This hotel at first seemed like a good deal with the 3 day 2 night tour package. Staff on site are accommodating, when they're around. It is our own fault for coming here in the rainy season so the island can't show its true beauty. We were tired of spending most of our time getting to our previous destinations so we decided to buy an extra night to stay on this island.
The deluxe room is decent. The bathroom is with the room but it is "outdoor." Imagine a patio with tin roof and tiled walls and ground, but there's a gap between the walls and the roof. There is a planter with a tree in it. I guess they were going for the "earthy" theme for this place. I'm not sure if you will associate the smell in the bathroom with sewage or "nature." Maybe it's our fault, again, for coming here during rainy season.
The first night we heard creatures running on the roof of our two-room building. It spooked us, but we got used to it the second night we stayed (after we were out snorkeling during the day as a part of the tour). Bed was made for us when we got back from dinner at the hotel (I think dinner was definitely great, but make sure you put on bug spray for your meal there). I noticed a black speck on the ground, but didn't think much of it: "That looks like... poop?? Meh, whatever. I'll let the housekeeping deal with it next time they come."
The next day it was pouring rain. After a mediocre "American breakfast," we stayed in the room until 3 pm when it stopped raining. We went out to check out the white sand beach (a part of the tour) when we had the chance. Then, we came back and relaxed for the rest of the evening. And, we turned the lights off getting ready to go to bed. Then, I heard a plastic bag next to my suitcase moved, so I woke up my husband to scout the room out for me. A black rat jumped out of the closet drawer up to the top of the mini fridge where our teacups would have been! Then, it ran along the wall and hid underneath our bed!
We packed our stuff and went out to the reception desk around 10:30 PM. No one was there! Hoping to switch hotels, we called the hotels nearby but only two hotels answered there phones and asked for outrageous prices. So...we decided to tough it out. We came back to our room since we don't want to be eaten alive by mosquitoes.
Now, we're on a mouse/rat hunt. We just heard the running noise on our roof again. We think it might have been the black cat we saw in the reception area trying to catch a few snacks tonight before the rain came again.
By the way, the whole damn time there has been this creature outside "barking" every 5 seconds a-l-l d-a-y and a-l-l n-i-g-h-t l-o-n-g. We can't decide if it's a dog or a frog. Btw, the black speck is definitely a rat poop.
This hotel is not anywhere near the beach at all. It is at least 15 min car ride to the closest one, which I think would be White Sand beach or Klong Pra-ow.
A local told me that Jan - March is the best time of the year to visit Koh Chang. And, lastly: dtac gets you only EDGE, not 3G, on this island.
I'm sure this trip would have been a different experience if we didn't come during a rainy season.
