Baanklong Amphawa Homestay

The rooms have a classic feel, and free water is available all the time. It’s a good place to stay with friends. Just keep in mind Amphawa is a one-day trip, or two days at most, so you probably won’t want to book for longer.

The setting and location are nice, but so are nearby homestays like Baan Mae Arom and Baan Ruk Amphawa, and I think you’d be more comfortable at one of those. At 1,700THB a night, the food wasn’t close to what we’ve had elsewhere in Thailand. The breakfast looked as if a self-propelled grenade had hit it, so our whole group of three couples went elsewhere to eat. The stay would have felt more reasonable below 700THB per night. We’d been here about three years ago and had a much better impression. This time, the service spoke only rudimentary English and didn’t seem very concerned about our needs or making an effort to be friendly or hospitable. That kind of young, untrained, unmotivated staff in the common areas isn’t unusual in Thai guesthouses and small hotels, but basic cleanliness matters a lot to my girlfriend and me. I didn’t look closely when I first put my bag in the room. Later, when we came back ready for bed, we noticed the bathroom walls looked mouldy, the floor tiles were dirty, and there was no natural light in the dim room. The shower curtains were so dirty I instinctively avoided touching them. After showering, we got bitten by a bunch of ants, which we first thought were bed bugs. Thankfully they weren’t, though there were brownish stains, dark crumbs, and tiny hairs on the bed. The staff changed the linens right away when we complained, and they handled that without complaint, which I appreciated. I slept well after that. There wasn’t a clean place for our clothes, so I put my jeans on the fridge and threw other things over the shower curtain bar. I didn’t want to put anything in the bathroom either. I was ready for breakfast, but friends downstairs had already sent us a warning about it.

The terrace was lovely for just sitting and hanging out, and the place is really calm and nice. But the room felt expensive for what you get, and you can hear everything outside. Breakfast was a big letdown for me: just rice soup and sachets of sugary instant coffee. I went somewhere else to eat.

A kind owner, clean rooms and bathroom, and a traditional breakfast made this a lovely simple place to enjoy Amphawa. From the deck, the view is lovely, and you’re near the main market but away from the noise and crowds. I’ll come back.