Thailand: Koh Tao - Toscana Hotel Review

Long await post i know! Just got back from Tokyo + Okinawa trip 3 days ago and i got no mood to blog because its Raya holiday! 

Alright so i have Taiwan, probably 2 locals retreat reviews, Thailand and Japan trips to be blog and i'm 1 & half year delay muahhahahahahahaha.

Ok where we stayed in Koh Tao, the diving heaven? 

I dislike somewhere crowed so i have chosen the bay where less popular, which is Chalok Bay. 

So after researching and i decided to go for Toscana Hotel, where not exactly in Chalok Bay but very close to it. 

And that choice turned out to be my biggest regret in the whole trip.

Don't get me wrong, the hotel itself is okay, but the information posted in Agoda and hotel's homepage are misleading.

I will go into detail after the review of the hotel condition and facilities. 

Again, my priority in choosing a hotel is big bright room + low density.

Toscana has fulfill my requirement. 

But the club just across the road didn't. 

The club right in the opposite named The Castle, and having party couple of nights in every month, so the first day we stayed in also the first night of the month they had the whole night party, very loud disco music and that disturbed our sleeping, the rest of the nights are just fine, quiet and comfortable. 

Alright lets scroll down for some picha. 

Hotel signboard by the road side and you won't missed it. 

the outdoor breakfast area and you can see the club is just stone throwing distance. 

mini bar in the night time.

the lobby on the left and bar on the right

only 2 levels and we got the room on the 1st floor 

Toscana only has less than 30 rooms, and a small but refreshing pool which look over some mountain. 

nice to swim in the evening. 

great place to chill  if you don't like the noisy bar in the front.  

I love the design of the hotel, and this is one of the biggest reason to made me choose Toscana. 

I didn't try the food here after reading all the review from Agoda and trip adviser that breakfast is simple and pricy, while lunch / dinner taste awful and pricy. 

Alright lets see some photo of the room. 

right size bed and nice old piece of cupboard. 

water pressure is acceptable but wasn't the best.

love the balcony the most although less privacy. 

and yea i know picha of the room cant present the whole thing, so i got a short clip.

if you see a huge-black-human-look-alike thing in 0:32, that is John.
And you didn't see him in 0:34, because he has been chased away by me hahahahaha.

Overall, bedroom is good, clean and spacious, worth the penny we had paid for. 

But still, i wouldn't recommend this hotel, because of the location and dishonest of the management. 

The first reason to not stay in Toscana: The hotel provided false location and misleading information. 

Location is my 3rd priority of choosing a hotel room.

I dislike tourist area yet the place has to be convenience enough for eat and attraction visit. 

But, Toscana in actually located in the middle of no where, which is totally different with what stated in the homepage and hotel booking website, even Google Map. 

So Sai Ree Beach (blue circle) is the main tourist area.

Mae Haad Bay Pier (red circle) is where the boats stop and depart.

Chalok Ban Kao Bay (red circle) is where the place we wanna stay (or we thought we will stay).

Black circle is where the homepage stated the locations they were. 

and the Yellow circle is where the hotel really were!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

= Toscana . is . in . the . middle . of . no . where. 

and they said they are 5 minutes walking to Chalok Ban Kao and 3 minutes to the nearest 7-11......

John and I weren't fit but average (Do consider we have been taking the Everest Based Camp trail), but it still took us 15 minutes to walk to Chalok Bay, and 15 minutes to Mae Haad bay pier, aka the nearest street with shops from Toscana.  

right of the hotel to the Chalok Bay = nothing on the roadside, not even small shop for food and drinks.

left of the hotel to the pier, only local houses along the road. 

On the 2nd days, we forced to rent a ATV with 1500bath / days because we couldn't go anywhere without transport. 

You may ask what about Tuk-Tuk, taxi, motorbike?

* No tuk tuk in the island, at all.
* Taxi driver asked 200bath from hotel to Chalok Bay, which is only 5 minutes driving distance.
* We have very limited motorbike riding experience (and hell yea we don't even have a license LOL) and the road / traffic condition wasn't safe for newbies.

So we just have to paid for ATV to visit the other part of the island and bring us to food place. 

Alright, reason 2 to not stay in Toscana is dishonest of the management. 

I made double confirm to the hotel for free pick up in the pier, but when we reached the island, no one from Toscana is there for us. 

Taxi drivers approached and offered the ride to the hotel, i insisted to wait for a while but the sun was killing us, so we paid for 200bath (we thought it was alright because the hotel SEEMS far from the false location) to the hotel and only find out the ride ended in 5 minutes, and no smell of sea at all. 

So the first thing i asked to the manager is why no pick up, he said because the car is in use, but later only i realize their car is in front of their hotel (we saw the car in the day we check in but wasn't sure it was their car, until i saw some staff hop on the car for picking up customer in the pier). 

Bullshit. 

He is just a manager so he cant decide on paid us the taxi fare, but he made his promise to give us the free ride to the pier on our departure, and he did.

I took the offer because i don't want to ruin my holiday mood. 

But shit keep coming back to us. 

I let the hotel to help us  to buy the boat ticket to Suratthani in the very first day that we arrived, the same manager promised to get us the ticket in the next day, but he never did.

He only gave us in the last night aka the 3rd night we stayed with them, and told us no more express ticket, only combine boat ticket. 

That took us good fine 6 hours to reach Suratthani, because the boat stopped in Phangan and Samui to pick up passengers and changed bigger boat before back to Suratthani. 

And the best thing is the boat is overload, more than 30 peoples has to sit on the deck with cold wind chill and RAIN. 

I felt like refugee who escaping from war place, really. 

If we took express boat, we could just skip all the other island and back to Suratthani straight from Koh Tao. 

Oh, did i told you the motherf*cker charged us 650bath each for the ticket, while the pier counter is selling at 500bath?

I'm leaving you to judge to stay in this hotel or not.

here is the website: http://kohtaotoscana.com/

More review on the Agoda or trip adviser. 

I mean, if you can ride a motorbike and you book your own ticket, i cant deny, based on the facilities and condition of the hotel itself, this is a pass level hotel.

But for me, i will never ever go back to this hotel. 

I'll give a hotel a second chance if facilities are disappointing in the first experience, but i will never forgive the dishonest from the management, because you choose to upset your customers who trusted you.    

Alright next post will be island hopping of the trip, and that is probably the end post of the trip, and started Taiwan trip! Yuhoo!







Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
20140728, 1121pm
Rach in stomach pain mood.

Thailand: Koh Tao: Sairee Beach and Golden 99 Buffet Restaurant Review

Quick one for Koh Tao, the island with most dive sides in Thailand. 

So if you're wondering how to go Koh Tao from Koh Samui, click me and scroll down a little to see the balded wording. 

So John and I stayed for 4d3n because he wanted to go diving (you cant fly 24 hours after you dive). 

As usual, we avoided the most happening area and for the first time in my life i was regretted on my hotel choice because it was in middle of no where (and that is because of wrong location showed in the map and mislead my judge), anyway i will keep that for next hotel review post. 

Quick look on the island. 

grab from internet.

Not up to the level of Phuket but close to Samui, so you can expect a leisure village island. 

The most happening area is Sairee Beach (refer to the map), you can find everything in that village and of course a nice beautiful but crowed beach, with heaps of beach side pub/restaurant/bar for amazing sunset view that i will show you some pix later on. 

This is not a small island but take hours to walk from north to south, so you can either rent a bike / bicycle or ATV like below. 

i didn't ride this blue monster even once, i felt unsafe. But John had great fun riding this to goes around the island. 

John and I doesn't have any motorbike license *but no one care in Thai, and we have very little experience of riding a bike in villages, so we decided to get an ATV.

Well, the fact is John eyed and couldn't move his eye from the ATV since the day he reached, because this is the first time he saw ATV for rent in Thailand, he rather give up diving but wanted to rent one.

So we got one, 24 hours rent for 1500bath, you don't need to show your license but you have to deposit your passport, and get it back when you return the ATV.

oh by the way...

they sell gasoline in bottle, just like Bali. 

And i cant deny that ATV brought we so much convenience in moving around in the island, because the location of our hotel is suck, totally nothing around, the nearest shop is 15 minutes walking distance which you possible kill John.

So our schedule as below:
1st day: Reached Koh Tao by 4pm and check in hotel.
2nd day: Snorkeling and Island hoping to Koh Nang Yuan
3rd day: Round the island with ATV (well this suppose to his diving day!)
4th day: Pack and left to Surathani.

Lets move on to the sunset view in Sairee beach!

we reached pretty early but its alright, we enjoyed our evening cocktail while waiting the sun goes down.

great weather after storm in the noon time

argggg... great enjoyment.

you cant believe until you see this. 

we didn't see the sunset but God is given this beautiful clouds for us. 

great evening.

glimpse on the night life in Sairee beach.

and of course the walking street that full with street food, restaurant, dive shop and etc.

=========================================================

Alright, review on the fave restaurant of us in the island, Golden 99 Buffet, which located between the main pier and chalok bay, you won't miss it if you take the main road. 

As the name of the restuarant, its MoGaTa (Thai BBQ Buffet) restaurant, and its only 99bath / person (as in March 2013).

2 pits for BBQ and steamboat

lots of yummy and fresh prepare ready-to-eat food

you will never believe you get so much choice of food by only paying 99bath.

Alright next will be hotel review, stayed tune to know more!

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

20140623, 1103pm
Rach in gastric pain mood.

Thailand: Koh Samui - Suanmali Samui Review

Lamai Beach is another happening area of Samui after Chaweng, so you can find all ranges of accommodation in this place. 

Samui wasn't our destination but a transfer point to Koh Toa, so we chose Lamai Beach and aimed a budget one night stay. 

Suanmali, the small family run hotel was our choice, and that was a good choice.  

To save your time, play the clip below for glimpse of the room, if you like it, click here for more information or booking. 

                                        

Why i like Suanmali Samui?

1. Small, so less noise in the hotel and higher chance to know new friends.

2. Clean. You can expect a clean, bright room like 5* hotel. 

3. Convenience. Close to everything you need. 1 to 3 minutes on foot to main street (you can get anything you need), 5 minutes to beach, 5 minutes to night market.

4. Cheap. RM 100 / night is real great deal.  (as in March 2013)

But, you might concert that....

1. No sea view. Its located in an alley of the main street. Far from noise yet close to everything.

2. Small pool. And deep / not kid friendly. 

3. No in-house restaurant but only a bar for snack and drink.

4. No tour / ticket booking service (but tour organizer is just 50 steps away)

Below are some snap shots for your reference. 

the main entrance.

small and deep pool

first floor room view.

bar that selling drink and snack only

2nd floor view from the stair case. Share patio.

our room and i love the door before i go into the room.

medium size bed but comfortable enough. Spacious room. 

from the opposite view.

big toilet + bathroom. 

2 doors to the bathrooms

basin outside of the bathrooms

view outside. No sea view, but thanks God its received enough sunlight.

taken from the entrance of the hotel, this is the distance walk to the main street. 

in the entrance of the alley, family mar is another 20 steps aways.

view of the right hand side, the busiest street of Lamai. 

 Alright i gtg! next will be Koh tao and i will come back quick!










Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
20140518, 0945pm
Rach in stomach pain mood.

Thailand: Koh Samui - How to go Koh Samui and Glimpse of Lamai Beach.

So March 2013 John and I went to Koh Samui, Koh Tao and Koh Phangan, the famous islands in Thailand. 

John loves sea and Koh Tao has the most dive spots among all the islands in Thailand, so we decided to just stay one night in Koh Samui, and transferred to Koh Tao for 4d3n. We took a day for Koh Phangan too. 

So if you're taking Airasia, you will stop in Surathani, the state of Koh Samui.

You will have to take bus to pier and change ferry to reach the island. In short...

How to go Koh Samui from Surathani Airport?

Airasia = Kuala Lumpur - Surathani (bout 1h +)

Bus = Surathani Airport - Pier (1 & half hour, )

Ferry = Pier - Koh Samui DokSak Pier (2 hours)

Don't worry because you're clueless on where to get bus and ferry ticket. 

There are ticket counter for Bus + Ferry ticket sold in Surathani airport, 500bath / way / person (as in March 2013), and bus is waiting right outside of airport to send you to the pier, just hop on the ferry and you'll arrive in Koh Samui in next 3 to 4 hours. 

Alternatively, if you want quicker route, you can take Berjaya Air for direct route from Kuala Lumpur to Koh Samui. So you can save on bus and ferry transfer time. 

And yea, there is an airport in Koh Samui, but its not a busy airport anyway. 

Random on the air pix taken by John

You can see this in the exist of custom in airport.

Pier meeting point.

The ferry.

and there we reach samui.

Alright, Koh Samui is not an big Island, but defo a very developed tourist destination.

There are a few bays in Samui but the most happening aka most tourists bay is Chaweng Beach (refer to map below), you can get almost everything (including airport and pier) in that bay. If you had ever been Phuket, you can expect Chaweng Beach is similar with that.

But John and I both dislike happening place, we prefer small town so that we could real relax.

And for that we choose Lamai Beach for our 1 night stay before transfer to Koh Tao in the next day.

grad from internet.

Its take half hour from DokSak Pier to Lamai Beach, there are plenty of minivan waiting in the pier so nothing to worry bout.

Just to remind you, some hotel do provide pier pick up service with minimal cost or free if you stay with them, so check with hotel before spend extra for taking transport. 

Lamai Beach has shorter bay but less happening, suitable for those who want a relax holiday.

Yet Lamai is handy enough even there are only one main street. You can get convenience store, McDonald, a right size of night market aka hawker center, tour center, budget to luxury accommodation in this place.

quite street in the late afternoon

started to see crowd and road block for night market later.

went for a short walk in the beach, thru this public road.

thanks for the great evening.

can you see the blue sea and sky?

Don't worry on restaurant and food in Lamai, wide range of restaurants in the place, you can choose a sea side restaurant for a romantic dinner date, you spend minimal bucks for maximum street foods in night market.

And we choose the latter.

Totally different with what we seen in the day time. 

hawker center is not huge but full of food!

the eating area 

John's fave pork

stir fried rice, noodle, meat and vege.

we couldn't get a table so we packed some food and had it in our hotel room. 

The next day, we went to a seaside hotel for buffet breakfast (our hotel doesn't provide breakfast), and enjoy our last few hours in Samui before depart to Koh Tao.

we came here for the view but not food.

nice and comfortable.

average foods though.

but the atmosphere worth it all. 

Ok now you may ask, how to go Koh Tao from Koh Samui?

There are plenty of tour center organize ferry / speed boat ticket to and from Koh Tao, 2 trips in a day and plenty of seats, so you have nothing to worry about even you book it one day before depart.

There are 2 ship companies organize the transfer trip:
1. Seatran
2. Lamprayah.

Both companies have same schedule, which is 8am and 130pm, both 750/way/person including hotel transfer to the pier.

We choose 130pm and minivan pick up in hotel between 11.30am to 12nn.

last but not least, my best travel partner and I.

Alright next post will be Samui hotel review. 

I promise i will pick up blog post as fast as i can ok! I putting effort la you see? this is the 3rd post of the month le!!!!!!!!!!!!

Kthxbye!

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
20140514, 1111am
Rach in prepare to work mood and yea my working hour start by 1230nn lalalalalalalal.