Chongkhao Resort

I stayed at Chong Khao Resort on two different trips over the last four months, for a total of 15 nights, and didn't have a single problem with the room or staff in all that time! I learned Chong Khao is owned and operated by a very loving family with deep roots in the Andaman Sea islands going back many generations. These are the children and owners of paradise, heaven on earth, yet they treat strangers like members of their own family and honored guests, rather than outsiders or anonymous customers. I was brought to tears by their humbleness and hospitality. Continues in Part 2

Best Hotel Manager: Na Nana Best Restauranteur: Auntie Meena Best Towel Sculpture Artist: Khun Ahah

I stayed at Chong Khao Resort on two different trips over the last four months, for a total of 15 nights, and didn't have a single problem with the room or staff in all that time! I learned Chong Khao is owned and operated by a very loving family with deep roots in the Andaman Sea islands going back many generations. These are the children and owners of paradise, heaven on earth, yet they treat strangers like members of their own family and honored guests, rather than outsiders or anonymous customers. I was brought to tears by their humbleness and hospitality. Once I locked my key in the room and they immediately opened the door for me with no fuss at all. Another time I had a problem with bad weather on a rented kayak and was stuck on the other side of the island. I contacted the manager, Na Nana and she called the rental shop for me to explain my problem and smooth things over. She genuinely worried about me all night and they were relieved when I returned safely the next morning. This kind of authentic care and concern can not be purchased, even at the most luxurious and expensive 5 star resorts on the island. Chong Khao Resort is very reasonably priced, but what sets it apart from other hotels in this price range is the attention to small details in the areas of cleanliness, maintenance and basic amenities. For instance, the hot water kettle was scrubbed clean each day and just the right number of coffee, tea, sugar and cream packets were provided to accommodate anyone's taste. Another important point is that other hotels at this price on Phi Phi island are usually on steep hillsides requiring a sweaty hike to and from your room for every little thing, while Chong Khao Resort is within the hills but sitting on perfectly flat land, with easy access along wide, level footpaths to both beaches, town and pier. It's an ideal choice for anyone with difficulties walking. This is also the quiet side of town. It is literally the farthest you can get on Loh Dalum beach from the loud music, bars, drugs and massage parlors, yet you can easily walk directly to all that along the beach or the flat, car-free walkways through town, if that's what you're into. Compare this hotel to others on the island at similar prices, as I have done, and you will understand the superior monetary value of Chong Khao Resort. But ultimately it's not the numbers that will keep you coming back, it's the content of the hearts of the people. At the other hotels there are no managers as friendly as Na Nana sharing her amazing life with you, or restaurateurs as generous as Auntie Meena offering food to strangers when she sees, by their good deeds, that they love her homeland almost as much as she does.

No shower curtain, we saw cockroach..