detox. And they make their own fruit jam. It’s those little details that impress me a lot.
Tub Kaek Beach – The Perfect Spot to Watch the Sunset in Krabi
Having a beautiful beach is just one part of the equation to a resort’s success. And Tub Kaek is the beach front that makes the Amari Vogue so much more impressive. It’s a long beach and the Amari is the last resort on the north end of Tub Kaek beach so it’s a lot more secluded.
There are beach front hotels in the vicinity. But luckily no noisy bars and clubs. So if you want peace and quiet you’ll get it here.
A view of Amari Vogue Krabi from Tub Kaek beach…
Though from what we were told the waters of Tub Kaek are much more beautiful during high season. During our stay it was low season. The waters were a little bit rough with the tide going in and out so the waters were not as clear as it could be during our stay.
But if you want to swim in clear water, Hong Island (a review coming soon) is not far away. You just have to hire a long tail boat to take you out there.
Tub Kaek Beach – Not a lot of people so you feel you have the whole beach to yourself…
That said, my wife and I still enjoyed our walks and dips in the waters. It’s best to swim in the mornings when the tide is higher.
But the beach is perfect for a romantic walk when the tide is low and you can see thousands of baby crabs scuttling towards the waters or digging themselves a hiding spot under the sand.
Now the drawback to staying at a hotel that is private and secluded is you’re going to be far away from the usual tourist destinations. Though many, including me, would consider that a pleasant drawback.
Amari Vogue mini bus has enough room for around 10 to 12 passengers…
However, if you’re the type that likes short jaunts into town the nearest one is called Ao Nang. Bars, restaurants, cafes, Thai massage shops, tour companies and ATM machines can all be found along Ao Nang.
Many massage shops in Ao Nang charging roughly the same rates. Foot massages cost about 200THB for 1 hour…
And Ao Nang Beach is not so bad considering all the commercial businesses nearby. The town is sort of U shaped, not so big and very easy to navigate and walk around.
Ao Nang Town – You can get there via Amari Vogue’s shuttle service. But it’ll cost each passenger 100THB one way.
Ao Nang town is about 20 minutes away by car. But if you didn’t rent a car or a motorbike the Amari Vogue has a shuttle mini bus service 3 times a day going to Ao Nang and back.
Though, they charge 100THB per passenger per way. Now to me, that’s a bit pricey. Personally I think it should be free or maybe half the price because it’s not that far of a drive.
Ao Nang Beach in Krabi
Getting to Amari Vogue Krabi Hotel from Krabi International Airport
Just like in Phuket if you take a taxi from the airport to your hotel you’re going to pay higher than normal taxi prices throughout the Kingdom of Thailand. There are no metered taxis in Krabi. You pay a flat rate and the prices increases depending on the distance.
You can find a few taxi operators inside Krabi International Airport…
Now the Amari Vogue Krabi is one of the furthest resorts from Krabi International Airport. We hired a taxi from the airport and the cost was 800THB and the journey took 40 minutes.
About halfway on to the resort our driver stopped outside of a tour agency. He does this out of the blue and if you ask he’ll tell you he’s going to the toilet.
Once your driver is in the office a guy comes out and tries to sell you some tours. This is business as usual and quite comical. Just say no and they leave. It’s the same in Phuket.
For your return trip from Amari Vogue back to Krabi International just speak with the same driver and they’ll charge the same 800THB rate. Which is what we did. Because the Amari charges 1200THB for the same ride.
I honestly don’t know if there is a cheaper way to get to Amari Vogue Krabi. Not unless you rent your own car and stay there longer. I suppose you can catch a mini bus or a songthaew down to Ao Nang and from there get a taxi. But I have a feeling you won’t be saving that much money.
But I’m a New Yorker. And I’m used to paying $45USD from lower Manhattan down to JFK airport. So to me, 800THB which is around $25USD (based on current exchange rate) for the same distance is a price I can handle.
If you’re staying at the Amari Vogue Krabi, be sure to ask what time the sun sets. You don’t want to miss it. It’s beautiful…
The Amari Vogue Krabi is a wonderful hotel and just perfect if you want a romantic getaway with a wonderful and natural surrounding. But a beautiful resort in a wonderful natural surrounding means nothing if you’ve got bad hotel staff.
One of this hotel’s strong points is the friendly and well trained staff. Every Amari staff that we encountered could speak a fair amount of English. Not too many four star hotels can make this claim. This and just many other reasons are why my wife and I would not hesitate to go back to Amari Vogue when we visit Krabi again.
Read current reviews and find discounts for Amari Vogue Krabi click here.
Jun 12, 2015 |
Excellent Location and Not So Expensive…
Whenever I get asked where is a good place to stay in Kuala Lumpur I always suggest an area called Bukit Bintang. I’ve stayed in a couple of hotels in that area but the one I frequently stay at is called the Piccolo Hotel (called ANSA Kuala Lumpur Hotel today).
The Piccolo was built back in 2008. Yeah, it sounds old but it’s remarkably well kept. And although I’m not a 100% sure there must’ve been some renovation done sometime ago to look the way it looks.
ANSA Hotel superior room are about 30 square meters…
I always choose the superior rooms and for some reason on Agoda.com you get two rates, one cheaper and the other more expensive. So of course I book the cheaper ones which cost about $65USD.
I’ve booked at deluxe room a couple of times at the ANSA Hotel but to me there is not much difference in terms of quality between the two room grades. There’s free in room Wi-Fi internet access too.
Last time I went a superior room at Piccolo cost about $65USD per night with taxes included…
The bathrooms layout could be a little bit weird because the toilet and the shower is not in a separate room. There’s just glass separating those two facilities from the rest of the room. I suppose that’s fine if you’re staying with your spouse or close family but if you’re bunking with a friend it might be kinda uncomfortable due to limited privacy. Or maybe that’s just me.
Toilet and shower stalls in room…
So what’s so good about the ANSA Hotel?
It’s one of the hotels closest to the Bukit Bintang KL Monorail station. I always take the buses from KLIA2 because I fly in from Air Asia. I also take the SkyBus which is Air Asia’s official bus to KL Sentral where I take the KL Monorail line to Bukit Bintang. The SkyBus fare is only RM9.50 and the bus trip takes about 1 hour. A single journey fare from KL Sentral to Bukit Bintang cost RM2.10, very cheap.
At KL Sentral you’ll see it’s a major travel hub with trains and buses that go all over Malaysia. There is also a big mall attached to KL Sentral. Follow the signs through the mall and you’ll find the entrance to the KL Monorail. As I recall the station platforms are on the second floor.
And you’ll find a lot of shopping malls adjacent to ANSA KL Hotel:
- Lot 10 Mall – Cool food court in the basement.
- Sungei Wang Shopping Plaza – This place is kind of like the MBK Mall of Kuala Lumpur.
- Farenheit – A mix of luxury shops and local businesses.
- Pavillion Mall – A high end posh mall in the heart of Bukit Bintang.
There are a lot of other malls too just a bit further away like the Berjaya Times Square. You can walk there in about 10 or 15 minutes.
A huge plate of food at Food Republic in Pavillion Mall, with a drink it cost about $5.50USD…
Bukit Bintang is also a gem of an area for food. Indian, Arab, Chinese, you name it you’ll find it or a combination of it. It’s a wonderful food paradise. But because Bukit is a tourist area food prices are higher but still manageable.
I forgot to mention, you can also walk to Kuala Lumpur’s most famous landmark, the Petronas Towers in about 30 minutes. The Piccolo is a good hotel for exploring Kuala Lumpur. There’s a KL Hop on Hop Off tour bus that stops right in front of the hotel sidewalk.
Read guests reviews and find current discounts for ANSA Kuala Lumpur. (Note- On Agoda ANSA is rated as a 4 star hotel. Personally I think it’s a 3 at best, which is still good.)
KL’s magnificent Petronas Towers…
Jun 8, 2015 |
Not Cheap and Far From Hua Hin
I know a lot of people who love Hua Hin but want to stay somewhere really quiet and out of the way. I’m not saying Hua Hin is noisy and congested like Bangkok because it’s not.
However, Pa Prai Villa at the Plantation is about a 35 minute drive from Hua Hin’s City Center. Which means if you choose to stay at Pa Prai you’re going to be surrounded by nature and lots of it. And it’s a decent option to stay there as jump point for a road trip to Khao Sam Roi Yod.
Pa Prai Villa is surrounded by a pineapple farm and hills…
Pa Prai is located on top of a hill, overlooking a massive pineapple farm near the front of the property. You can see just a little bit of the ocean ahead plus more hills. Behind the property is another hill. There is nothing around Pa Prai Villa. No 7-Elevens or any kind of shops at all. It’s pretty much a desolate location save for a few private homes.
Swimming pool and ahead is small guests reception area…
One big tip is if you choose to stay at Pa Prai Villa Plantation be sure to drop by convenience store and load up on snacks if you’ll be there for a little while.
Finding Pa Prai Villa can be a little difficult. There are signs along the road but not a lot. And if I wasn’t so familiar with the area I wouldn’t have found this place at all I think. As I mentioned this hotel is on top of a hill with partially paved roads.
When we did find the hotel there was a little slight difficulty getting in. There is a long narrow lane that leads down to the hotel reception area. We got halfway down and a pick up truck appeared right in front of us. It was a Mexican standoff as the other driver didn’t want to reverse and neither did I. Cooler heads prevailed and my wife just told me to back out.
I originally booked a deluxe room, but was upgraded to penthouse…
When we parked it was apparent there was a wedding taking place that night. The pool area had flowers, chairs and tables placed all around. A woman who appeared to be a wedding planner was running around checking things and giving workers instructions.
The hotel grounds is not that big so it was interesting to see how all the wedding set up would turn out.
Usually a room upgrade is a good thing… usually…
I had booked a deluxe room which flanked the swimming pool. But because there’s a wedding taking place during the night so they upgraded us to a penthouse. All the deluxe rooms are located on the ground level where the wedding would take place. So it would be noisy and that’s the reason why we got upgraded to the second floor penthouse suites. Score! Sweeeettttttt! Yahoooooo! But no.
There are only two penthouses at the Pa Prai Villa and we were given the Moree Suites. We were stoked. When we were first shown the room our jaws dropped. It was a huge massive living room. The master bedroom was located upstair and when we looked it we were floored. It’s a beautiful spacious room.
But after checking out the toilet we noticed a very distinct funk. It smelled like a massive turd backup except there were no turd in the toilet. And the longer we stayed there the more foul the smell got. It was really bad and becoming unbearable.
Kiri Suites at Pa Prai Villa with full kitchen…
So we told reception about the problem and they sent someone up to check it out. When the guy came he too noticed the problem. We told them we want to move and the hotel staff obliged without hesitation. They gave us keys to the other penthouse, the Kiri Suites.
Perfect space if you’ve got a lot of people but there’s only one bedroom…
Kiri Suites is a bit smaller than Moree but still big. Though the bedroom was much bigger and so was the bathroom with a full size jacuzzi. But that weird funk that was such a huge problem at Moree Suites was still present but not as bad. But we put up with it as best as we could and we knew the hotel staff felt sorry too.
My wife and I really appreciated the hotel staff, it’s not there fault and they did what they could to make up happy.
Huge bedroom at Kiri Suites…
But there was still another problem. I decided to give the jacuzzi a try. I filled it up with hot water and tried to start the jacuzzi but no bubbles. The controls were pretty simple and straightforward. I felt like calling up downstairs and ask them if it worked or not but did not bother. I didn’t mind a nice soak in hot water anyway.
Nice large bathroom but there was still a funny smell…
About 45 minutes later I got out and the tub started to drain the water. And sometime while watching television with my wife a huge pool of water ended up on the floor. As far as I could tell it came from the repair vent for the jacuzzi. So we called downstairs and a couple of guys came up to check it out. They took off the repair panel and the whole area underneath the jacuzzi was full of water.
So the guys gathered a bunch of towels and mopped up the water. That was it. There was nothing else they could do since it was night time. And I wasn’t planning on taking another dip anyway. Lucky my wife prefers showers.
But the wedding was starting and we could see it all from the balcony that overlooked the swimming pool area. It was a bit noisy and the festivities went on until about 1am but we weren’t complaining. It was nice to experience another happy couples wedding. After all we just got married earlier that same year.
No buffets at Pa Prai Villa only set menus…
After waking up in the morning it’s time to check out what’s for breakfast. I wasn’t surprise to see that Pa Prai Villa does not have a breakfast buffet setup. They don’t get a lot of guests and if they cooked up too much food it’ll probably end up in the trash.
Even with the big wedding party there were plenty of seats left for guests. I ordered their American breakfast set of scrambled eggs and bacon. And my wife ordered the Thai breakfast set which was rice porridge with pork. There’s also plenty of bread, cereal, granola, yogurt and fruit to go around too.
Nice little area to sit and relax near the swimming pool…
There’s nothing else around the area so if you’re not heading out it’s probably best to fill up. Though I do know Pa Prai has has a lunch menu. But to be honest, it’s probably best to simply drive out and find a restaurant. There are many near the beach about a 20 minute drive away.
The Good and The Bad
What I like about Pa Prai Villa is it’s really private and secluded. Needless to say, you need to have a car. Or I suppose if you choose to stay there you can have a driver drop you off and pick you back up when you check out. There are many private car services for hire in Hua Hin.
And the bad… well, it’s secluded. There is nothing else in the immediate area but sand, rocks and a dirt road. I walked around a bit to take a look and saw nothing of interest. I know when people think of Hua Hin they think of beaches. So if that’s what you want Pa Prai isn’t the place you’d want to stay.
Another negative about Pa Prai is I believe it’s overpriced. They charge more then a hotel right in Hua Hin’s city center charges. I paid about $80USD for a deluxe room. However, while doing some current price checking for this post I noticed they have 50% discounts. $40USD sounds about right for their deluxe rooms
There are Pool Villa’s on the property too. My wife and I saw them going through the driveway. I took a quick glance and saw that the villa’s had private small private swimming pools. There are about 8 or so villas.
If we ever do decide to stay at Pa Prai again in the in the future I’ll probably book the 1 bedroom pool villas as long as I can find a good deal.
Read guests’ reviews and find discounts for Pa Prai Villa at the Plantation. (Note: On Agoda.com this hotel is rated at 4 stars. Personally I think it’s more of a 2 star hotel.)
Jun 3, 2015 |
Last December my wife and I made a trip over to Hong Kong. Since I hadn’t been over in Macao for a long while I figured a visit is long over due. This was sort of a Christmas holiday getaway so hotels were a more on the pricey side this time of year.
But it’s okay. A good treat once in awhile is good. I chose the Sheraton Hotel located in an area called Cotai Central. This area is on the island section of Macao, not on the peninsula. There’s an airport not far away though we took the ferry boat from Hong Kong.
The Sheraton Macao is rated as a 5 star hotel, built in 2012. No surprise at all really as it’s one of the most well known chain hotels in the world. And my wife and I were excited to go check it out. I’ve heard Macao had really changed a lot since many big named hotels and casinos have moved in.
When we arrived at the hotel via the free shuttle bus near the Macao Ferry Terminal I saw this huge massive building the driver was pulling into. I soon realized when I got in that there were in fact there were 2 other hotels besides the Sheraton.
There’s the Conrad Hotel which is located in the middle. Then there’s the Holiday Inn located on the east wing and the Sheraton Cotai is on the left wing. This huge massive complex houses restaurants and tons and tons of shops, particularly jewelry shops and other high end luxury item boutiques. Funny thing is I don’t see people inside those shops. I really wonder how they make money.
The line was a little bit long as there were many guests but checking in was quick so the line moved pretty fast.
We booked a deluxe room which are 42 square meters big…
I booked a deluxe room and it was quite spacious. No surprise that the rooms are modern in design with a panel to control the lights in the room by the bed. There’s a big work desk and a nice small sofa on a corner. Internet access was free with both Wi-Fi and LAN connection, both are fast. Guests have access to Wi-Fi internet access all around the Sheraton’s property which was handy.
A view outside or room window…
I forgot which room we got but it was pretty high up. I was hoping for a room with a view of the main road but instead we got the backside. With all the progress going on in Macao I wouldn’t be surprised in a few years there will be buildings taking up all those vacant spaces.
Nice shower and tub…
Behold, the porcelain throne…
As the deluxe room is 42 square meters it’s a big room. Bathroom has a separate shower stall and a bathtub and on the other side is the toilet all by its lonesome self.
When we booked our room it also included breakfast. And Sheraton buffet breakfasts are legendary. Because there are a large volume of guests Sheraton Macao you’ll get breakfast vouchers for either Xin an Asian theme restaurant or Bene which I’m guessing Italian themed restaurant. We got the breakfast vouchers for Xin.
A nice traditional Chinese breakfast at Xin, one of Sheratons restaurants…
At Xin you’ll find Asian fare for breakfast such as congee, steam rice rolls and even egg noodles with wonton. But you’ll also find Western styled breakfast too like scrambled eggs, bacon, waffles and so on.
But we also wanted to check out Bene too. So my wife and I decided to just try and see if we can get in and we did with no problem. Because we already saw that Bene was a much larger restaurant the morning before when we had breakfast at Xin.
Bene Restaurant at has a lot of western style grub…
Bene definitely had more choices as it was a bigger restaurant. So much food. So little time. I did my best to sample a little of everything as a I could and paid the price dearly. I could barely walk out of the place. Luckily we did a lot of walking around while in Hong Kong as well as Macao to burn off all those extra calories.
No need to walk outside as most of the buildings in Central Cotai are connected via one bridge…
And there are a lot of places to walk around in Cotai Central. For example you can walk across the road via a walkway connecting the Sheraton, Conrad and Holiday Inn hotels to the Venetian and Four Seasons.
The Venetian at Central Cotai…
At the Venetian there’s a man made canal with gondolas passing by. And lining the canal area heaps of shops selling luxury handbags, clothes and accessories. My wife did a little bit of shopping herself and I as usual had to carry the bags.
Very nice fitness center at the Sheraton Macao…
Our stay was quite enjoyable at the Sheraton Macao. It truly is a 5 star hotel from the super friendly staff to the quality of the rooms and guest amenities. As a guest you get access to some top notch facilities too. I used the gym with some very good equipment but because it was December and the weather was cool I didn’t have a chance to check out their awesome huge swimming pools.
Read guests reviews and find discounts for Sheraton Macao Hotel.
May 31, 2015 |
Recently my wife and I went over for a little getaway over at Koh Samet. The first island I went to since I first got back State side. And I must say after freezing my butt for a few months in NYC, thawing my ass out on nice soft sand of Koh Samet was mighty nice. Here’s a quick guide on getting to Koh Samet for a refresher.
This time we chose to stay at the 3.5 star rated Vongdeuan Resort. It is situated on the southern crescent tip of Vongduean beach. They claim to be the second biggest resort on Samet and maybe they are. For me, it was the low season and the price was just about right for what I was willing to pay for a place to stay close to the beach.
Ao Vongdeuan (Ao means beach in Thai) is quite a nice stretch of beach…
I booked 3 nights which cost me around $93USD per night. But I booked a beach house villa which wasn’t exactly on the beach but near enough. Though it is one of three cottage type rooms just yards away from it. Otherwise if you book the other room types it’s a bit further inland but the rates are cheaper. My wife and I are beach bums so getting a place closest to the beach for us was a top priority.
Also remember upon check you have to leave a 1000THB deposit. Remember to get a receipt. Once you check out you must present that receipt to get your deposit back so remember to keep that piece of paper in a safe place.
One of the Thai style houses at Vongdeuan Resort…
And I think one of the best features of Vongdeuan Resort is that all the rooms are small little houses. They have modern cottages and Thai style houses with nice terrace space to sit outside. And that’s great because every guests has their own space to stretch out and relax.
Our villa was about 40 square meters including bathroom…
As I mentioned I booked a beach house villa. There are only 2 of these types of villas so if you want to stay in one you probably have to book in advance. I made my reservation about a month beforehand without knowing there were so few so I got lucky I suppose. But then again it was the low season.
A quick tip: If you’re lucky enough to book a beach villa when you check in ask for B1, you’ll get a better view of the beach from your terrace or window. I stayed in B2 which was behind B1 which was close but had lesser view of the beach. Might as well get the villa with a better view – after all it’s the same price.
Forgot to take photos of the bathroom which was spacious and clean too…
And the room was clean though the mattress was just a tad bit hard for my taste. But that didn’t matter because after a full day of sightseeing and eating I could sleep on a bed of rocks like a baby.
Ao Vongdeuan is one of the nicest beaches on Koh Samet. The sand is very soft and the water is clean and clear like most of the beaches on the island. You’re not going to find a problem getting something to eat nearly every resort has a restaurant serving Thai and Western food.
Sometimes you just feel like a pork chop…
My wife and I sampled a bit of both. And according to her the Thai food is not so great. And we have tried several Thai dishes at several other resorts on Vongdeuan beach except Vongdeuan Resort. But to me the Western style food which I had a lot of was not so bad but the prices are not cheap.
Fresh fried fish with tamarind sauce. This was one of the best Thai dish we had on the beach…
I had some pizza and burgers over at Tom’s Pizza which wasn’t too bad. But again, it’s not cheap as is most food served on the beach is expensive. That pork chop dish pictured about cost me 450THB about $13.50USD based on current exchange rate.
You can find cheaper food but you have to get out of the resort area which requires renting a scooter which cost 500THB a day at a vendor near Vongdeuan Resort or you get out to the road and flag down a passing songthaew (truck taxi).
Breakfast served at an outdoor setting from 7am until 10:30am…
Breakfast is included in the rate so I guess if you’re on sort of a budget you can save some money there. But you’ll be eating the same stuff over and over as they don’t change their buffet breakfast choices at all. Not that I’m complaining. I pretty much eat the same stuff every morning in Bangkok anyways.
The Good and the Bad
I like Vongdeuan Resort because I really enjoyed my stay. Now I’m not really too picky about anywhere I stay as long as it’s clean. And it is. However one night there was a power outage twice. That might be out of the resort’s responsibility so no big problem. But of all the times I’ve been to Samet this was the first I’ve ever experienced.
A nice lady at the reception desk. Wish more of the resort staff were like her…
However, to me the resort staff, not all of course, though a few my wife and I have come across could perhaps just be a little more polite. We’re not asking anyway to kiss our asses or bend over backwards. But at least look alive and cheer up when speaking to guests. This didn’t just occur once but a couple of times in separate days.
Be sure to hold onto your ticket. They’ll collect your ticket on the ferry boat…
This skiff will take you to a ferry boat off shore…
Vongdeuan Resort offers guests free pick up from Ban Phe pier and drop off on the waters of Vongduean beach. So don’t wear your best pant and shoes, you’ll get wet up to possibly your knees. Off course they’ll get as near to the beach as possible and they’ll carry your bags too.
A big ferry boat with plenty of seats back to Ban Phe pier…
They’ll also take you back to the Ban Phe pier the same way too after check out. Which is always why it’s good to find a hotel that provides free ferry boat transport and there are quite a few in Koh Samet that do. But there is a schedule so keep that in mind.
Vongdeuan Resort Ferry Pick Up and Drop Off Schedule (as of May 2015)
- From Ban Phe Pier: 10:00am and 1:30PM
- From Vongdeuan Resort to Ban Phe Pier: 8:30am and 11:30am
Note that even though the ferry boat is scheduled to leave Vongduean Resort at 8:30am and 11:30am because they load guests’ luggage first there could be 30 minute or longer delay.
I like Vongdeuan Resort. I don’t have any major complaints about it at all and according to most reviews they are popular. As for the resort staff it’s not a big deal at all either. Who’s knows maybe they’re just tired. Though there are plenty of other resorts to check out on Koh Samet that I am interested in checking out when I go back.
Read reviews and find discounts for Vongdeuan Resort in Koh Samet.
