Ancient Realm Resort – Ko Lanta, Thailand

Tweet

Ancient Realm Resort & Spa

Liz and I had originally planned to stay just two nights at Ancient Realm Resort & Spa but after checking into our beautiful bungalow we realized that it was quite possible that we may never leave! In the end, we spent 13 amazing nights right here at Ancient Realm! We had inquired about staying for an entire month but unfortunately we had some time restrictions and travel plans that got in the way of that idea.

Location

The location of Ancient Realm was good. It lies on Klong Dao beach which is closest to Ban Saladan. Ban saladan is an area filled with restaurants, dive shops, tourist booking offices, markets, shops, and more. We rented a motorbike from Ancient Realm for pretty much most of our stay so it’s tough to say how it would be to be on foot. If you want to walk down to the nearest 7-11 or restaurant that’s no problem, but if you’re looking to explore other beaches, head to Old Lanta, etc you’ll definitely want to rent a motorbike. Riding in Lanta is a great place to learn if you’ve never rode before, or have never driven on the opposite side of the road due to the lack of traffic and crazy drivers like most other places in Thailand. I highly recommend you give it a shot!

The Rooms

Our bungalow was immaculate, no really it was! The bed was very big and comfy, the TV/DVD player was nice to have in the room and so wasn’t the huge DVD collection at the front desk. Liz loved the fact that she could just go out front and grab a bunch of DVD’s to watch while I took care of some work online. Having the safe box in the room was also handy as well. Having free Wi-Fi in the room enabled me to get a lot of work done and it was so great to be able to research things to do in Lanta, etc.

Bathroom

The bathrooms were very clean and spacious, the toilet, shower and sink worked flawlessly. I really liked the fact that there was a half indoor/half outdoor shower.

Restaurant

The food at Ancient Realm’s on-site restaurant was excellent. They do great Thai food as well as Western food, if that’s your thing. We found the prices to be pretty good compared to other places in town which was convenient to not have to leave AR every time you want to eat. This happens a lot when you stay at a hotel and the food at your hotels restaurant is either not good, or just too expensive! You won’t have any problems with that here. Another perk about the restaurant is that you can jump on the free Wi-Fi and be online as you watch the waves crash on the beach. So sweet!

Pool

We spent many days lounging by the pool. Liz spent a couple of hours each day catching the rays while I swam around in the cool and refreshing water. The pool was very clean other than a few leaves that fell from the trees here and there, so no complaints here!

Beach

The beach was a bit messy when we first checked in due to debris washing up from the monsoon season weather. Fortunately enough for us, the only monsoon weather we experienced was at night while we were sleeping. Heavy rain, some thunderstorms, etc but again it only went on while we were sleeping so that ended up working out perfect for us. Over the course of the first two days we were there, there were men raking, creating piles, and cleaning up the beach in front of the Ancient Realm restaurant. On the morning of the third day it was so clean and it seriously looked like a whole new beach. I even went for a run along the beach barefoot one afternoon!

The Staff

Each and every morning we would wake up and head out to the Ancient Realm restaurant for our breakfast where we would be greeted by our favorite staff member named “Oi”. If you stay here, you’ll know exactly who I’m talking about. She’s a wonderful woman who is extremely accommodating, and will do anything for you during your stay at AR. The man and the young woman who work at the front desk are also very friendly and helpful as well. All in all, the staff were top-notch and this is a big factor for me when deciding if I like a place or not. AR gets an A+++ for staff.

Amenities

Swimming Pool, Sun Chairs, Beach front Bungalows, Adventure Activities, Diving/Snorkeling Programs, Day Trip/Excursions and even FREE Wi-Fi.

Prices/Rates

We stayed at Ancient Realm during their “green season” which meant that we would be getting excellent rates [588 THB/night]. Green season is considered low season in Lanta and we honestly couldn’t have picked a better time to go. Ancient Realm was quiet, there were very few tourists on the island, and the roads were clear. Perrrrfect! Please note that the rates that we encountered were during low season. Prices during peak season may be much higher.

• Private Bungalow w/ Air Conditioning
• King Size Beds
• Private Ensuite Indoor/Outdoor Bathrooms for all rooms, with Plant Life, Stones & Shells
• 65 Channel Cable & Satellite TV and 300+ titles DVD Library for in-room entertainment (complimentary)
• Wireless Internet Accessible FREE in every Bungalow, and throughout the Resort
• FREE access to Computer and Internet in the lobby area
• Coffee and Tea, with free ingredients supplied daily in all rooms

Contact Information

• Calling from Thailand:  08 799 81 336
• Calling from overseas:  +66 8799 81 336
• Email: holiday@ancientrealmresort.com
• Website: Ancient Realm Resort & Spa