Gaga Bees Yala

We had a really relaxing stay. The rooms were comfortable and very clean, and the hotel arranged a good safari for us, with breakfast packed to take along. A few nice restaurants are about a half-hour walk away, or a short tuk-tuk ride.

We spent three nights here, and the fresh food and incredibly helpful staff made a great impression. The hotel arranged our full-day safari for the second day. It cost less than several other providers we checked, and we were first in line at the Yala national park entrance. They also packed breakfast and lunch for us. The location is convenient, about a 30-minute drive from the entrance. Our eco lodge roof was made from dried coconut leaves, so a few ants, small frogs and geckos found their way into the bathroom. That didn’t spoil the stay for me at all.

The grounds are lovely for relaxing, with plenty of places to sit and linger, and the infinity pool looks out over the rice fields. The staff were incredibly friendly and attentive, which made our stay feel special. I’d hoped the room would be free of animals after reading other reviews, but it was better than I expected. We only had two frogs in the bathroom. At night, keep the lights off, lock up your luggage and stay under the mosquito net most of the time. Sealing the roofs of the huts would make this a perfect safari base. It could go viral. The vegetarian choices at lunch and dinner were unfortunately limited. Flies around the pool were a bit annoying, though that’s due to the location and not the hotel.

The outdoor spaces were the best part, with beautiful views from the pool and from our balcony over the palm trees. Inside, though, there were several problems. The toilet wasn’t clean, and the rusty metal fixtures left marks on anything hung on them. There was a little spider nest in the bedside lamp, lots of ants, a large spider in the bathroom and small lizards in the room. The ants were expected since the place is mostly outdoors. The food was overpriced and had no flavor. Water pressure was very low, and the shower head needs a vinegar cleaning so water can flow properly.