August 25
Kicking things off with a potential winner in 2009′s ‘Worst Photoshopping by a Luxury Resort‘ contest is this effort from Soneva Kiri on Koh Kood. Apparently, diners will be able to eat their meals high up in the trees in one of these Dining Pods. Quote: ‘An extraordinary dining pod hoisted into the tree tops takes cuisine to a new height . . ‘ Not only cuisine but new heights of sheer pretentious pointlessness too.
How diners get up there isn’t clear, but there again neither is why obscenely rich people would want to eat in trees. But if I were paying 60,000 baht/night for a room I’d expect a highly trained giant eagle to swoop down and pluck me and my loved one up from our verandah before we were deposited, along with a chilled magnum of Moet et Chandon and a pink neon ‘Do Not Disturb’ sign in the nest. The waiters have all spent the last three years locked away in a Tibetan monastery mastering the art of levitation.
Koh Mak now exists in the realm of Google Earth. Until this month Koh Mak had been hidden by cloud. However, Google have now got hold of some pretty good resolution photos – I guess about two and a half years old and you can now see Koh Mak, as well as most other nearby islands in all their glory. In addition Bangbao and the south east of Koh Chang are also clearly visible. Roads have been made far clearer and easier to find too. Zoom out and play around using the controls in the top right corner.
East Coast Escape. The Souk Resort, over on the dark side of the island ,can now be booked through this site. It’s a funky little place that has been around for several years and despite not being as well known as other small resorts manages to attract many loyal guests who return every year to basically just chill out away from the busier beaches. Bungalows from 600 Baht/night. Some photos below and you’ll find more details on The Souk Resort, Koh Chang page.
Koh Chang – Golfer’s Paradise. Until now anyone wanting to practice their swing has been limited to paying for a bucket of balls and slicing them down the grass runway at the ultralight airstrip in Klong Prao. Not ideal when a plane is taking off or landing. All that has now changed with the arrival of Cookies Golf Club in Klong Son valley. Not actually a golf club as such, but it is a far better attempt at a driving range. In fact it’s probably the best attempt so far, aside from the Treetop Adventure Park, at building a good quality activity on the island. It looks like you’d expect a driving range to look and prices are very reasonable too. Pay 50 baht for one tray of balls or 100 baht for three trays (120 balls in all) and you get a set of golf clubs to use for free. It’s not officially open yet and the restaurant is still under construction but if you are in the area and are into golf then just show up and you can have a go. The range will also be floodlit for night practice. More Photos
Beach Resort For Sale. That’s for sale as in you own the land not rent it. More importantly it’s one worth buying and won’t break the bank. 3 Rai ( Chanote title ) over 100 metres beachfront plus bungalows, a large beach restaurant & bar for only 21,000,000 Baht. Income last year, a very quiet year for tourism in Thailand, from only the rooms, was around 3 million baht. More details and photos
Entrance to the new Flintstones Theme Park on Koh Chang. Unfortunately, it’s nothing that exciting. It’s the new gatehouse at a small resort that you probably wont be staying at. Unique and memorable . . . in all the wrong ways.
