“For those who want a quiet getaway this cannot be beaten”

For some reason some of the reviews here are not the best - but people should understand what they are paying for. I was in Thailand on business with my wife and had a weekend free. We decided to get away from the city and look for some respite. Hua Hin was recommended but when we looked on the net… Plus

For some reason some of the reviews here are not the best - but people should understand what they are paying for. I was in Thailand on business with my wife and had a weekend free. We decided to get away from the city and look for some respite. Hua Hin was recommended but when we looked on the net we decided we could just as well stay at Blackpool or Myrtle Beach. After searching further afield we settled on sam roi yod and took the train. The hotel sent a minibus to collect us at Hua Hin station and we arrived, 60kms later, at Lealawadee early on Friday evening. The place itself is, indeed, basic - but we were paying about $40 a night. If you want a four star western hotel experience, go to Hua Hin, stay at the Hilton and pay $250 a night and you won't be disappointed. Here, the rooms were entirely adequate - clean bedding, working plumbing and air conditioning, locks on the doors and a thirty pace walk to the most unspoiled beach I can remember seeing in more than thirty years of international travel. Breakfast was good - service was up to normal Thai standards, which is to say superbly wonderful in that slightly haphazard way that fixes all issues with a ready smile and good humour. The beach was indescribably beautiful. The local beach restaurant (everything was "pok, pok, we have vewy good pok") struggled to charge more than $5 a head including a huge Sinha beer and the local hotel restaurants prepared wonderful fresh local food for prices that westerners dismiss as irrelevant. We enjoyed a superb evening next door at a restaurant that served sea bass caught from the bay that morning, with cocktails and all you could possibly want, for $36 for two. Insane. Lealawadee at the beach is an entirely wonderful place to stay and the Dutch owner was avaiable to help with any query, big or small. In all, we had a magical weekend break and, when I return to Thailand for more business in the coming months we are going to return for a week and enjoy it all the more.

Moins

“Quiet and peaceful and a beach to die for”

There is not a lot to do at Sam Roy Yod, which makes it ideal for just relaxing. The Lealawadee is a simple hotel; semi-detached bungalows line a pretty swimming pool in smallish but mature gardens. The hotel reception, restaurant etc are in an open sided building which is separated from the beac… Plus

There is not a lot to do at Sam Roy Yod, which makes it ideal for just relaxing. The Lealawadee is a simple hotel; semi-detached bungalows line a pretty swimming pool in smallish but mature gardens. The hotel reception, restaurant etc are in an open sided building which is separated from the beach by a small road. There are a number of beach-beds under the coconut palms on the beach................at least 5 Km of mostly soft white sand beach with hardly a soul on it. Breakfasts were beautifully cooked, presented and served although choice was very limited. We ate there in the evenings and found the food to be good, well-cooked and always beautifully presented. Service was invariably excellent and the staff friendly and helpful. The bungalows are simply furnished and a little tired, particularly in the bathrooms (although always kept spotlessly clean - and the towels smell great) but we spoke to the Dutch owner who said he was about to start renovating and updating them. There are a number of small local eateries that cook simple food at great prices (fantastic if you like full-on Thai), and one or two hotels with more farang oriented restaurants and bars but apart from that - nothing...............and the whole place seems to shut at around 9pm, so plan on getting plenty of sleep. We had a wonderful time and I would certainly return but probably only for a long weekend or so.

Moins