Koh Jum Ocean Beach Resort

The rooms were thoughtfully designed, and both their cleanliness and overall condition deserve full marks. We spent 15 days here and were very happy with the service. The pool, beach and sea are lovely, and the place is quiet and peaceful. A motorbike is almost essential if you want to explore the island. About a kilometer of the road to the hotel is quite technical, and we saw several inexperienced tourists fall and get hurt. The scooters available aren't always suited to those conditions, so you need some riding experience. The bungalows sit on a hillside with lots of stairs. That was fine for us, but could be difficult for older guests. The restaurant food is decent but fairly standard, and we thought the prices were high. Paying by card was convenient, though. The staff are very helpful. San deserves special thanks: his English is more than good enough, and he calmly and kindly tries to sort out any problem. We had a great stay in a beautiful, peaceful spot.

The restaurant's jazz playlist made for a relaxing atmosphere, and breakfast was lovely, often with freshly pressed juice. The food was generally good, though at times the portions felt small or the prices steep. Mango sticky rice was 180 baht, nearly €5, while the restaurant next door charged 100 baht. You can walk to a few other places nearby, including On Lee restaurant. We came for a peaceful change of scenery and found a lush, green jungle resort with monkeys around. Getting there is an adventure because of the track. If you're in bungalow 24, make sure to lock the door: ours is a bit broken, and a monkey tried to open it twice while we were inside. The cottages are charming, comfortable and spacious. There's beach access with sunbeds and a canoe, plus a clean pool. Don't expect perfect WiFi or a flawless room. Come to recharge among nature instead. The staff try hard to help. Special thanks to Sun. They can arrange a massage or taxi if you ask. We had a really good stay and would come back. A few things could be improved: add mattresses to the sunbeds and more loungers by the pool, repair the massage hut and its stairs and bungalow 24's door, and finish the path to the restaurant. Some litter and things like dirty gloves or a towel were visible from our cottage, so the property could be cleaned more thoroughly.

Koh Puh Jum itself is lovely, and we liked the ocean beach. The resort's pool, beach and rooms are attractive, the breakfast is well done, and monkeys sometimes visit. Staff are friendly and do their best to help. After our small scooter accident, they handled the repairs and bill very well. Our booking caused a serious problem. We had rented a family room, but were given two small rooms linked by a balcony. That wasn't what we expected or needed. The staff couldn't resolve it and sent us to a manager who wasn't there and to the booking platform, so we paid for a second room we never used. The restaurant prices felt excessive: 100 baht for a large bottle of water and 250 for a standard Thai dish. There are cheaper places to eat on the same beach. The final stretch of road is rough dirt and difficult on a scooter. You need good riding skills, or can take a 300 baht taxi or walk 30 minutes to the island's main road. On departure day, they also forgot to order the taxi we had requested, and we barely made our ferry. The resort is beautiful, but given those problems we can't recommend it. The beach is great if you're confident riding a scooter.

The massage was a highlight. It costs a bit more than in Ao Nang or Krabi, but it was very relaxing and professionally done. The staff were friendly and helpful, and the food was good. There's an extensive cocktail menu, though many drinks weren't available because the bar had run out of some spirits and didn't restock for three days. The setting is beautiful, with a jungle feel, amazing views and even monkeys. The sea view from the Honeymoon Suite terrace was one of our favorite parts. It's peaceful, quiet and away from the crowds, which makes it a lovely place to unwind surrounded by nature. The beach ends after only a few dozen meters in either direction because of rocks, so you can't walk far along it. The road above the resort is in very poor condition and makes walking or riding a scooter difficult or unsafe. If you like staying put and enjoying the calm, the location works well. This is a rustic nature stay, not a five-star resort. The main issue is upkeep. The bungalows are old, the grounds get only minimal care, and some spots weren't as clean as they should be. There was no soap in the downstairs toilet. Towels are changed every three days, and each guest gets just one for both the beach and shower. I asked for another but didn't get one. The room also had lots of termites, whose droppings got on the bedding and floor, then into our luggage. We found two cockroaches in the shower too, which made it uncomfortable to use for a couple of days. It's a beautiful place with a lot of potential, but it needs more care, maintenance and investment.