Bubble Bungalow

The scooter rental was the worst part of our stay. We left my passport as a deposit, which seemed acceptable, and took photos and a video of the scooter’s existing scratches before setting off. When we returned it, they still claimed we had damaged the phone holder. They wouldn’t listen and refused to give my passport back until we paid for repairs. I paid, and left in tears after a really distressing experience. There are an extreme number of stairs, so keep that in mind if you have limited mobility. We also often felt the host was indifferent to our requests and needs. Our bungalow only had a fan, which worked fine for us, but the toilet barely worked and the shower water was ice cold. The listing said toiletries and towels were provided, but there were none, and we were disappointed there was no fridge. The bed was so hard that we ended up with severe back pain. We’ve been travelling around Asia for months, and it was by far the hardest bed we’ve slept on. Unless you’re happy sleeping on something like a wooden board with a thin mattress, I really can’t recommend this place.

They had a list of guests’ names waiting at the pier for pickup, so we felt looked after from the start. The team seemed really well organised. Our bungalow was clean and fresh, the bed was soft, and it was comfortable without being fancy. It’s one of the best value stays on the island, with a fair price and a peaceful, simple, chilled-out feel. If you want a cosy place without fuss and a team that knows what they’re doing, this is it.

The room came with a great view and a hammock, and the location was nice. There’s no fridge, and music nearby might make it a little noisy. For what we paid, I wouldn’t expect the cleaning lady to come onto our balcony beside us to give water to the neighbours.

The room was already dirty when I arrived, and the bathroom smelled strongly of urine. The soap and shampoo pumps were half empty and looked like they hadn’t been cleaned or refilled in a long time. There was a big hole in the door with insects coming through, ants kept crawling around, and the bed had visible stains. They still hadn’t changed the sheets by the fifth night. When I asked, staff said water is expensive on Koh Tao. The towels also stayed unchanged for my whole visit, and there was never anyone at reception when I tried to speak to someone. The advertised daily cleaning was just pulling the sheet tight and folding the towels. The window wouldn’t shut properly either, so insects and even geckos got into the room at night. I paid 1,100 THB a night for six nights, which was actually more than many nearby options. I absolutely don’t recommend staying here.