Krabi Luxury Beachfront Amatapura Pool Villa 1

Reviewed by: abroadliving from Bangkok, Thailand Reviewed on: 04/24/2014 for their stay in 04/2014 734596 - Krabi Luxury Beachfront Amatapura Pool Villa 1 We were the first guests of amatapura, and although there were some hiccups along the way, I have to say this was one our all-time favorite vacations. We traveled with a large group, with a very large age range (babies, school-age, teenager, 20s and 30s). Its difficult for us to find accommodations because our age range is so varied, but amatapura Villa 1 was a great experience for everyone. From booking to checkout, the process was smooth and very efficient. No hidden fees and top-notch service. Its a little nerve-wracking to book from an unknown source, but Krabi Riviera is reputable and professional. We are Thailand residents and from California so are a little spoiled by beautiful beaches, but ao Nam Mao is just fine for us. The beach in front of the property is "rustic" but fine for swimming. In the afternoon, low tide means "no tide," so there is no swimming to be had, but it is fun to explore all the marine life just outside your door. Khun Ching (house manager, great lady) arranged for us to use kayaks for free, and that only enhanced our stay. The guys went exploring one morning and found a private bay with beautiful sand and swimming. The house itself is gorgeous. It is very modern and clean. As I said we were the first residents, so as time goes on, there may be more conveniences added (some suggestions: a full length mirror in the bedroom(s), stool in the shower, drying rack outside and in bathrooms for pool clothes/toys, door mats at all entrances, some basic spices/condiments in the kitchen, etc.), but they have a great start. There is a safe in each room, aircon works great, and plenty of towels and linens. Each of the rooms is tastefully decorated, and the master bedroom has absolutely amazing view. Even the closet space is plentiful. There are two living rooms, one upstairs and one down, and both are great for lounging with the iPad and watching movies. Wifi works great. The daily ice and water service as well as fruit upon check-in were a nice touch. They provided us with two high chairs and baby cots, which were both in great condition (weve seen some doozies!). The pool is a great size and the Jacuzzi is fun for the kids. There is also a large garden that the kids played soccer on daily. So great to have space for the kids (and grown-up kids!) to spread out. (Note, the house has a French press, so if you are like us and need your coffee, stop at the Southern Coffee in the Tesco parking lot and ask the guy for French press ground beans.) Transfers to/from the airport were very smooth. The driver was waiting for us and had a large van for our large party. The provided tuk-tuk service made it quite easy to get into town. The house provides a cell phone, which is helpful if you are coming from out of town. The location itself is away from the hustle-bustle of ao Nang, but an easy ride there. The first driver took us to a great place to rent motorbikes. The price was good (250 baht/day), as we received very new and nice motorbikes. It was about a 10 minute motorbike trip from the house to get into town along some scenic roads. (One late afternoon, we stopped at the market along side of the road. Great produce and fish/meat. Its not always open, but if it is you cant miss it.) At night, I would err on the side of using the tuk-tuk service though, as the road is not lit. The house is also very close to ao Nam Mao pier. You can arrange to get to Railay, Phi Phi etc., from there or from the house itself. We chose to do the four island tour. Khun Ching arranged it, and the boat picked us up right at our house! So easy! (The four island tour is on a private longtail boat. Its very beautiful and great snorkeling. Highly recommend.) We also went into ao Nang to do the monkey trail (if youre on the beach, walk all the way to the left), as well as shop for groceries (Tesco) and have a few meals. Weve stayed in villas that provided a chef and full-time maid for a nominal cost, so thats the one major thing we missed here. (There is a daily maid service in the late morning. The maids are thorough and efficient.) Also, the pool was broken on our planned pool day, so that was a bummer. There is a large pool in the development available for use, which even has a splash pool for kids. It is big and very nice, but there is no shade or chairs, so we swam and quickly left. The water is also very warm in the big pool. All in all, I highly recommend this villa. Your family will have an amazing time here. Just please leave a week open for us to go back!