christieman

Having been out booked at the last minute by a wedding at the Chedi Phuket and not able to afford the exorbitant prices of the Amanpuri and the Banyan Tree, my fiancé and I have decided to re-arrange our honeymoon in November and enjoy some relaxation in Krabi instead of just Phuket. As a result, I would greatly appreciate any feedback on two of the smaller luxury hotels, the Tubkaak on the mainland and the Pimalai on Koh Lanta (Lanta Yai Island). In particular we are concerned with the romantic and relaxing aspects of the resort including the general ambiance, beach, food and surrounding area. I find that it's very difficult to get an idea of the seclusion of a resort based on web site information and we'd rather not end up in the shadow of a 15 story building on a 15 meter stretch of sand. We are currently booked at the Chedi for 2 nights and if either of these resorts is worth it we may cancel and skip Phuket altogether. With both of being fairly well traveled, but not having been to Asia, it's really important that we don't end up in a North American style resort like the Mariott in Phuket.

The only other option that we have discovered is the small boutique resort called the Aleenta located just south of Hua Hin on the Gulf side. The place looks beautiful and private, but we have no information on the area and have been told not to miss the islands to the south. We desire romantic privacy, but total isolation isn't exactly what we had in mind.

We appreciate any feedback and thank you for your time.

Chris

JamesA

Stick with Phuket/Krabi/Koh Lanta, the Aleenta is at Pranburi about 40kms south of Hua Hin, beach cannot be compared with Krabi area. If you wanted a boutique place in Pranburi area I would go for the Praseban resort, though I still say try Phuket or Krabi! If you want to have some access to lots of restaurants and shopping if it's just a couple of days think about Kata or Karon beaches on Phuket, but do book very very quick!
Try that libnk I gave yo and put in quite a few options, they don't mind, also they have reviews so easy to find good ideas for all of Phuket/Krabi etc.

JamesA

Just had an idea, have you thought about 'The Apartments' at Bophut beach Samui? You may have come across them in your searches, a local customer of mine ( wealthy!! ) always goes there, out of our price range, they are 'not cheap' about $250-450 a night but is a pretty classic place, we tend to use Peace Resort, but the 'Apartments' for a Honeymoon might be just right
Take a look,

http://www.res24.net/huahin.20m.com/samui/apartment/

tetrabit

We stayed at Le Meridien, away from Patong, on it's own private beach. It think it was 10 minutes by car(free shuttle to Patong), fantastic, huge (and I mean huge pool, with bar), gorgeous, tropical grounds and gardens. We were on our honeymoon (7 years ago), price was very reasonable (don't remember the exact amount). It was perfect!!!

eyeski

You might want to check the rates for Rayavadee on Starwood.com. I was looking at phuket last year and got a great rate at Rayavadee. It's a great hotel in a stunning location. Feel free to contact me if you want details or search this site for my trip report from last January.