Travelling with my partner in June 2006 we had taken the overnight train from Bangkok to Surat Thani, costing £20 between us, where we had transferred to a boat taking us to Ko Samui.
Upon arrival in Ko Samui, we took a taxi ride to the Rocky Resort situated between Lamai and Hua Thanon, which took thirty minutes.
We were taken to the reception by a staff member and made to feel welcome with a complimentary non alcoholic iced fruit cocktail as we checked in at reception. We were asked if we would like to make any excursions whilst we were on Samui, that they could arrange for us, but we were exhausted and chose not to just then. Check-in was quick and whilst it was finalised (£95 for two nights, including breakfast) our luggage was taken to our rooms for us and we wandered up slowly with a staff member to our room, which was a deluxe garden view room.
For couples or honeymooners first impressions of the resort were great as the surroundings are spacious and tropical with much foliage around, slowly leading down to the beach, The room was exactly as described on the website, as they were secluded beach style huts offering easily enough privacy, but without being too far from reception or the beach.There were flowers on the double bed and much attention to detail with the room's simple but inviting decor.
There was a welcome basket with fresh fruit, a fully stocked fridge (tastefully hidden in a wooden cabinet that matched the other decoration), two bedside tables, a two seater seat, stool, writing table (all in the same style)and a hand painted Thai picture hung above the bed and an ensuite bathroom.
The bathroom was small at around six foot by six foot and reasonably basic, with an electric shower, toilet and hand basin and white tiling throughout but this suited our needs fine.
The balcony outside our front door was small but had room for a table and two chairs, but the view was incredible back out towards the Gulf of Thailand through the tropical trees, so it was nice to relax on in the evenings.
There was ample closet space for your baggage also in a double-doored wardrobe, which held two backpacks and a suitcase.
The swimming pool, about thirty metres by twenty was a short walk (under a minute) from our room. It was clean and secluded and had an additional plunge pool, it was still amongst the lush surroundings of the resort. There was no lifeguard on duty, but this seems common in Thailand
We ate breakfast on both days, there was an egg chef, and it was held in a large open planned room, with support for the roof but only that allowing, great unobstructed panoramic views across the bay.
The Rocky Resort is quite a about ten miles away from the busiest place on Samui, Chaweng, being situated in Hua Thanon. But by the open air buses it took about twenty minutes, and these were less than £2.
Through the hotel we were able to hire a jeep, which was promptly delivered at a cost of £10 per day. This allowed us to explore the beautiful island at our leisure, fuelling at the roadside (very few large garages) and drive to the bigger towns and more tourist orientated beaches in Lamai and Chaweng, which was pleasant enough. The resort itself has its own beach and massages could be had on the beach, booked through the hotel, though we didn't choose to, so I'm unsure about the pricing.
The atmosphere created in the resort by the staff, buildings and layout was relaxing, the staff made us feel very welcome and it was a pleasure to stay there, I would definitely stay there again
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May 1st, 2007
(May 2nd, 2007)
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