Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
houses have been transported to this coastal patch of paradise and outfitted with large
comfy beds and stylish bathrooms.
The amiable owners, a Thai-Australian family, set a homey mood where breakfast is
enjoyed at a common table in the 'big' house providing instant camaraderie. Some villas
offer extreme privacy while others accommodate families. The beach is just across the
road.
Brassiere Beach
( 0 3263 0554;
www.brassierebeach.com
;
Dolphin Bay; r 4000-5000B; )
A delicious combina-
tion of privacy and personality; these 12 stucco villas abut the mountains of Khao Sam
Roi Yot National Park and face a secluded beach, 100m from the nearest paved road. The
rooms have an uncluttered Spanish colonial feel, some with roof decks and most with
open-air showers. You might mispronounce its name, but Brassiere Beach deserves your
support.
HOTEL
$$$
La a natu Bed & Bakery
( 0 3268 9941;
www.laanatu.com
;
south of Khao Kalok; r 4488-15,888B; )
Turning the humble
Thai rice village into a luxury experience is all the rage in the boutique hotel world but
La a natu does it with more panache than most. The thatched roof villas growing on stilts
from cultivated rice paddies have rounded modern corners and a Flintstone-esque play-
fulness to their design.
Each villa is extremely private but evocative of traditional rustic lifestyles with living
quarters on the ground floor and often steep, ladderlike stairs leading to the sleeping area.
And then there's the semi-private beach right on your doorstep.
HOTEL
$$$
Dolphin Bay Resort
( 0 3255 9333;
www.dolphinbayresort.com
;
Dolphin Bay; r 1790-14,300B; )
The resort that
defined Dolphin Bay as a family-friendly retreat offers a low-key holiday camp ambience
with a variety of standard-issue, value-oriented bungalows and apartments, as well as a
few very expensive ones. The grounds are large enough for kids to roam safely, there are
two big pools and there's a great sandy beach opposite.
HOTEL
$$$
Khao Kalok Restaurant
(dishes 80-300B; 11am-10pm)
At the southern base of the mountain, this open-air restaurant
provides a front-row view of the moored fishing boats. Tasty dishes, like
gaang kĕe·o
THAI
$$
