![]() This review starts out negative, but turns positive, so please at least skim the whole thing if you want the full picture of the sanctuary. My advice is to take out more than you think you need at the ATMs at Koh Samui airport when you arrive. The only other gripe is you have to pay in cash, and if you don't arrive with enough, you have to make an annoying and expensive trip to Haad Rin to get some more. The Sanctuary pretty much shrugs and leaves transport up to you, which is quite nerve-wracking if the seas are rough, the boats aren't running and you have a plane to catch. If there aren't other people also wanting to go, the taxi boat driver will charge you a fortune. It can also be quite hard to get from Haad Rin, where the ferry stops, to Haad Thian, where the hotel is. The last ferry from Koh Samui to Ko Pha Ngan leaves at 1800, so I had to spend a night on Koh Samui and wait till the next morning. I flew from London overnight on a Friday and didn't get there till lunchtime on Sunday. The main problem with The Sanctuary is how hard it is to get to. Bring earplugs for the Friday night party, though. There's an open mic night on Thursdays, and one night we watched a movie on the beach, lying on sun loungers. The food was generally delicious, and if you're not vegetarian, you can always have fish or seafood. We thought it was worth it others might not. The downside of the privacy is that it's a veeery long climb up the hill in the heat. ![]() We stayed in Star House, which is wonderfully private and has its own bathtub on the sunbathing terrace, with lovely views. Most guests seem at ease with the alternative vibe, and because everyone's dressed in similar scruffy, slightly hippy clothing, you don't know if you're talking to a film star or an impoverished student. For this reason, it's a good place to go to if you're travelling alone. The atmosphere encourages guests to be friendly to each other too and to start conversations in a way that often wouldn't happen in other hotels. There's no sense of servility, just of warm friendliness. They make friends with you, have a chat when they take your order, remember your name. It's compounded by the staff - known as 'crew' - acting as if they're on a par with the guests. This creates a levelling, democratic feel to the place. The Sanctuary is very rare in having rooms at all price levels, from cheap shared dorms to lovely private houses. ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |