More about Zeavola All Suites Boutique
A dozen reasons to stay at Zeavola
by TripAdvisor Member cadeauxetonnants
To put it in a nutsehll, Zeavola is a slice of paradise. My husband and I had an absolutely lovely time there in January of this year. We stayed three days and could have stayed longer. After reading the negative reviews, it is hard for me to believe that the Zeavola I am writing about is one in the same.
We found the staff incredibly kind and friendly. Who says that all the world must speak English or even proper English ... isn't the lack thereof the reason some of us travel? These people are some of the most kind and generous people you will ever meet. As other writers of reviews on Zeavola have written, when you leave, you leave reluctantly because you are leaving behind new friends.
The villa's and surrounding grounds are beautiful. Particular care is taken to make sure that all things are in order at Zeavola. One must remember that Phi Phi Ley is an island with a jungle environment. This is not a typical brick and mortar establishment. Things can go wrong due to the harsh conditions of the environment, and the creatures that live in the jungle.
The food is incredible. Oh, if only I could have a Zeavola Croissant each and every day. And, the Black Ink Squid Bread is not only unique, it is delicious and beautiful. Be sure to try them both. The chef at Zeavola is great and the food proves it. A candlelit dinner on the beach is a must. It is breathtakingly beautiful and very romantic. Eating breakfast in an open-air restaurant facing the ocean is a great way to start the day, and the selection of foods is first class. You will find everything from simple breads to Mimosa's.
The villas are so unique and lovely. I especially loved the outdoor sink and vanity. It was like outdoor living luxury style. The villas are functional and beautifully appointed at the same time. A master electric box controls all lights, air conditioning, and the bamboo blinds. You have your own small refrigerator (where a wedding cake should go), and a glass enclosed case for glasses, tea cups and the basket of fruit provided by Zeavola.
So much has been written about the expensiveness of the resort. Here I must disagree. Can you even begin to imagine what it costs to provide your own water through desalination, to generate your own electricity, purchase fresh food that comes in by a ferry from Phuket on a regular basis? All of these things are expensive. Add the cost of the staff and the upkeep of a resort in a harsh environment, and you will most likely find that it costs a lot to run a first class resort. We found the prices to be reasonable considering what the operating costs must be. And, to even suggest that Zeavola provide transfer to and from the island without charging is unbelievable. By single engine boat, the trip takes around an hour and a half. By double engine, it takes around an hour. Fuel and upkeep on a boat is expensive. One can make arrangments to get to and from Phi Phi Ley via the Ferry that arrives once a day at 11AM. It is cheaper.
We had so much fun at Zeavola. To be honest it was one of the most relaxing places we have been. I visited the spa on two separate occasions and thoroughly enjoyed the treatments. The Spa setting is so beautifully exotic and so relaxing. Don't miss an opportunity to make a visit even if you do not opt for a treatment.
All beaches in Thailand are public. Zeavola cannot dictate the activity around their area. Regardless of the boats ... which are not there all day long ... the beach and the setting is incredibly beautiful. Zeavola makes every effort to provide a beautiful and very comfortable beach experience.
Be sure to hire a longtail boat through Zeavola for sigthseeing trips around Phi Phi Don and Phi Phi Ley. The scenery is legendary and the longtail boat ride is so much fun. Expect to get wet. You can even opt to have the hotel pack a beautiful lunch (see photo of blue and white ceramic containers) to take along with you, which you can eat at any beach location you select along the way.
Each and every Friday, Zeavola takes it's kitchen to the local Baan Laem Tong School where they feed forty children from the Sea Gypsy families, which by the way, are lovely and honest people. They also make necessary repairs needed at the very old school building. The staff at Zeavola is happy to take part in this project and is very proud of the work they are doing .... as they should be.
Zeavola is a treat. Go without the expectations of a homogenized hotel experience and you will not be disappointed.
Beautiful rooms, poor customer service
by TripAdvisor Member traveltotanzania
The rooms at Zeavola are absolutely beautiful. We had a garden room and found everything about the room to be absolutely perfect. We especially loved the room's deck and outdoor shower. We didn't leave our room the entire time we were at the hotel except to visit the spa and pool. We didn't think the beach was that great as it is a bit crowded and the swimming area is sectioned off by rope.
The massages were wonderful although the salespeople were a bit pushy.
There was a problem with our booking as the Zeavola website allowed us to sign up for a package price when booking only 2 nights. When I contacted Zeavola to give them our location in Phuket so that they could arrange for the free transfer that our booking promised, they told me that my booking did not include that (or the other 5 things that were promised) and that they would not be able to provide the transfer. If they had contacted me immediately when they noticed the mistake, we would have been more understanding. Instead, I had to contact them as it was getting close to our departure date as I still had not heard from them about pickup. I then had to arrange my own transfer to Ko Phi Phi last minute. Zeavola then tried to blame me for the mistake because the package information is posted on a different page of their website. I simply went to the reservations page to make a booking and did not know that their system had made a mistake. I felt that Zeavola should have acted in our favor given that their website made the mistake. Furthermore, because the rate the website gave us was lower than the standard rate, the hotel staff said they may charge us an additional $100/night when we checked in. The Manager did not inform that they would honor the lower rate until the second day, making our first day a bit stressful.
Good but too pricey
by TripAdvisor Member Danzo
We ended up staying at Zeavola for 4 days more by luck than judgment. Basically myself and my girlfriend were forced to flex the credit card when Phi Phi was seemingly full to the rafters, we opted for Zeavola in search of some luxury to close out our holiday (we spent the previous and first 3 nights of our holiday in Koh Lanta).
Ultimately we were glad we ended up there. It is by far the best location on the island. Phi Phi town itself is unrecognizable from my last visit in 2002 - basically every piece of available land has been or is being built on. Zeavola is in a comparatively quiet location with a great beach and a little bit of local character courtesy of the sea gypsy village (half way down the beach).
Zeavola is good although expensive. We ended up paying around £220 per night which wasn't too bad in the context of some quotes and the fact that we didn’t book our 4 night stay until the day we checked in. We ended up in a Garden Suite. The rooms are unique and good (minus the occasional mosquito). I didn’t really get my head around the outdoor shower thing, we would have much preferred a bath. I couldn’t really see the difference between a Garden Suite and a Village Suite, so I’d plumb for the latter.
I can sympathize with some previous reviewer’s comments regarding service. We were particularly disappointed by the lack of a transfer even from the main pier. Despite this the Thai charm typically prevailed. My girlfriend was well looked after by the Nurse when injuring her leg and in general they would always endeavor to get things right eventually.
Overall we found it the kind of place that the longer you stayed the more you liked it. For those more accustomed to luxury travel in the Maldives (or equivalent) be wary, you could easily be disappointed by Zeavola. However for me, traveling in Thailand affords much more than the confines of your resort. Zeavola is certainly not a Reethi Rah, although neither does it cost you what a Reethi Rah would, that said for Thailand its expensive!
If you do end up there we would certainly recommend:
- eating in the Jasmine restaurant on the beach (run by the Gypsy villagers). The food is excellent and a fraction of the price you will pay in Zeavola’s restaurants – you also get to experience a snapshot of a local Thai community
- take a long tail boat soon after sunrise down to Phi Phi Ley (take a snorkel)
- take a kayak / do some snorkeling around the top of the Island
- walk down to Phi Phi Island Village (a beach down), we did and we were glad we ended up at Zeavola – also take on the new viewpoint (it’s a climb but a great and peaceful view)
- do the town and the viewpoint when you are leaving Phi Phi – sadly there is very little to see these days
Heavenly place but if mosquitos like you, you'll feel like hell
by TripAdvisor Member designagent
Much of what you'll find in Zeavola is simply pleasure. The food is great. The spa is one of the most beautiful I've ever been to. The staff was friendly and attentive, although many did not have great English skills. I highly recommend the dive shop, and hiring a long tail to take you beach hopping/snorkeling throughout the day. The Zeavola beach is clean but not one you'd want to spend a whole day on. Its small, not that private and gets very busy with boats. The good thing is that with a long tail you can easily get to wild and remote beaches within minutes. Come nightime, the Zeavola beach turns top notch. There's no longer any boat traffic, and its the perfect place to lounge and sip cocktails while looking out at the sea.
Nightime brought its own stress though, not at the beach with its breezes, but back in our garden suite room. I was so bitten up by the mosquitos that it was hard to get a good night's sleep. No amount of DEET could deter them. It was a drag. Somehow, even if you are quite vigilant about keeping the bedroom door closed (the other parts of the suites are on outdoor decks), you will still get a lot of bites. The good news is that if mosquitos are not particularly attracted to you, you will likely have a great time. My husband managed to remain nearly bite free. As beautiful, uniquely designed, cool, and full of character as this place is, I was very happy to leave.
Tranquil Paradise
by TripAdvisor Member domtrav
I stayed here for 3 nights in July with my husband and two small children and it was the highlight of our two weeks in Thailand. We organised transfers directly with the resort who picked us up from our hotel in Phuket and delivered us by speedboat directly to the beach outside of Zeavola IE No need for longtail boat transfers from the port area. We thought the service was worth every bit of the 2500 Baht per adult we were charged each way.
The resort is luxury with a rustic twist. Swept sand paths wind between a series of pavillions which house the bar, restaurant, gift shop and reception areas, as well as the accomodation villas, all opening up onto the beach. The staff are lovely and very friendly.
We booked a Garden Villa for the duration of the stay which I think are the pick of the bunch as they are more private than the Beach Villas. The villas are pavillions with only the bedroom enclosed by glass (curtained). The living area is open, though curtains can be lowered, and a bathroom with shower sits to the far end. This was one element of the layout I didn't like, as if you needed to use the bathroom during the night you had to remove the padlock from the bedroom door and walk outside to the bathroom. I was also very surprised that there were 2 showers (one open air - lovely) but no bath. In summary while the pavillion style is a lovely concept, they lack privacy and a bit of practicality.
In general the resort is lovely and VERY laid back. Breakfast was great and sitting on the beach loungers listening to funky chill-out music while sipping cocktails was like enjoying heaven on earth. The only truly dissapointing facility was the pool. It was small, isolated and a dubious colour.
As discussed in other reviews Mozzies were a problem, but we were fine n the bedroom at night. Just remember the mozzie spray.
Tripadvisor reviews also led us to Jasmine Restaurant in the Sea Gypsy villiage further up the beach. Fabulous food! Cheap! Friendly! Perfect! We ate there each night.
We also hired a longtail boat one day which took us around the island for swimming, snorkelling and a brief visit to Ton Sai where you'll find markets, restaurants etc The day was by far the best day of our entire holiday. The scenery is totally stunning!
All in all Phi Phi was a beautiful destination for a short stay and Zeavola perfect for a secluded, peaceful honeymoon or romantic getaway.
It is definitely the best resort on the island and I wouldn't hesitate staying there again!
Beautiful and Relaxing
by TripAdvisor Member honeymooners2007_08
We honeymooned in Thailand and Cambodia and this was hands down our favorite hotel. In fact, of all our travels, this rates right at the top as far as hotels go. It was absolutely beautiful, the setting was peaceful, the food was good and the staff was friendly and kind.
Would recommend going there by seaplane on Destination Air - it's only 30 min. from the Phuket airport and costs around 3000 baht, and it pulls up right in front of the hotel.
Some highlights:
-Getting an epic massage at their beautiful hillside spa
-The bathroom - it looked like a museum piece and you can open all kinds of panels so that it feels like you're showering in the middle of a private tropical garden
-The food - you can eat in comfortable lounge chairs right on the beach by candlelight, and it's excellent
-Snorkeling and swimming on their white sand beach
-Renting a speedboat through the hotel for a day trip
-The hotel really tries to be environmentally sensitive and socially responsible; we had a great time serving lunch (which it sponsors) to kids at the local school
As for the review about the mosquitoes - yes, they're all over the place, but they do provide free bug spray and there are nets over the beds, so if you're careful it's not too bad. They also seem to be proactive about the problem and fumigated the place while we were there.
If you're on a budget, this is a great place to indulge yourself and stay for a night or two. If you're not, it's a great place to stay for as long as you can. We are hotel snobs and we loved it.
Photos
A "gift" to the princess
Phra Nang Cave at Railay beach, Krabi, Thailand.
Ao-nang dive shop in Krai Seaview Resort
PHANG-NGA BAY, KRABI
Forum Posts
Krabi-Hat Yai-Malaysia
by attanaru
Hi...
I'm planning to go to Krabi on middle aug from Bangkok. From Krabi, I'm planning to go to Malaysia through Hat Yai.
1. From Krabi to Hat Yai, what kind of transportation should I take? how far krabi to hat yai? HOw about the price?
2. From Hat Yai to Malaysia, can I take night train? how long will it take? how about price? Train will stop at Butterworth or Kuala Lumpur Sentral or Johor Bahru?
Thanks a lot !
-atta_
Re: Krabi-Hat Yai-Malaysia
by jesa00
Hi Atta
I dunno if I"ll be able to really help you, but I've gone to Hat Yai a couple of times from Kuala Lumpur and back and I usually take the bus. The bus leaves Hat Yai around 3 pm or so and it reaches Kuala Lumpur around 11pm. It's a bit late I know or you could try taking the night bus, I think they have one, where you will reach KL during daylight. The busses are comfortable (take the luxury ones, you only pay about RM20 more or so). I'm not quite sure about trains, tho I'm not sure if there's one from Hat Yai.
Krabi... I'm heading there end of Aug.. and I've read on one website that it's just recently rained and there has been floods... I"m wondering if it will be worth the trip.. You heard anything you can share? It'll be my first trip and I still can't decide on where to stay..
Re: Krabi-Hat Yai-Malaysia
by attanaru
Hi Jes,
Well, finally I bought e-ticket train from Hatyai to KL (stop over in Butterworth), it's a bit expensive than bus, but i just wanna to try it out first...:)p
I'll be in Krabi on Aug.13-16, still not booked any hotel yet.
Do you have any recommended & cheaper one? since we're backpacker.
Thanks for your info about flood, maybe i should check it.
-atta-
Sign in with Facebook
