Everything was superb! We received a really warm welcome upon arrival. A big shout out to Tena! They communicate in both Thai and English. My English isn't conversational, so I used my phone. But honestly, even if you don't understand, the locals are so friendly they'll pull out a phrasebook and explain everything to you.
The place is clearly well-maintained. Every day, staff are out with rakes, cleaning the beach and grounds of fallen leaves, and planting new things. The beach is simply wonderful, with soft sand and natural shade from the trees. Regarding getting into the sea – you'll need aqua shoes! (In some spots, the reef has rather unpleasant sharp stones.) But this is a minor drawback, as the sheer beauty of the nature here completely outweighs it.
The bungalow we rented was actually quite good – a large double bed, plus both air conditioning and a fan, and a fridge. The local restaurant, just a 1-minute walk away, has magical cuisine. It's really nice that you can order dishes not on the menu – they'll make it for you. On the 10th day of my vacation, I really craved boiled potatoes – and they made them!
There's a waterfall about a 30-40 minute walk into the jungle. Also, about 30-40 minutes from the resort, there's the famous abandoned liner, though nothing much is left except the lower decks – it was dismantled a year ago. But for fans of abandoned places, it's still worth a look. The fishing village is not far – a 20-minute walk – where you'll find a pier, more restaurants, and a 7/11 (can't live without it!). Local tuk-tuks have QR codes on their doors to contact the driver via Telegram – 50 baht per person to Bang Bao if you don't want to walk. Not far, about a 10-minute drive towards Bang Bao, there's a transfer service to neighboring islands and also to Bangkok (which is important if you don't want to return to bustling Pattaya after this island and prefer to head straight to the airport).
And laundry was no problem either – you drop off your clothes at reception, and the next day you get them back clean and in a sealed package.
Original TextTranslation provided by Google