This is a tough one to review. On the one hand, you have the prime location on one of the most beautiful islands in Thailand if not in the world. On the other hand, the resort itself is very average for the price. To quote the resort’s website, ”The Reef Resort in Koh Kradan Thailand is a corner of paradise and with 18 luxury beachfront and sea view rooms will allow you to enjoy the crystal emerald Andaman Sea and the lush tropical gardens.” I fully agree on the beauty of the paradise island, but the above seems a bit of an overstatement in terms of the actual accommodation. The rooms are clean but very simple. Basically just a bed (decent one), a fridge, AC and an outdoor bathroom. The decor is very minimalistic but that’s what we expected. The rooms do not really have much a view to speak of. They are tightly placed in a U-shaped building, giving you a distant feeling of staying in a tropical motel. To have any privacy, you need to keep the curtains closed all the time. The sea view is limited and indirect, blocked by the trees and the bar hut. What you mainly look at is a sunburnt yellow/brown lawn (at the least during the hot season) and the pool. The difference to some of the neighboring resorts with their well kept gardens is striking. It seems that the Reef has decided not to upkeep the garden, maybe to save resources. During our stay we did not see a gardener around. If this is their choice, I would rather suggest them to replace the lawn with sand as a continuation of the beach. I would also pay more attention to the overall appearance of the property. Eg. the building where they have table tennis and a small kiosk was really messy and unorganized. The breakfast was simple but adequate with white toast, sausage, bacon, pancakes, a couple of warm options plus some fruit (pineapple and watermelon). Eggs were prepared by order. I would suggest them to improve the way the breakfast is presented - it was not very very attractive with many food items served on foil. What was really annoying is that there were lots of flies all around during the breakfast hours. I know this is something normal in a tropical environment but at least they could try to manage the situation, eg by very regularly raking the sand on which the tables are placed. I never saw them raking the sand although this could help to mitigate the root problem by removing the eggs etc. We had most of our meals at their restaurant. The Thai food was decent but not spectacular. The prices were reasonable. Some of the waiters could practice showing a happier face with their customers. The beach is spectacular with a coral reef just in front. The resort has canoes, SUP boards and snorkeling equipment for their guests free of charge. The swing in the beach is also great. I also recommend waking up at 6am to see the sunrise, it’s really beautiful. It can get a bit busy later in the morning and around noon when day trippers arrive (this mainly affects the neighboring Seven Sea
38 Reviews