zachareah
longtail driver
Posts: 8

#1 Posted: 3/12/2007 - 13:59


Its amazing that the best island destination is still not well-known. Its name is LAOLIANG ISLAND.

Located in the Trang province; one hour north of Ko Lipe and 45 minutes from the mainland pier (Had Yao).

Why, you ask? Here are my TOP 10 reasons:

1. Private island resort- there are no other resorts
2. Pristine and tranquil- very relaxing
3. No cars or bikes, no boat traffic
4. Great activities: CLIMBING, SNORKELING, KAYAKING, FISHING, DIVING
5. Sleep on the beach in luxurious tents
6. Great seafood barbecue's EVERY EVENING
7. All-inclusive; kayak, snorkel and climb whenever you like without worrying about costs
8. NO CROWDS- EVER!
9. great swimming beach and snorkeling from shore

10. SIMPLY THE BEST COMBINATION OF RELAXATION WITH GREAT ACTIVITIES IN SOUTHERN THAILAND (and isn't that what we are looking for in a beach destination?)

Easy to get to now that there is the Tiger Line Ferry Service from Had Yao pier.
Also, it can NEVER get built up and more crowded because the island is SHEER ROCK and there is no place to expand

marineboy
backpacker
Posts: 13

#2 Posted: 16/12/2007 - 19:29


Ahh...you have ruined it now! Everyone will go like a swarm of touristic flys!!

zachareah
longtail driver
Posts: 8

#3 Posted: 17/12/2007 - 08:39


people need to read my last point; the island WILL NEVER be expanded to handle more guests. It simply can not because of topographical restraints. more tents can not be put in below the tide line or tents on the cliff like on El CAp in Yosemite.

The island will NEVER have more than 84 guests; EVER!
If it gets popular in the future, the price will go up but it will not expand and become over-run.

chopin
flashpacker
Posts: 33

#4 Posted: 17/12/2007 - 21:09


Hi zachareah,

You forgot to tell us one most important thing: the cost...

shrn62
longtail driver
Posts: 8

#5 Posted: 28/12/2007 - 00:07


HI!

had heard great things about the place and intended visting 1st week of Jan..just wondering if you thinkg its necesseary to book if so small?

missmasala
newbie
Posts: 2

#6 Posted: 28/12/2007 - 13:32


ol' zachareah posts about laoliang everywhere and is clearly connected to the people running the place.

however, i was just there in mid-december, so here's my rundown:

the island is spectacular and the beach is lovely. we didn't have such great weather but if you have all sun the place would be almost too stunning to be believed.

the all-inclusive package thing is nice. we got to try rock climbing, went on a snorkeling trip to two other islands, and could take the kayaks out whenever we wanted. plus, all the snorkel gear is included and the masks are decent, not the crappy ones you get some places. so basically you could just snorkel off the beach anytime you wanted. also, the second stop on the snorkel trip has some great soft coral that you can't usually see snorkeling. the first stop has a pretty nice reef.

the staff is very nice. many don't speak any english, tho. the place caters mainly to thais at the moment, so if you are looking for a traveler "scene" look elsewhere.

the downsides: the food could have been better, especially breakfast. it was a step up from what i call "diveboat food" (you know, bland curries with pineapple and eggs fried hours ago) and the curries were spicy enough, but they didn't serve any yums or salads and the variety of fruit could have been nicer. However, most of my family, who live in bangkok (i don't) claimed the food was better than at many similar places, which is probably true.
the other downside for me was the cleanliness of the place and the tents. The tents are clean inside, but I would prefer bungalows. also, the bathrooms started out pretty clean, but weren't cleaned at all during our three-day stay, so by the end they were pretty grotty. also, the eating area could have been cleaner, dirty plates were often left out for long times, attracting flies.
and during the hot season, the tents might be very very hot.

all in all, i think it is worth going to laoliang, tho i'm not sure it's a total bargain. still, the limestone island jutting out of the sea is amazing. reminds me of koh phi phi way back when, except much much smaller.

dharmakaya
backpacker
Posts: 16

#7 Posted: 12/5/2008 - 22:59


If someone could mention the approx costs it would make or break the deal for many of us :)

tezza
tout
Posts: 62

#8 Posted: 14/5/2008 - 15:10


Wow, missy, thanks so much fer yer review. I've been waiting for someone to do a cover of Zach's place.

For people wanting costs, pix - here is a website:
http://www.laoliangisland.com/
Now Zak, the deal with travelfish is if he shows yer website, you gotta show his.

Just a question - is the place open low season?

packtoofull
flashpacker
Posts: 34

Located in:
Indonesia

#9 Posted: 15/5/2008 - 12:07


It's closed in low season

chopin
flashpacker
Posts: 33

#10 Posted: 15/5/2008 - 12:46


packtoofull,

thanks for the link, but it is entirely in Thai, doesn't really help though...

Anyone who have been there... pls let us know the cost...

SBE
tuk tuk driver
Posts: 129

#11 Posted: 15/5/2008 - 13:15


I disagree strongly with #8 in the OP.

"8. NO CROWDS- EVER!"

There are often crowds because lots of daytrippers go there.

zachareah
longtail driver
Posts: 8

#12 Posted: 16/5/2008 - 21:23


i am connected to the resort and thus can not post here. however, here is some factual info:

websites: www.laoliangresort.com; www.adventursinthailand.com

closed all low season; re-open in october.

price will be similiar as last year though a bit more.
we are LOWERING our carrying capacity/number of guests next season. 60 will be maximum

Most exciting: we are working with an Australian-Thai NGO to become the model sustainable resort in the region.