Author: Ryan

Two girls playing chairball

Chairball a Popular Game in Thailand

Posted on by Ryan

For someone who’s into basketball and maybe a bit of football, chairball sounds, well, odd and different. It’s different from chairbasketball and certainly not Tchoukball. Chairball is a popular game in Thailand.

It is definitely a big thing here. The first time I heard of it, was during a sports week. Fellow teachers who were in their 50’s were playing and they were good at it. It was a bit strange to watch because they were passing the ball without dribbling it. I didn’t understand how it was played and I was totally uninterested.

Recently, my daughter got into this sport and join her team for their school’s sports week. Although she’s been training for basketball, she apparently was able to adapt to chairball. This time, the sport got my attention. Unfortunately there is not much information (in English) about this game in the internet.

Here’s a short video clip of a chairball match played by primary students in Thailand.

What do you think of the game?

For now having watched the game there are few things I’ve learnt about Chairball.

  1. It is definitely a team game. So the one-man show in basketball is a no-no in this game.
  2. The ball is passed from one player to another without dribbling.
  3. Once a player has received the ball s/he has to pass it without moving her/his legs from where she’s/he’s standing.
  4. The player standing on the chair holding the basket is allowed to catch the ball. In other words, the player could bend forward, sideward, backward, and could tilt the basket towards the incoming ball, as long as s/he stays planted on the chair.
  5. The team that earns more points in a given period of time wins the game.
  6. For every ball that gets into the basket earns the team two points.

Have you heard of chairball game before? Have you played it?

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Restaurant with a View: Cliff Sunset, Koh Lanta Krabi

Posted on by Ryan

Restaurant with a View: Cliff Sunset, Koh Lanta Krabi

Cliff Sunset Restaurant is another restaurant in Koh Lanta with a fantastic view of Kantiang Bay Beach and has a great view of the sunset.

Four years back (2016), there was only Ploypailin restaurant on the cliff of Kantiang Bay, a very simple, small shack made of wood. Now, the beautiful trees that were once residents there are all gone and are replaced by tiny, thatch-roofed kiosk restaurants lining Kantiang Bay cliff. Where have all the trees gone; the environmentalist side of me is crying.

Moving on, as mentioned, there are several restaurants to choose from. The increased number of infrastructures in what already a tight place has caused parking problems, which restaurants owners have taken advantage of. Their signage reads: No eat No parking. Another sad effect of this business competition reads: No eat No photo.

Even our 9 and 6 year old children caught up and said “Why not? They don’t own the beach. “

restaurant with view

Anyway, we had lunch there, felt the cool breeze from Andaman sea and took delight in the beauty around us. With the cool breeze coming from the sea gently touching our skin, rustling our hair, and the rushing seawater below us, it really felt like we’re on top of the world. It gave such a carefree feeling. It’s nice to lounge for a while a forget about the worries of the world. What a lovely feeling!

There’s always a silver lining at the end of the tunnel, after this COVID-19 pandemic, it would be great to go back experience these all over again.

restaurant with a view

Cliff Sunset Restaurant offers a wide range of Western and Thai menu. We stuck to the basic and ordered food we’re familiar with.

Stir-fry Vegetables: @$2.97 (99 baht)

Minced chicken with holy basil (Pad Krapao): @$ 2.97 (99 baht)

Coke in can: @$0.90 (30 baht)

Scrambled egg (Kai Tiaw) : @$ 1.77 (59 baht)

Strawberry smoothie: @ $ 1.80 (60 baht

Pretty much affordable.

We wanted to go back and have an early dinner to witness the sunset. However, the weather changed just a few minutes after lunch. It rained cats and dogs all through the rest of the day. This didn’t ruined our short stay though, my children and husband hang out by the pool most of the after at our accommodation, Phutara Lanta Resort while I enjoyed a much needed alone time in our room.

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pool at rimlay hotel

Update: We went back to Rimlay Park Resort

Posted on by Ryan

Our summer getaway in Ao Nang Krabi, where we went island hopping and stayed at Aonang Regent Hotel, was apparently not enough especially for the kids who were due to go back to school in a weeks time. As their final summer activity, we went back to Rimlay Park Resort.

Our second visit to this out-of-town, away from the hustle and bustle haven had been a great success. The kids as usual had so much fun just like the first we went for an unplanned staycation. Please head to Rimlay Park Resort Hotel Review to know about this place.

After two years the place still looks scenic, and pretty. Clearly the lovely Thai lady who owns and manages the place did an awesome job maintaining it.

Rimlay Park Resort is certainly one of the best places to stay whenever you happen to be in Phattalung, Thailand.

Two Important Updates

  1. Room rate has increased but still affordable. The lady-owner was very kind, and offered us an extra bed free of charge. She was also very generous with our breakfast, and gave us fresh coconuts.
  2. She offers room packages and promotions through direct booking. To avail these, you need to book via email. I’ll gladly forward her email to those who are interested, just comment your email address below.

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ao nang regent hotel

Aonang Regent Hotel, Krabi Thailand: Hotel Review

Posted on by Ryan

Accommodation: Ao Nang Regent Hotel, Krabi Thailand is located at
262/24 Aonang soi 11 Leela Valley Moo. 2 Aonang Muang , , 81000 Ao Nang Beach, Thailand. We booked this hotel through booking dot com.

Hotel Room

My family and I stayed in a Deluxe Triple Room, which was pretty spacious for a family of four. The overall design was simple, functional, no nonsense type. It was fitted with wooden cabinets with built-in, wall size mirror,  wooden dresser and tables. Walls are clean with no photo frames whatsoever. The private balcony over-looking the mountain and pool below was where we had our snacks and light meal. The large, clean bed was on a solid wooden platform. It was so comfortable; we woke up refreshed and relaxed.

The bathroom was large with dark-colored tiles, but I could tell they were clean. We love the huge shower which gives off large volume of water but lands softly on the skin. The standard, american-size toilet needed upgrading though. It was clean but there were corroded portions around the seat that were rough and stained. It looked a bit icky.

songkran at aonang regent hotel

Amenities and Complimentary

It had the usual amenities like coffee maker, hair dryer, medium-size fridge, and freebies like toiletries, coffee, tea, and bottled water. But take note, there were two sets of bottled water, the ones in the fridge are for sale. This room’s aircon unit is big and strong. The flat-screen TV has English channels to choose from.

A hanger rack for drying clothes was also provided which was really convenient as we were there to celebrate Songkran 2019, and to go island hop as well, so, you could just imagine the wet clothes that needed drying.

Aonang Regent Hotel also offers free Tuktuk ride around Ao Nang, twice during the day from 8 a.m until 5 p.m. If you avail this beyond these hours, a service charge of 50 Baht per person is incurred.

The flat-screen TV had a few bilingual channels to choose from. These are pretty convenient channels as you have the option to choose the audio. But there will be a need for you to tinker with the remote before getting to it. The channels are usually in Thai as it is the standard setting and the English audio is the secondary choice.

Wifi is strong. The internet connection in this hotel is excellent. We were able to log in immediately without problems. We were able to stream movies and even play mobile games.

Fitness Center is open to all guests. It has the usual equipment like treadmill, benches, dumbbells, pulldowns and machine fly, as well as hula hoops which the kids had fun using.

Kids pool was a jacuzzi-converted type. It was originally meant to be a jacuzzi so having it right next to a hotel room was a grand idea. A guest would just have to jump into their swimwear, open the door and just jump right in to the jacuzzi. But, having it converted into a kids pool presents a bit of a problem. You could just imagine the noise the guests had to bear, and water coming in the room floor as children play and splash water around. I think this is something the hotel management has to look into.

Food

We opted out breakfast. The breakfast was a bit pricy. Although, the rate is comparably higher as this is a touristy area, there are still places that sell food at a slightly cheaper price. So we decided to walk around and explore the place.

Clientele

Aonang Regent Hotel is popular to both local and foreign tourists. It’s a pleasure looking and listening to people talking in different tongue.

Staff

The lady in the receiving desk could speak English and was accommodating and friendly. She patiently answered our inqueries regarding the hotel, island hopping itinerary, and many more.

Overall

We had a great stay at Aonang Regent Hotel. We would certainly recommend it for guests who are on an average budget. And for those who would like to have an easy access of the beach but would like to have peace and quiet during the night.

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THE TOP FIVE – A FIRST-TIMER’S GUIDE TO CRUISING

Posted on by Ryan

 

If you’re an experienced cruiser you already know the drill, but for the first-time cruiser having a “cheat sheet” to navigate this new world helps.  After finding your stateroom, here’s what’s next.

 

  1. Get a copy of the ship’s plan.  They are usually found in the main reception area.  Get acquainted with the layout of the ship: restaurants, bars, entertainment venues.  Solve the mysteries of “forward” and “aft”, just remember there will be an emergency drill.  All guests and crew are required to attend an emergency drill before the ship leaves port and it’s no joke.  It’s a coast guard regulation.  When they start making announcements and the alarm sounds make sure you know where you’re supposed to be.  Safety is very serious business onboard.

 

  1. If you haven’t booked shore excursions in advance now’s the time, especially if you’ve never been to a particular port.  From a walking tour to zip lining, there’s something for everyone and booking onboard is smart for a lot of reasons.  Cruise lines carefully vet the tour operators they work with to ensure guest safety, exceptional value and a memorable experience.

 

  1. Everyone talks about the food.  There’s food everywhere, all the time, of every kind you can imagine.  It’s not hype.  People have amazing culinary experiences on cruise ships.  If you want to try one of the many specialty restaurants that today’s ships offer, make a reservation when you get onboard.  They fill up fast.

 

  1. Every vacation should include time to pamper yourself and cruise ships have some of the most spectacular spas anywhere.  They offer the usual mani/pedi and hair salon services but they also include cosmetic services like teeth whitening.  Indulge yourself with a service. The options are endless.

 

  1. Find a place to sit down, relax and order a drink.  You’re on vacation…just make sure you can find your stateroom again.

This post was written by Shannon Mckee, founder of Access Cruise Inc. Access Cruise Inc is a Miami based and sales consulting group, specializing in product and business development within the cruise industry.

 

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Neca Reiche: Hotel Review

Posted on by Ryan

Accomodation: Neca Reiche

Location: 736/2 Poonnakan Rd, ตำบลคอหงส์ Amphoe Hat Yai, Chang Wat Songkhla Thailand 90110

The Room (Standard II, L705):

At first glance this hotel room is the most modern we have ever seen. The concept is just state of the art. The way they made use of the space is so ingenious. The wall that separates the entrance and the bathroom hides the ref together with the closet and a tiny safety box. The closet can be accessed both from the outside and from the bathroom. A sliding door with a full body mirror camouflages this part. Next to it is the sliding door for the bathroom which is a translucent glass. You got to be very careful though as one can easily get their hands pinched by the alternating sliding doors.

The room smells like heaven. They have these perfumed, dried flowers that make the room smell so fresh. It’s the first thing that greets you the moment you open your room.

The room size will not blow you away but it is big enough to be comfortable. A queen size bed is nestled in the middle and a sofa bed tucked in the end of the room. There’s enough walking space in-between furniture but that’s it. You’d be risking stubbing your toe if you are not careful though.

The place is definitely clean, although we are not fond of black tiles for the floor (bathroom) as they never look/feel clean, they are very particular with cleanliness. The nooks and crannies even under the bed was vacuumed.

The room is aesthetically pleasing to the eye. It’s a well thought of design and arrangement. Even the small details like paintings/photo on the wall, the hanging lampshade on each sides of the bed, even the TV rack is pleasing.

The only flaw we saw, which basically ruined it all for us was the bathroom. I guess being aesthetic does not always equate to functionality. We were not able to fully enjoy the bathtub or even just our bath for fear of flooding. If one is not careful, water could easily and we mean easily flood the room. The bathtub is located next to the bathroom door and the bathroom-floor and the room-floor are level. Well, we have seen modern bathrooms like these but I guess the basics of slightly angling the floor towards the drain should still be observed. Instead the water flows outside of the bathroom. It really freaked us out when we saw water going out of the bathroom while using the bath. We literally had to towel the floor down and squeeze the towel in the sink.

Ant problems also put us off. I woke up with ant bites and they were all over the floor the next morning. As a plush hotel in downtown Hatyai this should not have not been an issue but it is.

Now this is just based on the room we stayed in.

This video was taken at Neca Reiche Hotel.

Sockets:

At this modern age of gadgetry we have made electric sockets our best friend. And having plenty of them in a hotel room is a necessity. We always bring a ton of gadgets with us and re-charge all of them in the evening and we were not disappointed. Sockets were aplenty

Wifi:

Another downside of this hotel is their WIFI connectivity or the lack of it. We were not able to connect at all during our stay. We called the front desk for assistance thinking we may have made a mistake in connecting and someone did come to our AID to help us connect but still no connection at all. For us it was fine since we do have internet in our mobile devices because we live here in Thailand but if you are a tourist on a tourist SIM card you might really really want a hotel wifi connection and this will be outrageous and disappointmenting.

Amenities:

They have got the usual complimentary bottled water, towels, toiletries, shower caps, flat-screen TV, fridge, electric kettle, and hairdryer.

Pool:

They have a pool located on the 6th floor of the building. The pool is tiny. You’d have to literally wait for your turn to get into it. They do not have a kiddie pool so kids shorter than 4 feet will need a flotation device. The tiles are dark blue almost black so we could not be sure if the water was clean. We did not take a dip.

Food:

The food was the saving grace of this hotel. They were generous of the food. They served ham and eggs, fried rice, fruits and vegetables, complementary drinks, salad dressings, soup, porridge, bread, and a lot of condiments. They replenished the food the moment they see it’s running low. We have seen stingy hotel restaurants who would not refill the serving plates right away to discourage clients from having seconds.

Staff:

The hotel staffs were friendly and courteous. They could speak decent English so communication is not a problem at all.

Clientele

Neca Reiche hotel is a good place to stay if you plan to go around Hatyai City. It is famous among Malaysians, Singaporeans, Expats, and local tourists.

Overall

At 49.90 USD/per night for a family of four in a Standard II room, I think it is a good deal. Overall, in terms of aesthetic, cleanliness, and location, this hotel is great. And the whole experience which could have been even greater if not because of the bathroom and WIFI connection. If Neca Reiche addresses these, then I would say it is the total package but until then, I would not return.

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11 Things to Enjoy in Samila Beach, Thailand

Posted on by Ryan

Samila Beach is one of the two beaches in Songkhla Province in Thailand, the land of smile. It is famous to locals and tourists alike; one’s visit to Songkhla is never complete without stopping by Samila Beach. It’s a 2 kilometers stretch of beige sand, from the mermaid statue at the south end, near PB Samila Hotel, to the northern end where the magnificent sculpture of Nag the serpent is.

It is a major stop over for tourists coming to Songkhla from Malaysia, Singapore, or nearby provinces. A tour of Songkhla is incomplete without coming here, after all the symbol of Songkhla is found here.  For now, let me share with you some of the things that you could enjoy in Samila Beach.

Here are list of things you can do when in Samila Beach

1. Frolic in the beach, and the best time to do this is late afternoon, when the sun is still out; it’s warm, but not scorching hot. The water is low and calm; it is safe for children, and a perfect time for swimming and sunbathing. In terms of swimwear, there are no rules. Wear whichever you are comfortable in. People are tolerant, courteous, and generally are just minding their own business.

2. Picnic or read a book. A large portion of Laem Samila is shaded by canopies of tall Pine trees. Benches are available, lounging at one of them with your favorite read is another awesome way to relax at Samila beach. If you are with friends be sure to bring a picnic mattress and some snacks from the nearby 7-11 or local food stalls, lie down, relax and gaze up at the blue skies, feel the cool sea breeze, and “chat the noon away.”

3. Enjoy local snacks. Along Laem Son Rod, there are variety of places where you could grab something to eat. As mentioned there’s 7-11 just outside BP Samila Hotel near the roundabout. There’s an Amazon Cafe for coffee aficionados, which is right in front of the beach, on the hillside. And there are plenty of local food stalls along the road selling variety of street food, deep-fried hotdogs, deep-fried shrimp-pancakes, papaya salad, grilled meats, variety of local drinks, and Thai ice cream.

4. Play bubbles. This one is for the kids and kids at heart.  There is no need for you to make your own bubble concoction, you can rent it there for 30 baht (0.91USD or 3.81RM).

5. Horse riding. Yes, you read it correctly. For 150 baht (4.55USD or 19.07RM) you can go on a horse ride, and gallop the whole stretch of Samila beach. I know what you’re thinking, horse manure. Of course, horses do their thing there (they can’t help it ^_^), but it’s owners look after this and see to it that their horse is not soiling the beach. So what they do is they use tissue paper to collect the manure, and place this in a plastic bag (yep plastic bag), and dispose of properly in a bin.

6. Fly a kite. The beach is a nice place to fly a kite. There is no shortage of space and wind. In the afternoon when the water is low, it exposes a vast area of the beach, a totally great place to enjoy kite flying.

7. Beach volleyball. Samila beach has been a regular venue for Beach Volleyball competition which includes the Asian Beach Volleyball Championships and  the AVC Asia Beach Volleyball Championships. Next year, June 19 to 23, 2019  Samila Beach will host the 2019 edition of the men’s and women’s FIVB Beach Volleyball U21 World Championships.

8. Take a photo with Samila mermaid statue. One of the most photographed part of Samila Beach is the Bronze Mermaid Statue.  It had been the symbol of Songkhla for over 50 years. Sculpted in 1966, this blackened bronze statuette was the work of master Jitr Buabut who was honored as a national artist and awarded a visual arts award in 2002. He passed away in 2010 at the age of 100.

Another prominent statue found in Samila beach are the Cat and Mouse which represents Songkhla and the Island in front of Samila Beach respectively. There is a bit of wonderful history behind these statues which I will be sharing in the next post.

9. Sunset photography, Wedding photography or selfie. Samila beach can be a sight to behold especially during sunset. Visitors could not help take photos of the beach or take a selfie with the sunset, or the long stretch of khaki sand, or the bright azure sky, or the lush green, shady Pine trees, or mermaid statue at the background.

10. Walk and feel the sand. During the late afternoon when the water is low, it exposes a long, off-white powdery sand, a perfect time and place to re-connect with Earth; ditch your footwear, walk, and feel it. After a days work or a long, cold stay in a conference room, or after long hours of being cramped up in a vehicle, wake your senses up and get your daily dose of vitamin D and “sea” by hanging out on the beach.

11. Dine. And after all these, it is time to fill your growling tummy with fresh, yummylicious seafood or any Thai cuisine of your choice. You don’t have to look far, as there are several seafood restaurants along Laem Son Road just outside the beach shore.

So there you go. I will keep this post updated for what’s up and what’s new with Samila beach.

If you have comments, suggestions, and questions please leave them at the comment section below or you could send me a message at my Facebook page which you could find at the right side bar of the post. Thanks.

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Hotel Review: Golden House Prathum Wan Bangkok

Posted on by Ryan

Accomodation: Golden House

One of the many accomodations in Prathu nam Bangkok district, but one of the few affordable ones.

Location: 1025/5-9 Ploenchit Road, Lumpinee, Pathum Wan, Bangkok

Website: http://www.goldenhousebangkok.com/

Telephone No: Tel : +662 252 9535 (36, 37)

Facebook Page GoldenHouseBKK

Golden House‘s location is probably the best feature of this accommodation.  It is right at the heart of everything. It is only a walk away from the most interesting places in the area like Lumphini Park, National Stadium, and major shopping centers such as Siam Paragon and Central World, and Gaysorn Plaza.  It’s also a stone-throw away from budget places we all love to go like Platinum Fashion Mall, Prathunam Plaza and  Mahboonkrong (MBK) Shopping Center. Also it is surrounded by some of the posh hotels in Thailand and those commonly used for conferences and other business related travel. Also it’s a minute walk from BTS Chidlom station.

Room

The room we stayed in has two single beds with a tiny table in between, and a narrow space at each sides and in front. A big flat screen TV is placed right in front of the beds that plays local programs only. Adjacent to this,  towards the door is a dresser/table with a large wall mirror and where the usual compliments (small bottled water and coffee) and amenities such as hairdryer, electric kettle are placed. A personal fridge is also available. Directly in front is the bathroom. Oh it’s important to note too that  the room has no closet of any sort, although it has two wall clothes hooks.

Bathroom: Strange

It is big and clean with towel holders which I find convenient. Strangely though, the bathroom wall and door are made of stained glass, which do not hide much of whatever your doing there. To some degree, it can be romantic, but nevertheless, everyone wants privacy when doing toilet business, right?

WiFi: Good

The internet connection is good quite similar to Hatzanda in Koh Lanta, Nadivana Serviced Apartments in Ao Nang Krabi, and The Lake House Ko Yo in Songkhla. I was able to blog,  stream a movie,  watch videos in Youtube, and face time with my family.

Price 
We stayed for three nights at $40/night without breakfast.

Client: Mixed

Their clienteles come from all walks of life. Travelers both young and old whether on a holiday or work/business related travel flock the place.

Over-all
Aesthetic wise, the room we stayed in is moderate, and pretty small,  yet,  if I happen to be in this part of Bangkok again I would certainly stay in Golden House. The price may be high for the kind of room and services offered but because of its auspicious location,  it’s worth it!

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Hotel Review: Nadivana Serviced Apartments

Posted on by Ryan

Location. 159 Moo 4, Ao Nang Muang
Krabi, Muang Krabi 81180 Thailand
☎ 011 66 75 661 358

big pool in nadivana serviced apartment
Hotel Review: Nadivana Serviced Apartments

Room. The room we stayed in was pretty spacious and clean with a huge wall mirror, and a bunk bed which our kids loved so much. In reality though, Summer and Derick used the lower bunk only, as the upper bunk was way too near the air-conditioning. The bed was soft, but shaky. It’s a bed with wheels, wheels that couldn’t be locked, so it’s super unstationary. Pillows were tiny and uncomfortable, the kind that gives you a stiff neck but they’re clean though, which is super important for an asthmatic family like us. There were two dainty lampshades and a huge photo frame of Nopparat beach on the wall. The huge flatscreen TV had several cable channels which we enjoyed as well. The bathroom waa big and clean except for those icky smudges on the black-tiled walls. Other things we appreciate about the bathroom was the big mirror in front of the big sink and having a number of towel rails/holders. We love the vibrant looking, marble bathroom floor of The Lakehouse better though.

Other amenities in the room include several hangers, fridge with beverages (for sale), complementary bottled water, electric pot, safe box, two comfortable, sturdy, plastic chairs, toiletries but without shampoo, weird!

two kids in the swimming pool at nadivana serviced apartment
Hotel Review: Nadivana Serviced Apartments

Amenities

The Pool- adults and kids, both are huge! The pool for adults has a bar that allows swimmers to enjoy their drinks while in the water. Next to it is the kids pool, a proper kids pool, not a jacuzzi/kids pool type. It has a teeny weeny slide that adds to the fun. The pool is awesome! Water is a bit murky but not as murky as the Lakehouse Ko Yo Guesthouse during our stay there. Our kids enjoyed chilling out by the pool and had the time of their life!

WiFi is excellent! No glitch at all. The connection is even faster than Hatzanda Lanta Resort and Lanta Riviera Villa Resortwhich we ranked number 1 in our list prior. We were able to open and stream pretty much everything we thought of watching, in the room and even at the pool side.

Restaurant is located at the main building. They serve breakfast, lunch, and dinner. However, eating outside is better. There’s a nice restaurant which serves great food at a local price just a few meters away, Sakeereen Halal Food.

Food. We opted for breakfast and paid extra $16 for it. Thinking that Nadivana is a big company, we were expecting a good breakfast on our first morning. However we were disappointed big time! The complimentary buffet includes toasted bread, steamed ham and tiny hotdogs which were re-cooked the following morning, cereals, khaw phat (fried rice) which has nonexistent meat and thinly sliced veggies. Eggs are available upon request but you to pay extra.
We had an excellent breakfast experience at Rimlay Park Resort, a relatively small accomodation. Breakfast there was truly a treat.
Anyway, the complimentary buffet breakfast is Nadivana’s weakest link.

Resort ground is wide with the pool occupying the main central portion of the main ground. Behind is where the deluxe quad rooms are situated facing a vast grassland (not a garden) where one could be visited by cows and/or snakes. Yaas snakes! I saw one (on our first morning) slithered into a bushy part of the main building. But don’t worry they have got this silicon cover attached at the foot of the door to keep snakes, frogs, and bugs from coming in through the gap.

Parking. There were no proper onsite parking for those staying in the deluxe quad rooms. They have got a few spaces right in front of the reception/restaurant area but this however is a long way from where our room was, anyway, it’s full the whole time. So we had to park on the grassy vacant lot near our room. We didn’t mind it really, the hiccup was, our car tire got punctured by a nail or metal screw.

Services
The room is serviced everyday and complimentary items are replenished too. The ladies at the reception were friendly, accommodating, and they could communicate in English pretty well.

Clientele

A great choice for those who come in groups of 4 or more.

Price

We stayed at the deluxe quad room for three nights with breakfast, for $178 (5,543.00 baht). Booked at bookingdotcom (https://www.booking.com/s/27_8/b84f891f)

Over-all

If you’re tolerant enough of small nuisances like having the water sprayer on the left side of the toilet, off road parking, possible snake sighting especially if you’re staying in one of the deluxe quad rooms then posh-looking Nadivana Serviced Apartments is a good choice. I strongly suggest however to opt-out breakfast!

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Hotel Review: The Lakehouse Ko Yo

Posted on by Ryan

Location: 93/2 Soi 5 Rom Yen, Tambon Ko Yo, Amphoe Mueang Songkhla, Chang Wat Songkhla 90100 6.8 km

This newly opened, kid-friendly guesthouse is situated in the Island of Yor or locally known as Ko Yo. Yo is an island in Songkhla Lake where some of the most spectacular sunsets can be viewed. It can be accessed via the Tinsulanonda Bridge, the longest in Thailand.

Let’s talk about The Lakehouse

Rooms are pretty big and spacious. Our room got two big sliding windows overlooking either the outdoor pool and the greeneries behind or the awesome surrounding stilt houses and sunset. The wooden framed bed is big although a bit hard. There are matching wooden furniture with plenty of drawers. There’s a full body mirror, and two extra orthopaedic pillows. Oddly though, the flatscreen TV is not connected to any cable and or antenna and so there is nothing to watch there. The floor, linens, and bathroom are clean. Wish I could say the same with the pool.

The Pool is one of the amenities our kids are so excited about when going on trips and staying in hotels. For them it’s not worth going if they couldn’t swim and have fun in a pool. The Lake House’s pool was a bit of a disappointment though. It wasn’t very clean when we got there. The water was murky. Although they did vacuum and put chlorine in the evening after the pool closed for the night. In the morning it was a whole lot better but still the water was murky. Our kids nevertheless, had fun. However as parents we couldn’t help but worry.

Haad Kaew Resort’s swimming pool is still the best thus far.

Wi-Fi is one of its strongest point. The internet connection is strong and fast. We had no hiccups opening Youtube videos and even streaming movies.

Amenities are plenty. In the rooms, they have got freebies and other complementary items a pair of toothbrush.  A mini reading lounge is on the ground floor adjacent to the restaurant with plenty of English books, and a pool table at the third floor.

Hotel ground. Well there is none. The hotel is situated very near the road that they only got space for parking and that is about it.

The hotel itself is a pretty small place in terms of width. But it’s a three story building with big rooms and even bigger living rooms on each floor.

Food. The Lakehouse has a restaurant that offers both Thai and Western dishes.

Clientele
*Foreigners who are working around Songkhla come to unwind or party
*Malaysians who are visiting Songkhla or Ko Yo
*Any group of friends who wants to hangout
*Families on staycation

Services. The staff were friendly, accommodating, and speaks English. We didn’t require so much services from them,  they appeared always ready to help.

Price. Got the Deluxe 1 room for $29/night without breakfast. I believe there is no “with breakfast option”. We paid our stay through paypal which is really convenient for bloggers like us.

Generally, The Lake House Ko Yo guesthouse is a great place to go for families on staycation, group of friends who are looking for some fun while relaxing from the busy city life.

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