krabi/co samui/phuket - help pls
 

we are looking for a unique hotel/resort in these places. Never been to any of them. we will be there for a week.
We would like:
The closest place to the beach/on the sand if possible, a great beach.
ready to spend 150-250 dollars per night.
We have kids with us as well.
Thanks for any info. We will be there in Feb.
Ruti

There is of couse a huge choice, February is peak season so you need to get this arranged quickly. I could name you (if I could remember them ) about 150+ places, anyway to get you started on Koh Samui we like Peace resort, for Krabi stick to Ao nang, busy area but more to do, Ao nang beach resort is a good starter place. For Phuket with kids try Meridien ( has kids club ) or perhaps look at Coconut Village or Duangjitt resort (Duangjitt has nice garden bungalows ) or Club Andaman ( also garden bungalows ), if you want absolute beachfron try Karon beach resort, the pool leads staright onto the beach, not that many hotels on Phuket are right on the beach, Karon beach is a reasonable priced place that 'is' right on the beach, it's 3 star and good value for money. Try this and check on the recent reviews from people who have stayed, gives you a good idea, I would click the
sort arrow to sort by price so you don't waste time on places beyond your price range.

http://www.r24.org/huahin.20m.com/samui/hotels

From there you can click on krabi and Phuket. Good luck and have fun!

Hi

My wife and I have been to Thailand on vacation a couple of times and we have been to all the places that you mention. We have posted trip reports and pictures on our personal homepage www.gardkarlsen.com :-) Maybe you can find some useful information there. Have a great trip...Thailand is truly wonderful.

Regards
Gard
Stavanger, Norway

We have been to all three places with our kids and overwhelmingly prefer Krabi, specifically Railay Beach. While the place we stayed was considerably more costly, there were several other nearby resorts that were right on the beach and in your price range. How unique really depends on what you have done before, but the scenery and snorkling nearby couldn't be beat. Best of all from the uniqueness factor, you have to take a long tail boat to get there and to leave. There are no large ferries or roads.
In comparison, the places in Phuket seemed at times like being in Hawaii.
dyw

Hi Dywong, could you tell me where you stayed in Phuket and krabi? I'm debating the two also and having vacationed many times in Hawaii, am looking for a really different experience. We were deciding between Chedi Phuket and now, am looking into Pimalai in Koh Lanta--b/c we'd heard so much about Phuket being too overdeveloped and like Hawaii or any other place. The Rayavadee looks great but is so expensive and I can't find another upscale hotel in that immediate area.

thanks everybody.
Dyw, like mae, we cant find an upscale hotol on railey beach. do you know any?
Is there a nice one on the beach in Koh Samui? Yes, that doesnt look like Hawaii! and doesnt cost 700$ per night, like the rayavadee. Is it too much to ask for? it seems like they all either above 700 or less then 100. It is so hard to trust the internet.
thanks again for your help.
Ruti

Dear Mae: In Krabi we stayed at Rayavadee and in Phuket we've stayed at the Chedi, the Sheraton Laguna and the Banyan Tree. All were nice, but Rayavadee was preferred hands down by us and our kids. Although it costs considerably more,it was the one place where we'd go back without hesitation. If you want, I can e-mail you some photos.
For various reasons, we actually ate more of our meals away from Rayavadee at the other places nearby. The best way to explain it is that the entire area is at the end of a penninsula with no vehicle access. And while everyone has to take a boat to get to there, you can choose from several other hotels and beach restaurants which share the beaches. On east Railay beach, we didn't want to leave(the sunsets were georgous) and eventually stumbled upon a decent, laid back beach front restaurant 50 yards away from Rayavadee where we didn't have to dress "appropriately" for dinner or worry about the kids playing.
In comparison, the Laguna resorts seemed sterile, like a cross between Florida and Hawaii. The Chedi was nice, with a beach which it shares only with the Annapuri (sp?), but be prepared to hike up and down lots of stairs. As for Pimalai on Koh Lanta, we considered it but in the end it was too far and more for couples on a quiet trip than a family. JamesA, who writes frequently on this site recommends a resort in the area.
I would check out these two websites as they offer lots of info on these places and other alternatives.
http://andaman-island-hopping.com/islands/krabi.htm
http://www.differentworld-thailand.com/index.html
dyw

Thanks for all the info, Dywong. Did you find the beaches at Rayavadee to be really crowded and loud from longtail boats (thats the complaint I hear --other than the prices)? And could you snorkel off the beaches there (or did you have to take boat trips)?
we only have three days so are now considering Rayavadee for ease of transport vs going to Pimalai and taking the 2.5 hr trip there by car/boat.
Was the beach swimmable at Chedi? Thats our third choice right now but it is easy to get to --I've heard about those stairs though too!

Try the Tubkaak Resort in Krabi, out from Ao nang but good standrad and no where near those 'amazing' Rayavadee prices.

http://www.freewebs.com/koh_samui_hotels/krabi.htm

James, Is the Tubkaak a good base for going to Railay beach area? (how does one get to Railay from there, by walking, boat, car?)
Have you heard about the Poppies hotel in Koh Samui?
We would like to spend 4 days in Krabi and 3 in Koh samui.
Thanks lot for your help
ruti

Ruti

Mae: We had no problem with noise from the long-tail boats, but then we have been there only during July and August, their low season. I understand it can be a problem in certain parts of Railay, but bear in mind that rayavadee is pretty large and spread out, has access to two other beaches, and is located at the far southern end of Railay east, which is not where the boats tend to be. (actually, most of the boats dock on the other side of the penninsula)
As for snorkling, we hired a speedboat to make the rounds at Phi Phi, Maya Bay, monkey island and a few other places, and found it far more enjoyable. Friends of ours snorkled at the resort but wished they had gone with us. Expect it to take most of the day, but with enough time to relax on the beach afterward.
The beach at the Chedi is nice and the water is swimmable this time of year. Of the places in Phuket we've visited, this was the best .

Thanks Dywong. We've decided on one of the Krabi area hotels and am now trying to figure out the best and fastest way to get there from Chiang Mai to Krabi. Flight with stop in BKK or fly to Phuket and drive to Krabi area? Do you have any advice on this? I posted a separate message as well.

By all means, fly from Chiang Mai, via BKK, into Krabi. The drive from Phuket takes two hours. As I recall, the mid-morning connection through BKK gets you to krabi around 2:30, so you can still hit the beach before dinner.
Enjoy, you will have a wonderful time.