In Thailand, many tourists go for exotic. And they are absolutely right. Here you can stroll through the real tropical jungle, personally gaze at the animals and birds that are in Russia only in the zoo, soak up the white sand under the shade of palm trees. Thanks to all this, tours to Phuket, to the Coral Island Resort 3 * in particular, are now in great demand. This hotel is notable for being on a small exotic island, and in the singular, which is very attractive in itself. Add to its advantages the friendliness and helpfulness of the staff, unusually tasty food, rooms in modern comfortable bungalows, but under reed roofs. Many tourists who have been here call this place paradise. But, unfortunately, he also has drawbacks that everyone who decides to buy a tour here needs to know about. This is described in detail in our article.
Location
In the western part of Thailand, just 410 meters from the mainland lies a beautiful green island and at the same time the province of Phuket. Coral Island Resort 3 * - a hotel located on another island called Koh He, or in Russian Coral. Administratively, it enters the aforementioned province, and even from the largest island of the country it is separated by a strip of water only 9 km wide. Therefore, many tour operators offer permits to Thailand, to the Coral Island Resort 3 * in Phuket. At the same time, they omit the name Ko Hye. Briefly tell about this wonderful corner, so that tourists have a concept where they have to relax.
This piece of land formed by coral reefs (hence the name) is very small. Theoretically, it can be bypassed in a day. However, in practice this is difficult to do, since most of the island is covered with impenetrable tropical jungle, in which not the most harmless fauna lives. In some places, the forest approaches directly to the water, but along the coast there are picturesque wide strips with fantastic white sand, on one of which our hotel was built. Thanks to its location, its guests are waiting for an unforgettable beach holiday and almost complete privacy.
How to get there
In relation to the Coral Island Resort 3 * hotel in Phuket (meaning the province), it is difficult to say how conveniently it is located. Theoretically, getting to Coral Island is easy. From Russia you need to fly by plane to the airport of Phuket. It takes 7.5 hours to fly from Moscow. At the airport, tourists are waiting for transfers of travel agencies where tickets were purchased. Buses go to Phuket Port, located 32 km from the airport. According to tourists, this distance is covered in 45-50 minutes. In the port you need to catch a boat, which takes a quarter of an hour to the pier near the hotel. Those traveling here bypassing travel agencies need to follow the same route - from the airport by taxi to the seaport, and then by boat to the Coral Island.
However, in practice, things can look more complicated. The fact is that boats leave for Koh He strictly by the hour, namely at 9-00 in the morning and at 15-00 in the afternoon. If the transfer by this time did not manage to deliver its passengers to the port, they will have to spend the night in Phuket for an additional fee.
Description of the hotel and its territory
Coral Island Resort 3 * was built and opened in 1990, but in 2014 there was a total reconstruction. So now the hotel is shining with novelty, and everything is functioning perfectly. Its territory covers 24 thousand square meters. It has six rows of 64 exotic-looking bungalows, a swimming pool, a restaurant with a very spacious open veranda and a roof, which are crowned palm trees, a massage parlor, a small shop with a variety of beach products and volleyball courts. The first row of bungalows lined up almost at the water's edge. Here is the most expensive accommodation, but tourists vacationing at Coral Island Resort 3 * do not leave the most flattering reviews about accommodation on the first line. The disadvantages are the constant noise from people on the beach and the flooding of houses during strong tides.
On the second line, located just a few meters from the first, there are no such surprises. On the third, living is also very comfortable, and from the windows of the rooms you can admire the endless sea. From the bungalow on the remaining lines, only the territory and green spaces are visible, and the sixth line is located almost at the jungle border. It is noteworthy that in the hotel, despite being so close to the forest, mini-gardens are equipped with the same tropical palm trees and oleanders. For the eyes it is very nice.
The reception is located in the main building of the hotel. Its employees speak their native Thai and English, only a few people speak Russian here. At the reception you can use a safe, a left-luggage office, hand over personal items to laundry, make an appointment for a massage and pay for it, and solve current issues. The hotel lobby is decorated in Thai style, everything is very beautiful and dignified. Wi-Fi is available in the lobby around the clock; a code is issued for free.
Rooms
About the bungalow of the hotel Coral Island Resort 3 * in Phuket, reviews are generally good. Room categories are as follows:
- Superior Room with an area of 30 m2 located on the 4th, 5th and 6th lines. Their equipment includes a set of high-quality new furniture (a bed, a wardrobe with hangers and shelves, a table, a mirror, chairs), several lamps, a TV on which you can watch 3 Russian channels, air conditioning, a safe with a digital lock, a refrigerator with a mini bar. Prices for all products in it are indicated in the price list. Free of charge every day for a half-liter bottle of drinking water. This is very important, since only bottled water is allowed on the island, which can be purchased in the hotel's small shop. The hygiene room is equipped with shower, sink with a large mirror, toilet. Daily maids bring small bottles with shower gel and shampoo, as well as ear sticks and hand soap.
- Beach Delux Room. These numbers differ from the previous ones on the 2nd and 3rd lines.
- Beach Front Delux are located on the 1st line. An electric kettle and tea and coffee making facilities are also included in these rooms.
- Family Room from 40 m 2 . These rooms are two-room, designed for four tourists. The layout includes two bedrooms with a door between them, a hygiene room and a small entrance hall.
Nutrition
Types of food in the hotel: BB - breakfast is included in the room price, HB - breakfast and dinner are included, FB - breakfast, only lunch without snacks and dinner. Such services are provided in the Coral Island Resort 3 * in Phuket. The food reviews at this hotel are wonderful. It is organized on the basis of the "buffet". The menu is always a huge variety of all kinds of dishes. For breakfast, the assortment is: milk, cottage cheese, yogurt, sweet and not, granola, cereal, omelette with various fillings, sausages, ham, meat, side dishes of pasta, potatoes, cooked vegetables, fresh vegetables, sliced sauces, pastries, sweet desserts, fruits, tea, coffee.
Thai and Asian cuisines are available at lunchtime. Excellent soups, all kinds of meat dishes, fish delicacies, dishes of Russian, Thai, Italian cuisines are served for dinner. If you purchased a ticket without providing lunch and dinner, you can take them for extra money either in a hotel or in a cafe located on the beach. There are no all-inclusive tours in this hotel. You have to buy all the drinks here.
Services for children
Coral Island Resort 3 * in Phuket is happy for its young guests, but there is no wide service for them here. Parents can book a crib in the room. In the restaurant, among the abundance of products for babies, there is always something to choose. On the territory of the hotel in the pool there is a children's department with a depth of 50 cm. Here, perhaps, are all the services provided by the hotel to the kids. The important thing is that there is no doctor on the island. If something happens to the child, you will have to sail to Phuket. Therefore, parents traveling with their children to the Coral Island Resort should take medicines from Russia with them, which, in their opinion, may be needed.
Leisure at the hotel and on the island
There is not much entertainment for adults in the walls of Coral Island Resort 3 *. The photo shows his wonderful, although not very large pool. The depth in it is different - from 1.1 to 1.7 meters. It is convenient to relax here when the weather is unsuitable at sea. Around the pool in sufficient quantities are installed sunbeds, there is a shower and a sink for the feet. Beach towels are free. In addition to the pool, adults can use the massage parlor. Among the services provided here are massage of the legs, back, shoulders and with aromatic oils.
Those interested in Thai religion and just curious will be interested to see a small temple located on the territory of the hotel. There you can admire the golden figures of the gods, garlands of flowers, feel the atmosphere of the spiritual Thai world. For those who are the first time in Thailand, Coral Island Resort 3 * is only suitable if there is no point of acquaintance with the country in vacation plans. The fact is that all excursions, and there are a lot of them, begin in Phuket, to which tourists must get on their own. Unfortunately, it often happens that the start of the excursion does not coincide with the departure time of the boat. Returning to the hotel is even more problematic. If the tour ends later than 15-00, guests of the Coral Island Resort will have to spend the night in Phuket, since you can’t get to Coral Island.
Given all these circumstances, you need to be prepared in advance to entertain yourself mainly on Coral Island. There is also a lot of interesting things here. Firstly, it is the Banana Beach, which is led by a trail through the real jungle. It is necessary to walk along it in shoes, since stinging insects and prickly plants can get under your feet. The Banana Beach itself is not much different from what is located near the hotel, except that there are fewer Russians and more Chinese who are brought there by sightseeing boats daily. Secondly, these are relic monitors, which can be observed from close range. They are even specially fed so that they leave the jungle wilds and go into open spaces. Thirdly, it is live music. Concerts here take place in restaurants on the beach and in the hotel itself. According to the reviews of our tourists, the artists perform very well.
Sea and climate
The island of Ko Hye lies in the Andaman Sea in a tropical zone with a predominance of seasonal monsoons. It is always summer here, always warm and humid, but heavy rains fall only from the second half of May to October. In November, the high season begins in Phuket, because sunny and almost cloudless weather sets in, although high humidity remains. The temperature of sea water in this region is always high - up to 26-28 degrees heat. Therefore, you can swim in any season.
As noted above, on the coast itself, you can say, right on the beach are the bungalows of the Coral Island Resort 3 * hotel in Phuket. The photo captures only a small piece of this fabulous corner. According to the reviews of absolutely all guests, the beach here is magnificent. Its coating is large, very light, almost white sand. Entering the water is ideal for children - shallow, the depth is far away, there are no stones or sharp corals. In the water, the place where it is allowed to swim is surrounded by buoys, and in order to avoid any unpleasant situations, lifeguards are on duty at the beach.
Here you can simply sunbathe, enjoying the whisper of the waves and the rustle of palm twigs, or you can spend your leisure time more actively, for example, ride a “banana” or a catamaran, dive with a mask or scuba diving to watch the inhabitants of the coral reefs, play volleyball. There are also several cafes on the beach where you can eat and listen to music.
Important: being on the seashore, even in the shade or in cloudy weather, it is imperative to lubricate exposed areas of the body with protective equipment, otherwise you can get sunburn.
Additional Information
Not all categories of vacationers fit Coral Island Resort 3 * in Phuket. Thailand is an unusually original and interesting country, having arrived in which, I want to see so many things. However, from the Coral Island, although it is located very close to the coast, it is difficult, and in bad weather it is impossible to get to the mainland. Therefore, excursions from here are difficult to get. In addition, in order to avoid misunderstandings, hotel guests are offered to leave it the day before their flight by plane, cross to Phuket and spend the night in another hotel there. Money in a room in such cases is not taken, but still for many tourists this becomes an unpleasant surprise.
The second feature of relaxation on the Coral Island is also its isolation. It affects the assortment and prices of goods in stores and restaurants. According to tourists, everything here is twice as expensive as in Phuket. Despite these nuances, many people prefer to stay in this hotel, and more than once. Regular customers are given a bottle of champagne and fruit on their arrival day. Compliments are also provided for newlyweds and birthday people.
Reviews about Coral Island Resort 3 * in Phuket
This hotel has a high rating due to the wonderful work of all the staff and the quality of the services provided. A significant role is played by the location of the hotel on an island of extraordinary beauty with amazingly clear turquoise sea and strips of white sand on the coast. Tourists believe that Coral Island Resort has the following advantages:
- location on the island, which makes it possible to relax calmly, completely relaxing, forgetting about all the problems;
- cute bungalows with exotic designs;
- comfortable rooms;
- sound furniture and functioning plumbing;
- high-quality cleaning, and daily;
- delicious food, a variety of dishes;
- the proximity of a wonderful beach;
- professionalism and hospitality of the staff.
The disadvantages of Coral Island Resort 3 * in Phuket are also available. The minuses of the hotel, tourists call the following:
- great difficulties with calling a doctor, visiting excursions, arrival / departure, which is caused by the isolation of the island;
- poorly developed hotel infrastructure;
- lack of animation;
- the high cost of all goods and products;
- few services for children.