The Mangrove Hideaway Koh Chang

We were the only guests, so the shared space felt deserted, and no food was served. The owner was away fishing when we arrived, but someone answered the phone and let us into our room. It was modern, clean, and spacious, with an en-suite bathroom. The owner spoke limited English, which made communication a little difficult, but he was kind and helped arrange a scooter and a direct boat to tiny Koh Wai. This is on the less touristy east side of Koh Chang. There are no shared taxis going there, and a taxi costs 1,000 baht and can be hard to find.

The room was nice and clean, but our basic needs weren't handled. We ran out of toilet paper after the first night and asked for more, along with towels, on day two. Big said she'd get housekeeping to bring them, but three days later nothing had arrived, so we bought our own toilet paper. After three days our rubbish bins were full too. We left them and our dirty towels outside before heading out, but they were still there when we returned that evening. The kettle was broken and wouldn't switch off by itself. It boiled for five to ten minutes before I noticed, and the steam burned my hand when I lifted it. The property is in the far south of the island, so I'd definitely recommend having your own transport. Everything is a bit of a scooter ride away.

The village has a cozy feel and is great for unwinding or getting away from other tourists. The rooms and shared spaces are beautiful, and the staff are warm and welcoming. Wonderful accommodation. I love this place.

There isn't much to do, and there's only one restaurant nearby. If you don't have a scooter or car, forget it.