Haad Gruad Beach Resort

I Loved staying and will definitely stay here in my next visit. I stayed for almost one month and it felt amazing. The beach is Devine and I loved living in an authentic bungalow. The staff here are amazing and so fun to talk with and always happy to help. Clean rooms and big comfortable bed! Amazing sunset. Away from over run tourist areas in a beautiful quiet location. I highly recommend staying here and will definitely be back.

We spent 10 days at Haad Gruad Beach Bungalows, and it really was the most wonderful place we stayed in our entire 6 weeks in Thailand! It's the kind of low-key rustic accommodation that I thought had all but gone from Ko Phangan (having visited the island 15 years ago I can see how sadly most such places have been usurped by big swanky hotels). However this family run affair is still going strong, and is situated in a virtually private little cove which has a dreamlike quality with its beauty and solitude. There is a coral reef just off the coast that you can snorkel and kayak on, and a lovely beach littered with shells and old washed up coral. It's a 20 minute walk (or 5 minute scooter ride) to neighbouring Haad Salad and Haad Yao, if you find you want different food or a bit more nightlife. Not to be confused with 'West Coast Bungalows' (the only other guesthouse in the bay - I notice somebody has mistakenly uploaded photo's of it and its swimming pool here), Beach Bungalows is very Robinson Crusoe in their charm. It's the kind of place that appeals to a certain kind of traveler, the kind who are less interested in manicured hotel culture and value calm, nature, and swinging in a hammock on the porch! If you like wildlife you will be in for a treat: we had a fruit bat under the eves of our hut, a giant gecko who would visit the bathroom, and a monitor lizard even walked past once at breakfast! The local beach dog "Lucy" was also one of the highlights as she became our best friend during our stay, faithfully sleeping outside our hut every night. The owners are what really make this place the nicest we've been to. They are so welcoming, friendly and fun! Nothing was too much to ask of them - indeed when the aircon unit broke on our second night, they immediately got the whole thing replaced in a matter of hours. We became good friends with all of them - in particular Kop and her little daughter, who would often talk and joke with us. When we left it felt like we were saying goodbye to family! All in all this is a rare gem to still be found on Ko Phangan: a stunning private beach, incredible nature, and wonderfully welcoming hosts!

I very rarely review, but this place deserves a special mention. It has been an amazing stay. Picture perfect location and totally unspoilt. Incredibly peaceful and it has not been affected by over tourism. Long may it stay this way. Myself, wife and 2 x children (aged 4 and 6) stayed in a beach front bungalow with air conditoning and separate bathroom. It had everything we needed and the view from the terrace was just stunning. The sunsets are amazing. I opted to hire a moped and despite the track (leading from main road to the resort...roughly 500 meters long) being uneven, I managed to negotiate it several times a day without any issues. I have never previously driven a moped or motor bike and I was confident enough to carry passengers (my family) . Just take a bit of care on the track, drive slowly and you will be fine. The owner and family really cannot do enough for you. They are very welcoming and helpful. The owner drove us all across the island to the elephant trekking and to an amazing waterfall. He also took the children kayaking and fishing. They were so warm and attentive, always chatting and playing with the children. Food was the best I have had in Thailand. Thai dishes are very well priced and very tasty and we ate one of the owners fresh fish caught earlier in the day. I'm struggling to remember a nicer piece of fish I've ever eaten anywhere. I still pinch myself at the price they charge here for food, drink and accommodation (with such spectacular views and lovely people). Its incredible value for money. We were due to leave 4 days earlier, but twice we cancelled our travels so we could stay longer. I travel all around the world through work and have visited some a lot of exotic places like Maldives, Mauritiius, Madagascar and Bahamas tl (to name a few) but if I was asked what would be my paradise this place would win every time. Thank you so much for making our holiday so special. Jodie, Andrew, Lottie (aged 6) and Darcie (aged 4)