Naga Tara Boutique Resort

The room was a concrete box with a sewer smell coming from the bathroom. I spent half the night sitting on the front steps with the door open to get away from it, trying to avoid mosquitoes. Luckily I had plenty of insect repellent. The restaurant only opened for breakfast, and I wouldn’t recommend staying here. The photos made the location look good, but from a standard room it was over 200 yards to the lake view. The pool was only available to guests in the somewhat pricier Villa rooms. It was a very unpleasant stay.

The breakfast spread was nice, though the cereal bowls were strangely tiny. We stayed two nights, hoping for somewhere a bit nicer while backpacking, and the pictures and price made this resort look promising. It ended up feeling a bit sad and odd, even though nothing was truly awful. The grounds looked neglected, with leaves in the pools, paths that needed weeding, and very little seating by the lake. The two sunbeds were dirty with bird poo, and the tables and chairs didn’t make the area feel inviting. We’d imagined sitting outside with a beer and playing cards, but didn’t want to stay out there. I’ve uploaded photos. Our room looked nice, but smelled of drains. Sound carried easily from the neighbors, even though they weren’t being loud. There were ants in the bathroom, and the bedding was stained, including the pillows. We couldn’t get hot water in the shower during either of our two days, even after following the instructions. The fridge had free water, and there was a tea and coffee station, which was nice. The woman at reception helped arrange a rental scooter to be delivered, which was great. We asked for nearby food recommendations, but the closest place suggested was 3km away, so we needed a scooter or taxi. We knew the resort was out of the way, but expected to spend plenty of time there because it looked so lovely in the photos. We came in high season and expected it to be at its best. It has potential, but several things fell short, which was a shame.

Handy for a one-night stop while traveling in the North. Bicycles are available for getting into town, and you should bring mosquito repellent.

Our standard room was fine, and my wife and I enjoyed the stay. The lake view was excellent, the staff were generally friendly, and breakfast was included with a range of choices. Just be aware there are chickens on the property: you can hear them every morning, though the noise wasn’t terrible.