Ao Muong Beach Resort

The staff were genuinely lovely, polite, and helpful. They even picked up groceries for us in town and carried our bags through the jungle for 15 minutes to the road. On a stormy day, a taxi was the only way to reach the pier, and that 30-minute ride cost 1500 baht. We had a good time with the people there, which makes the two stars hard to give, but this is a warning for travellers who assume they can get around the island easily. The resort can't be reached by road. Access is by boat when the weather permits, with a free shuttle boat twice a day. That may be enough if you're planning to spend the whole evening isolated at the resort. Electricity is only available from 6pm to 6am.

After paying 100 baht, we thought we'd be heading down to the beach, but the descent was long and there was no beach at the bottom. Reaching it meant climbing over rocks, and nobody warned us. It's super dangerous. Don't go!

The beach was clean and peaceful, but the hotel itself looked worn out and poorly maintained. Part of the thatched roof had blown away, the room was dirty, and the aircon compressor was rusty. They supplied snorkelling gear, though it was old and poor quality. The boat ride to get here wasn't pleasant, especially in the rain, and anyone prone to seasickness should avoid it.

The view is incredible, and the staff were friendly, but I felt pushed to buy something. Food costs a lot because there aren't other options here. I paid 100 thb for a banana smoothie, which was extremely nice. Dishes start at 300 thb, though, and that left me feeling ripped off, so three stars.