Author's product rating: 
| Advantages: |
Friendly staff, good food, great service |
| Disadvantages: |
basic, rooms need updating |
| Recommend to potential buyers: |
yes |
We went to Summer Island Village in Jan 07 for 7nights for our honeymoon.
It was a holiday to remember. The scenery is surreal, better in real life than in the pictures. The waters are amazingly crystal clear and the hotel was basic but very clean. We stayed in the water bungalow which is found at one end of the island. It takes a good 8minutes to walk from one end to the other and that is at a comfortable pace. With the water bungalows, you have your own private area of the beach which includes a small hut and 2 deck loungers. Our room had a balcony which faces the sunset and has 2 chairs. It also had a clothes line to dry your swimwear which was really handy. The room was basic and does need updating but the bed sheets are cleaned everyday and the towels are changed. Inside the room there is a small glass area of the floor which at night you can light up and watch the fishes swim past.
The staff are so warm hearted and friendly. Those who cleaned our rooms made nice patterns on the bed using the bed sheets in shapes of flowers and hearts.
We went night fishing which was an evening to remember. Done in a traditonal manner with fishing reel and a block of wood but the young boys on the boat help you pull in the fish. If you like fishing, this is one excursion that is a must. The fish gets taken back to the hotel and cooked for you the following day. The waiters and chef are very kind and will cook to your special requirements. We are indian so we craved for some chilli food. They started sending food to our table to suit our taste buds and made us feel at home.
At extra cost you can have a lobster candlelit dinner on the beach. We booked this and luckily we were the only ones dining so we had the whole beach to ourselves and the sounds of the waves nearby. As I don't like lobster, as an alternative I got fish which had been baked and cooked with rich herbs and spices. It was delicious but to get a 2foot fish on your table to eat....well, it does fill you up.
I would advice for the all inclusive package. It includes:
Breakfast
Lunch
Dinner
drinks thoughtout the day including bottles of water and local alcoholic drinks.
Afternoon tea/coffee served with sandwiches and biscuits
Its a relief to walk around without having to carry your purse or wallet to buy some food or a bottle of water.
The only things we paid for was the night fishing, lobster meal and imported alcohlic drinks like the Baileys and banana cocktail I fancied.
We did request breakfast in our room for the first morning we were there but it arrived cold and not to our liking. I do recommend going to the dining room for breakfast as there is a chef making fresh omlettes to your requirements. Certainly fills you up til lunch time. The choice in desserts and fresh fruits in vast.....we put on some weight when we were out there.
The island is quite small compared to the others we have heard off. There were about 150-180 guests when we visited so it is quite secluded.
Overall, the holiday was mystical. The friendly staff at the resort made us feel very welcome and we crave to visit again. Its not a place to suit everyone but it suited us for the relaxing, stress free holiday we wanted for our honeymoon.
You can
travel to SIV by speed boat or speed plane. We opted for the speed boat and took about 45minutes. Remember to tie your hair back as mine got very tangled.
Take a good book, maybe a few and plenty of sun cream lotion.
