Lake House

A hidden gem in Phattalung. The resort serves halal food for Muslim guests, the service is good, and the prices suit a budget vacation.

I've stayed at a few resorts around here, and this one's my favorite. It's a small family business, and the owners are caring and always ready to help. The four spacious, well-kept villas sit right by the lake, and the setting is lovely. Prices are reasonable, and breakfast has a nice local feel in a great atmosphere. There's a cafe on the shared terrace with a cozy spot to sit. At night, the place gets peaceful and relaxing. It has the facilities you'd expect from a chain hotel.

The atmosphere is really nice, and local Thai restaurants are nearby. The shower could use stronger water pressure from either head. There were quite a lot of mosquitoes at night, though that's normal for a resort by the lake, so bring repellent. If you're after somewhere quiet, this is a good fit.

The lakefront setting is the big draw here. From the room, I could see traditional fishing in the morning, and the sun rising across the water was beautiful. At night, the waves reminded me of being on a sailing boat. The resort has just four rooms, and there are plenty of monkeys around, patiently waiting for food, with local dogs keeping them in order and a resident cat too. The bed was soft and comfortable, and I liked the large double doors beside it. The room is simple, with a fridge, TV, kettle, snacks and instant soups for an extra charge. A hair dryer and folding child's bed are available. The bathroom was okay, though the water pressure was only fair. The room and bathroom are getting old and a bit dirty. A small table and chair would help, and blackout curtains would give more privacy since people can see in through the side windows at night. Breakfast was a delicious buffet with Thai food, rice soup, Khanom jeen, sweet sticky rice, instant coffee and ovaltine. There is also a small coffee shop with good coffee and a little bar serving beer and spirits. On our second morning, staff knocked loudly at 07:30 with a breakfast tray, even though breakfast is normally a buffet from 08:00 to 10:00. We were still asleep. That meal was cold khanom jeen, cold eggs and toast with moo ping, and it was very disappointing. My partner was upset that we couldn't sleep in on our last morning. I booked one night online, then used the government travel incentive program "We Travel Together" for the next night, which gave us a 40% discount. At that rate the stay seemed reasonable, but the full price of 1800B a night felt too high for the room and bathroom. I'd return if the price were more competitive. The location is hard to beat, but I can't highly recommend the business, especially after that breakfast.