Khao Lak Orchid Beach Resort

This is a great budget friendly hotel situated on a stunning stretch of private beach, near the town of Khao Lak, about an hour north of Phuket Airport. Perfect for honeymooners, couples and families.

When we were looking for a hotel in Khao Lak we had a number of criteria that we wanted to satisfy. Firstly, the room had to be big enough for 3 adults and an infant, secondly, we wanted something budget friendly and finally, we wanted to base ourselves somewhere close enough to Khao Lak centre so that we could regularly visit, but somewhere not too busy. The fitted the bill perfectly. From the cute and helpful staff, to the beautiful beach and ideal room, this hotel was a great choice that I would recommend to others. This is a 3-4 star hotel, that punches above its weight with its attention to detail and thoughtful touches.

The Rooms
The Orchard offers a great variety of room styles and choices, and if you are a family, there are a number of 2 bedroom suites to suit your needs and budget. We opted for a family room in the Main Wing, which provided us with 2 bedrooms, a lounge area and a bathroom. This was perfect for our party as we were meeting up with my sister, so she had her own spacious bedroom, and we had another for myself, my husband and our (then) 1 year old son. Having the extra lounge room was an added bonus, as it gave us extra space to spread out and relax of an evening, in addition to giving my son somewhere that he could happily play with his toys and crawl around . Rooms were clean, spacious with a television in both the main area and one of the bedrooms. Cots are provided free of charge in the rooms upon request, and they are a sturdy construction rather than the common travel cot. A great buffet breakfast was included, with eggs made on demand in addition to a range of international and asian offerings. The local fresh fruit was a real highlight. Highchairs were available in the main breakfast area.

The Beach
One of the big draw cards for this resort was the beach. It's a picture perfect Thai beach that for the main part of our stay was extremely quiet. There are plenty of sunbeds for those wanting to top up on their tans and lots of room to spread out in so you really feel like you have the beach to yourself. The beach gently slopes into the water, so it is a perfect beach if you've got little kids with you or if you aren't a strong swimmer.

Facilities
The resort features 2 restaurants, in addition to a swim up pool bar, which is an ideal spot for a lazy lunch. You can also order room service for nights when you're too tired to move. There are two pools, with the main pool area also featuring a small kiddies pool with a couple of little water slides. There's a small gym which you pretty much have to yourself, and a small computer room for keeping in touch with friends and family back home and posting holiday pictures to Facebook.



Look out for deals
Keep an eye on the hotel's website if you are thinking of booking as they have regular offers and discounts. When we booked, we went for a package deal that included a few set dinners, our round trip transfer from Phuket Airport, shuttles to and from the resort to Khao Lak centre and a few little extras. We were particularly impressed by the quality of the set dinners included, which were delicious and sumptious.



A little about the area
Khao Lak is a quaint little town, with great shops, a fun little market and some beautiful bars and restaurants dotted up and down its streets. It's not got a full on party scene (you had better stay in Phuket for this), but restaurants and bars do stay open late if you are wanting to make a night of it. There's Thai cooking classes, dive schools and an array of Thai tailors who will make you up a suit or dress of your choosing. It's a great little hub of action without being over the top. Absolutely perfect for families, and for those who want to be away from the hustle and bustle.



Khao Lak is also perfectly positioned for a day of sight seeing, and we enjoyed hiring a taxi for a couple of days to get out and explore the temples, parks and waterfalls in the area. Khao Lak was badly hit during the 2004 tsunami, and one of the most poignant things to visit in area is actually very close to Khao Lak itself. The Police Patrol boat 813, remains in place, 1km from the sea, as a reminder of the power of the tsunami that carried the 80 foot boat inland. It stands today in a memorial park, visited by many who want to remember all the lives that were lost.



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