Guest User
February 29, 2024
We had 4 nights in the main Koyao Island Resort, then moved up to 9 Hornbills for 3 nights, which worked really well for us. Contact during our booking process was excellent and the front desk were particularly helpful, arranging our transfer to the next hotel with no fuss (when the hotel we were moving to were less than helpful). The views we'd enjoyed down in the resort just got better up the hill at 9 Hornbills and the pool, privacy and sense of space was exceptional. The tent was huge, light and bright and the private pool was bigger than average. There was an outdoor shower and a roll-top bath with shower attachment inside the tent bathroom area. Aircon did the job. It was cool enough in the morning, evening and through the night when you need it. It did get hot in the tent during the day, but this wasn't an issue as we were outside all day and you could just cool off in the pool. You are certainly away from it all up here, but that's literally the whole point. We walked to the main resort for breakkie or when going out for dinner (12 mins easy stroll downhill) and got the golf buggy back up. Jaw-dropping sunrises from our bed or the pool and one evening, we watched the most dramatic storm from our covered deck, seeing the clouds roll in to obscure the karsts completely for a time, before the rain thrashed down around us. We sat out under cover, drinking our Singhas and taking in the thunder and lightning show - it was amazing to watch from up a height. The main resort was peaceful, beautiful and clean, with one restaurant serving breakfast, lunch and dinner and a spa, where I had really excellent oil massages (inc air con and a big comfy bed with a hole for your face to allow the brilliant therapist to work her magic on tight shoulders). The staff were all friendly and helpful, remembering our preferences and talking with us each day. If ever anyone didn't understand a question, they would quickly go and get a staff member who did, always with a smile. We had dinner at the main resort twice, both very good Thai meals and plenty of choice on the menu. The rest of the time, we ate in local places. There's a small bar/bottle shop 5 mins walk if you turn right outside the main resort, serving very cold beer in coolers, where we sat and watched the locals come and go before dinner. It's just before a small supermarket (Chans) which sold all the essentials and ran a very popular scooter hire. P'Chans restaurant wasn't open while we were there (but still shows on google maps). There are more places to eat and drink 10-15 mins walk if you turn left outside the main resort (or you can walk along the beachfront, in which case turn right from the resort). The hotel would happily take you to any of these in the golf buggy, but we prefer a wee walk. We never had a bad meal and enjoyed Parabar (boat shaped place - massive portions, great curries), Chubba cafe (for an arty, hippy lunch or coffee and cake or a shake), By the Sea