Anantara Si Kao Resort & Spa

I stopped by on my motorbike to see how Europeans spend their holidays. The location is nice and the standards are high, but the prices are on the level of an expensive US or European hotel. One drink here could pay for a night somewhere else that’s very nice. It seems best suited to retired wealthy people who want to lie on the beach and get sunburned. I’ll need another 40 years before I’m ready for this place.

The Italian restaurant upstairs was lovely for dinner, with good food and a romantic sunset view. You need to book an outdoor table in advance. We had booked three rooms for eight nights when our family from Canada came to visit us in Thailand. Our rooms were in the front building, and we could see the islands from the terrace. The rooms and decor were pretty standard. There are two pools, though children aren’t allowed in one of them, and activities like Thai boxing and archery. The resort has a private beach, but we couldn’t swim in the sea in front of it. The water looked dirty and foamy, perhaps where the river’s fresh water meets the sea.

Even in the monsoon off season, there was plenty to do if you wanted. The resort has a kids’ center and pretty good food. The staff were attentive and polite, and seemed to care about how guests were doing more than you usually see. Please keep in mind that my photos were taken during the off season. I wish every resort were like this.

There are lots of islands nearby and plenty of activities, and the resort is right on the beach. I visited in 2015 and stayed for four days. The food was very good, especially the Thai dishes, and they also had great Indian food at the time. There were lots of facilities in house for massage. They could arrange a romantic candlelit dinner on the beach with tables and lights, too. I’d go back.