Where Else Resort, Koh Lanta

Independant Review

This really special resort epitomizes all that’s best in Thai rustic beach architecture. Maybe the combination of purple, blue and green hues used in the bar design will be a bit psychadelic for some people, but there is no plastic or steel to be seen anywhere, just driftwood and everything you can possibly use from a coconut tree – coconut tree trunks and fronds, painted coconut tree branch stems, and coconuts hanging on strings.

All the resort’s roofs are thatched and the only concrete on display is on the lobby floor. A large and charming boat-shaped communal dining table, complete with comfy back-rests, is a great place to socialize and meet other travelers, and is beautifully decorated with strings of hanging coconuts and washed-up coral.

If you like rustic, you’ll love ‘Where Else’. It is a candidate for the most rustic resort in Thailand, but unfortunately not for Thailand’s best rustic resort, as the bungalows are now in urgent need of refurbishment or replacement. Unfortunately thatched bamboo bungalows deteriorate rapidly during the rainy season, and those at this resort probably need demolishing and rebuilding, rather than refurbishing.

This is a shame, as this resort should be the best on the beach, but is let down by the standard of its rooms. Even though we don’t recommend staying here, we definitely do recommend dropping  by for a drink or a meal.

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Andaman Sky, Co., Ltd, 23/8 Moo 2, Ao Nang, Thailand