salon de g

D and I went to Thailand for Easter – it was a trip we’ve been waiting to go on for over a year ever since we redeemed our plane tickets. After a grueling 3.5 hr flight from HK to Bangkok + 1 hr from Bangkok to Krabi + 50 minute car ride to the pier + 40 minute boat ride to Koh Lanta’s pier on the East + 25 minute car ride to the other side of the island, we finally arrived at our hotel, Pimalai Resort. It was a nightmare getting there*, but the hotel staff made the transfer as smooth and comfortable as possible.  The moment we saw the long stretch of beach we forgot about the journey anyway.

The Property

The best thing about Koh Lanta is that it hasn’t been ruined by tourists…yet. It used to be (and probably still is) a backpackers’ haven, so the establishments around town are relatively non-commercial. Pimalai Resort is probably the most upmarket hotel on the island and it shares Kan Tieng bay with a few other resorts and hippie bars. Ba Kan Tieng is a wonderful beach (with fine sand and crystal-clear waters) and I loved that we could just walk down the beach to check out our neighbours.

Although the hotel can accommodate a large number of guests, we still felt relatively secluded because the property grounds are enormous and every thing is spread out. There are actually two sections at Pimalai, one that they call “the Resort”, down by the beach where the less pricey rooms are; and the “Pool Villa’s Estate” up the hills, where the pool villas are located, naturally.

The Rooms

To our pleasant surprise, we were given a free room upgrade to the Bayfront Deluxe for the first two nights, before moving to a 1-bed pool villa for the remaining part of our stay. The Bayfront Deluxe room was more than decent – large bathroom, comfortable bed and a balcony facing the ocean; but of course, the pool villa was even nicer…you get your own kitchen there!

The Food

We didn’t try all the restaurants at the hotel as they have a whopping 8 restaurants and bars in total. For breakfast, if you stay at the villas you get to have it served at the Seven Seas Restaurant by the upper pool, which is probably the best restaurant at Pimalai. I highly recommend their Thai-style breakfast dishes, perhaps not so much the western stuff like Eggs Benedict.  We also dined at Rak Talay restaurant by the beach and ordered the BBQ seafood for two. The portion was on the small side and the quality of the seafood was mediocre… it was alright.

As an alternative to dining at the hotel, head over next door to Same Same But Different for some Thai food. It’s definitely not the most “local” joint in town, considering the menus are in English and most of the diners are tourists; but the food quality is solid and they charge half the amount of Pimalai. Another option is to head over to Drunken Sailors, a cute little cafe that serves a delicious tom yum fried rice and other Thai fusion dishes. The food there is extremely affordable and they’ve got cozy bean bags and hammocks to lounge in as well.

All in all, the food at Pimalai was pretty good, particularly the dishes prepared by the Seven Seas kitchen. However, the great thing about Koh Lanta is that there are other options around town, so venture out! It’ll be worth it.

The Service

Here is where I have minor complaints. If Pimalai wasn’t a 5-star hotel I wouldn’t give a damn, seriously, but in the end of the day it is one and one has certain expectations after forking out the money.

The difference in service quality between the two pool areas was obvious. While lounging at the “lower” pool, I had to wander around for 5 minutes to look for someone to give me towels. While the staff were more readily available at the other pool, service was slow. I mean…getting an ash tray took them 20 minutes. Really? The funny thing is, all guests are allowed at both pools. Talk about making you feel crappy for paying less.

The other thing that bugged me was when we ordered room service after a long day of diving. We had already moved to the pool villa and when the guy came with the food, he left right after dropping the tray on the table and didn’t even offer to help set the table. I had to look for utensils and glasses from the kitchen and set up the dishes myself. Not fun when you’re exhausted and starving. Perhaps the guy was new, who knows.

In terms of price, I thought Pimalai’s rates were reasonable. The rooms were fairly priced and I must say, the food there is almost “cheap” compared to other 5-star resorts.  So, despite the little hiccups in terms of service, I would consider Pimalai value for money, especially after you factor in the benefits of its location, i.e. proximity to some of Thailand’s best snorkeling/dive spots. BUT, more on that later. I am le tired. Goodnight.

 

*P.S. Our route to the hotel from Krabi was the longer one. The other one takes you directly from the pier to the hotel’s floating jetty. Unfortunately, we came at a time when the currents were changing so we weren’t able take the shorter route. 

Pimalai Resort & Spa
99 Moo 5, Ba Kan Tiang Beach
Koh Lanta, Krabi 81150,

Thailand
T: +66 (0) 75 607 999
W: www.pimalai.com

 

Next up… Part 2, Koh Lanta’s neighbouring islands