Sivalai Resort, Koh Mook

Independent Review

Introduction

This lovely resort has the most amazing location, poking out into the Andaman sea on a narrow sand spit.

The 48 upmarket bungalows, somewhat pretentiously labelled villas, are in excellent condition and offer good value for the standard provided. In a nutshell, this is a great beach resort in a simply stunning location offering good value luxury accommodation.

	Somewhat unusually, this resort can be recommended to both couples and families.
The resort is not noisy even when full, so couples won't feel overwhelmed with noisy kids.
	This is one of the best romance resorts on the Andaman coast. Along with 5 star Pimalai on Koh Lanta, 4 star Paradise on Koh Yao Noi and 4 star Seven Seas on Koh Kradan, it is one of our 4 favourite island romance resorts on the Andaman coastline.
There are enough swimming and daytrip possibilities to keep children happy.
	If a third or more pair of feet is accompanying you, the feet will probably not spend much time standing still, as there are so many bathing possibilities.
Older children cam swim in the shallow sea, while parents can supervise them from the comfort of their terrace.

Most of the only 48 bungalows are absolute beachfront, making this one of the very few resorts that offer luxury absolute beachfront accommodation at a price that is within the reach of many travellers.

The restaurant at this 4 star resort serves an excellent breakfast, although people as fussy as this travel writer is about their breccie bread will bemoan the lask of wholemeal bread - that said, at least there is quality white and brown bread on offer, rather than the vile, insipid and probably pretty poisonous bread-impersonating stuff served up in many Thai resorts.

There are some nice little touches at breakfast, such as really good slliced ham, potaoe gratin and a range of foods to suit everyone except mongolian hedrsmen (mlk is available, but not mares' blood).

The location is spectacular to say the least, but the sea swimming is a bit of a problem here (there is of course a pool). At low tide swimming is not possible anywhere. Swimming is never possible off the south-facing beach due to boat traffic. Swimming off the western end of the north-facing side of the sandspit isn't pleasant due to silty waters and bathtub-like temperatures. The swimming is only enjoyable off the eastern end of the north-facing side of the sandspit, plus off the end of the sandspit itself. The swimming here is good, but not nearly as good as that off the beach at Koh Kradan (see the Seven Seas resort) or off Kantiang beach on Koh Lanta (see Pimalai resort).

The spa here is reasonably priced at about THB 700 for a one hour oil massage.

Accommodation

When does a bungalow cease to be a bungalow and become a villa ? In the opinion of this writer, it is when it acquires a living room.

	By that definition, the detached buildings in this resort are all bungalows, not villas as claimed, but whatever they are called, the bungalows are certainly very appealing and will please all but the most pampered of people.
Think polished wooden floors, enough space, a large and well-equipped bathroom, tasteful decor with an Asian ambience, plus Thai silks to brighten the bungalows' predominately pastel tones.
	Then throw in most mod cons and you about have it. The ceilings are attractively thatched in a way that does not admit bugs, but the beds come with mosquito nets, just in case.
All bungalows come with a large terrace furnished with a pair of comfortable loungers.

The most annoying thing about this resort is the names of the rooms types, which are so lengthy as to be irritiating. There follows a description of each type

Beach Villa

These are all second row units so do not benefit from absolute beach frontage. It is very much worthwhile spending a bit extra on the next most expensive unit (see below) in order to get some beach frontage. The best of the Beach Villas are the ones numbered 210 to 205, as they are nearer the pool and restaurant, plus the best swimming at the end of the sand-spit

Front Beach Villa Seaview

Why did they make this name so long? Was is to bore people rigid or to give travel writers' fingers Repetitive Stress Injury? OK, I guess that's enough moaning (I really have nothing to complain about, as I am lucky enough to be staying here at Sivalai at the moment). These units are located on the south side of the sand spit so don't offer swimming directly in front of the bungalows, but this really isn't a big deal, as the best swimming off the end of the sandspit is only a few metres away. An extra bed can be comfortably added, plus a child less than 12 can share the master bed.

The best of these units, particularly for couples, is number 108, as it only has a neighbour on one side due to being located next to the resort's western boundary, plus it is slightly set back from the neighbouring unit, so offers further privacy. This unit is highly recommended as brilliant value at the price charged, we can request it for you if you like. An extra bed can be comfortably added, plus a child less than 12 can share the master bed.

Beach Villa Superior

These units are all second row. It makes no sense to this travel writer, nor to the member of staff who showed him round, that these are more expensive than the Front Beach Villa Seaview. Why pay more than a Front Beach Villa Seaview for one of these, when you get the disadvantage of the lack of a front-row location.

There is no satusfactory answer to this question. OK, the Beach Villa Superior is slightly bigger than the Front Beach Villa Seaview, but the extra space isn't really that necessary and certainly does not make up for the lack of beach frontage. These units are not reccommended. Two extra beds can be added, plus a child less than 12 can share the master bed.

Front Beach Superior Seaview

These units face the north, so are directly in front of a swimmable beach. They are also a bit bigger, but not so much as to justify the significantly increased price tag. In this writer's opinion, a Front Beach Villa Seaview is almost as good a choice, at a significantly lower cost, so for this reason the Front Beach Superior Seaview is not recommended, except for families, where the extra space will be handy.

The best of these units are numbered in the range 122 to 127 as they are nearer reception, the pool and the sandspit. The least popular are the units numbered 206 to 211, which are rather far from the above attractions, particularly for families with small children. Two extra beds can be added, plus a child less than 12 can share the master bed.

Front Beach Family Seaview

These are significantly bigger than the other bungalows in this resort and are a great family choice. Two extra beds can be comfortably accommodated, plus a child less than 12 can share the master bed. The best of these units are numbered in the range 122 to 127, as they are near everything. The units furthest away from reception, the pool and sandspit are quite a long way away, so it is a pretty good idea for families with smaller children to request one of the nearer units. We will be pleased to request one of these for you.

Prices

Click here for more on Koh Mook. Andaman Sky, Co., Ltd, 454/2 Moo 1, Ao Nang, Thailand