Mark House Bungalow

We stayed for a week with our baby and sometimes needed to warm his food. They refused, so if guests can't use a microwave, there should be one available for them. The room was cleaned once in three days, and the internet never worked, even though they told us it would be fixed in three days. We rented a bike, and its rear wheel burst the next day. They didn't even apologize. Luckily I'm an experienced driver and it didn't cause an accident. I wouldn't recommend staying here.

The ferry arrangements were a mess. I asked three times when we needed to be at reception, and a young staff member kept saying 9:00. It turned out the ferry itself left at 9:00, so we had to pay for a taxi and it had to drive extremely fast for us to make it. Communication was very poor, even though I speak English fluently. I wouldn't buy ferry tickets or excursions here. The rooms were average and smelled strongly of fish. The property is very old and visibly worn. With the room price not being low, I'd choose somewhere else on the island.

The scooter we rented from the property had brakes in bad condition, which felt really dangerous on the island's steep roads. At breakfast before check-out, we also found small maggots in the fresh milk at the buffet. The whole place has a serious hygiene problem. Our bungalow had bed bugs and our feet were covered in bites, which was disgusting. There were no sheets for our blankets, and after we complained, there still wasn't a satisfying solution. It was very hard to reach Mark. Only her kids were available at the front office, with no customer service and no way to book a ferry. This was the worst accommodation we've had in Southeast Asia. Honestly, it seems like a hygiene inspection should be sent in to shut the place down.

The location worked out so well that I booked four days and then extended. It's across the road from the beach, beside the mangrove river leading to Khlong Chao waterfall, and central on the island. I used the kayaks and paddleboard almost every day, either to watch the sunset out on the ocean or to paddle upriver to the waterfall. Extending my stay also got me a scooter discount. My room was simple, clean, and functional. There's no daily cleaning service, but the girls are out front each day and you can ask them for cleaning or anything you need. The pool was big and clean, and the buffet had a good range. The hot dishes changed almost every day, the food was quite nice, and the girl working there was lovely.