to have your review posted, please email it to: geoffrey.fyfe@btinternet.com
We couldn't have wished for more!”
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 6 June 2012 for a stay in May 2012
We felt welcome from the moment we stepped out of Koh Samui airport where we were greeted by resort staff and taken to the villa.
We arrived after dark and the pool was the first thing we really noticed as it was lit up and looked so inviting. The villa is well equipped, spacious and spotlessly clean. The beds are firm but comfortable and the bedding is changed on a regular basis. Towels and pool/beach towels are provided and also changed as often as needed. The villa is cleaned thoroughly every day by a very friendly team of staff. Fresh bread is brought to the villa each morning which is a lovely gesture, as was the huge bowl of fruit provided on our arrival.
The pool is cleaned every morning and is a good size. There is a shallow and deep end but no toddler area. Even so, the whole family enjoyed using the pool every day.
The staff were all very friendly and helpful. They carried the kayakes and life jackets to the beach for us and brought them back again after use. They also brought us a barbeque and took it away the next morning. We didn't even have to clean it! The staff also arranged car hire for us at a very reasonable price and a trip to the marine park. There was no deposit to pay and we settled the bill just before departure.
The location is very good. The area was nice and quiet and only a very short walk to a lovely (and mostly deserted) beach. Again, the staff will put out the sunbeds and parasols for you.
A car is necessary to get out and about and then there are lots of bars, retaurants and shops within a few minutes drive. It's only a 15 minute drive to Chaweng and to Tesco Lotus.
We hadn't been to Thailand before and had some reservations about taking very young children there. We needn't have worried as we felt very safe and not even a tummy upset between us!
The owner was very helpful and answered all our questions very promptly by e mail.
Our holiday was everything we could have wished for and we would have no hesitation in recommending Mangrove Villa.
Dear Geoffrey,
A belated thank you for letting us stay at your wonderful villa in Thailand.
All of us had great expectations and we were not disappointed.
Thanks for arranging the extra bed, very comfy as indeed all the beds were.
We all had a wonderful time, it proved rather difficult on occasion to entice the children to come to the terrace for some food!
Many regards
peter & marianne.
Dear Geoff
I want to email you to say how much my wife Penny and I enjoyed our stay in Mangrove Villa with our son and his family in early February 2011.
We flew to Bangkok and there was an easy flight connection to Koh Samui. We were met at the airport by the charming and ever helplful Nid and arrived at the resort to a warm welcome. Mangrove Villa is just about everything a holiday home could be. The accomodation was roomy, air conditioned and very comfortable and with separate buildings round the central garden and pool, the family was well spread out and not on top of one another. The pool was just right for children and adults alike, and the garden was beautiful and well maintained. The resort staff was always to hand and helpful, and incidentally good with small children too. The lovely sandy beach was a one minute walk from the Villa, and good local restaurants at reasonable prices were available nearby. Our favourite was the BBC (the Big Buddha Cafe).
We would highly recommend a holiday stay in Mangrove Villa Koh Samui. Many thanks again!
Sincerely
David Ouvry
Amersham, Bucks UK
We had a wonderful holiday at Mangrove Villa in August 2010, meeting up with family from Australia. The villa is extremeley spacious and is ideal when you have more than one family as you can retain your privacy with the three seperate buildings, yet still be in the same place.
The villa is delightful with its own pool (very handy for my children! Kept them entertained for hours and hours!!), and was made up beautifully and welcoming for our arrival and the private beach is just 100 yards down the private drive.
Staff were very attentive, I loved the way that the gate has a security guard who salutes you on entry and departure! Nid the manageress was very helpful and went out of her way to help and arranged our excursions and car hire. Fresh bread was delivered every morning which was a lovely touch and we were collected and delivered to the airport which saved a lot of hassle, especially when you have children with you.
All in all a wonderful holiday, wonderful friendly people, wonderful villa, what more could I ask for??!! I wouldn't hesitate to recommend it and I look forward to next year!!!
C Wheatley
February 2011
TIPS FOR A GREAT HOLIDAY
Reception staff at Idyllic are great, any quibbles, they will do their best to sort out right away. Trips can be arranged through them. I recommend the Angthong Marine park trip and/or Kao Tao and Nang Nuang day trip. Children would enjoy the 'around the island' trip.
Shopping
Chaweng has endless shops. For clothes the shops around Big Buddha are great value. Try to go in offering half what they ask money wise, then you might end up paying a reasonable amount!
Fisherman's village is worth a trip, they have a pedestrians only night on a Friday night which is great fun and good atmosphere. Village has hundreds of great restaurants around the bay and shops.
Nathon (Capital) is the cheapest for shopping. DVD and Cd's are great value anywhere. Our resort does a take away menu from the hotel next door, it also offers brilliant massages. The beach to our resort is super and sun beds provided. I prefer to go to the right and use the Arayaburi sunbeds in the shade under the tree's overlooking the beach as it is cooler.
RESTAURANTS
For unbeatable value, child friendly and good meals
1) Cheong Mon bar & restaurant.
Eat on the beach by oil lamp, really can't be beaten. Situated in between White House Hotel and Familymart, on the way to Chaweng. Go down the track all the way to the par park on the beach.
Very inexpensive and varied menu. Recommend Duck a l'orange, pastas, Thai food, fish and chips, in fact everything!! Our favourite this holiday but very simple.
2) Destination by the sea.
This restaurant is pretty close and is a super choice should it be raining. Still need to take the car though. It is aThai restaurant, superb ambiance, situated on the right hand side. It is between where you fork right at the 'T' junction and the main road to Bangrak. Not so good on a clear night as they have a crane in the sea creating a beach!
3) Coral Bay Resort (Coco Rock restaurant)
Situated on the way into Chaweng on the left, great restaurant, superb food, mid-range price with a lovely view. It's also a nice resort and beach were you can spend they day and they provide the towels.
4) Poppies (Southern end of Chaweng)
Boutique resort and restaurant. Lovely ambiance, child friendly, not particularly cheap.
4) BBC Cafe
Nice and breezy, great for sunsets. Food and Chang beer cheap, good portions, but the best meals they do are the pasta or the roast on Sunday.. The BBC is also useful should the Wi Fi in the villa go off for any reason as it is reliable at the BBC.
5) Krua Bophut - Fishermans Village
Almost forgot this one, but it is a brilliant Thai restaurant, well worth a visit. Incredible value, very busy and popular. It is situated right at the end of Fisherman's Village and has it's own car park.
6) For a special evening. Recommend Olivio's (Italian reastaurant), Zazen's or Dining on the rocks (very expensive). Lots of the Chaweng restaurants do themed evenings and buffet's on the beach.
TIPS
If you want to give the staff at Idyllic a tip, please give it to Nid at the end of your holiday in an envelope. She will divide it up amongst the 17 staff.
AVAILABILITY CALENDER
French ski/ Summer apartment also available click here for more details.