Amiraalin Tupa Resort

I left feeling rested and grateful, and would return in a heartbeat. Baanchanlay is peaceful, beautiful and carefully looked after, with spotless rooms and a tranquil setting that makes it easy to unwind. The atmosphere feels calm and authentic, and the people here make you feel as though nothing is too much trouble. It really does feel like a little sanctuary.

We loved the peace, the cozy room and the terrace tucked among the mangroves. Kayaking was lovely too. The two owners put so much love and energy into the place and made our stay memorable. If you want the quieter side of the island, this feels like a little piece of paradise, with beautiful natural areas nearby. Ask them for recommendations. Thanks so much for everything. We really hope to return one day with more paintings.

The beds were the one thing I found a little hard. They’re typically firm Thai beds, which my partner loves, but I need more pillows. Otherwise, these two days were a highlight of our holiday. The two women running this small, remote, traditional village of 200 homes were the sweetest. They cooked for us, arranged a wonderful snorkeling trip, chatted with us and braided our girls’ hair, all with so much warmth. We loved wandering or biking through the village and seeing local life. It felt like stepping back fifty years or more in a time machine.

The staff were extremely friendly, helpful and good people, and the four days were otherwise amazing. It’s a very quiet area, good for anyone wanting to get away from things a bit. Kayaks and bicycles are free to use, and boat trips are available. The motorbike repair bill really hurt the trip, though. We felt sort of scammed, but that’s more the repairmen’s responsibility. We later checked the replacement parts ourselves and found we’d paid about three times the price for some of them. If you have a similar problem, look up the individual parts before paying. I’d estimate the repair was a scam, so don’t crash!