Managed by a laid-back Italian named Mario, Kalume Village offers a handful of simple bamboo bungalows and larger wood cottages on a compact slice of land just off the northern side of the beach.

Set on either side of a great beachfront restaurant and bar, bamboo bungalows are well kept but tiny and rudimentary, with thatch roofs, firm mattresses on bamboo floors, cement cold-water bathrooms and tiny porches with hammocks. Directly facing the sea, the wood bungalows are larger and more inviting. Value for either would be poor on many islands, but on Kradan you should expect to pay quite a bit for simple accommodation—and in fact Kalume is usually full.

Smart bungalows all in a row. Photo: David Luekens

We arrived during a rainstorm to find a dozen Italians drinking festively around a table in the beachfront restaurant and bar, which is our favourite place to unwind on Kradan. WiFi is free and the kitchen does pizza, pasta, Thai food and espresso. Seaside hammocks are strung to a sprawling umbrella tree in front of the resort. The place certainly has a lot of character.

If it’s full you could try neighbouring Kradan Island Resort, which gouges the prices for basic bungalows even more than Kalume, or head further north to Paradise Beach’s smaller and cheaper bungalows.