Jon the Traveller

Considering all I needed was a room with a fan, this place fit the bill perfectly. However, at 600baht per night for what is a 300baht room nearly everywhere else outside of Bangkok, it is a little expensive. Then again this is Ao Nang.

Despite the exorbitant cost of the room, J Hotel – and its sister property J Mansion – is well run, with friendly staff and the rooms are kept very clean and stocked with toiletries. The tour desk is brilliant, meeting even the most random and parsimonious of requests I could make.

So if Ao Nang is a place you need to spend a night as a get away from Phi Phi or comfort after Raileh, then look up either of the “J” properties.

Tags: ao nang, Review

Brilliant place. Very cheap considering its location on one of Thailand’s up and coming island destinations.

The place comes fully loaded with “free” wifi (pay them for the password once and then never pay again (they dont seem to notice)); excellent restaurant – which still works even during storms when the islands’ power dies; cheap motorbike rental; a POOL; and a rocking bar with the friendliest Muslim barman anywhere, Kazim. Just don’t let him play cards for money with you.

Lanta Full Moon has a range of bungalows to suit all budgets, from aircon concrete jobbies to fan and cold water bamboo huts, which are great – even if the last one is close to the Ban Klong Khong Mosque and you get woken up by the call to prayer at 7ish every morning.

Excepting the rocks that pepper the beach at low tide, I cannot really come up any other downsides to Lanta Full Moon, so guys go to Lanta and STAY THERE!!!

Tags: Beach, Lanta, Review

Despite being on the most developed beach on Ko Chang, White Sands beach, this place is very much a backpacker haunt. Its pretty easy to find, either walk down its track from the main road above the beach, or walk north on White Sands until you get to the rocky headland and it sits right over it.

As far as its facilities go, it has the usual restaurant (pretty decent), common area and tour desk/reception. The rooms/huts are in good condition and the bathrooms are great. The staff really proved themselves helpful when I had my little event, calling the police, getting me a free shake and so on. Totally unexpected.

I cannot really say more as I only spent a night here due to getting robbed.

Tags: Ko Chang, Review, Rocksands