I love to stay here on this wild side of the island. So nourishing wild nature around! There is no WiFi in the bungalows but you will find better connection! Best way to connect with yourself! Delicious Thai food and freshly catched fish. One of the best beach and waterfall nearby. Super quiet and simple.

THE most amazing place I’ve ever stayed! If you’re looking for 5* luxury this isn’t for you, but if you’re looking for the most magical, unique, once in a lifetime place to stay then book this place! The walk to the bungalows across a stone walkway next to the sea crashing against the boulders, will be one of the things I think of on my death bed!!! Truly one of the most memorable places I’ve ever stayed ❤️ Delicious, fresh food in the restaurant with the most beautiful view. Very friendly, helpful staff. Lovely group of mostly female dogs live on the beach, if you give them attention beware they will follow you back along the sea walkway to your room! The beds are on the hard side, & the shower pressure wasn’t enough to wash my long hair-but who cares when you’re staying in paradise! 💕 (just to make you aware, we had to take a few things out of the suitcases for the 2 days we were there & leave the rest in the car, as the walk to the rooms, over the sea walk and numerous steps, is not suitable for suitcases)

The location is great if you want to be somewhere remote. We upgraded to one of the a/c bungalows because the forecast was for storms, and we knew we'd be in a bit more. It was lovely, really homely and comfortable. Ours was at the end of a 5 minute walk along rocks and paths. I really enjoyed the walk, but less agile people may struggle. The restaurant had a nice laid back feel and the staff are relaxed and friendly. I enjoyed seeing all the work and the improvements they were making around the place and would like to go back one day to see how it looks. Food was very good and reasonably priced. It is quite a distance from anywhere but scooters can be rented from them and the roads around there are generally nice and quiet.

Nothing that I didn't like, the only thing that would improve it would be a drying rack in the bungalow for wet swimwear and towels.

Great location, one of the few places on the island where there are few people and a lot of nature. A beautiful uncrowded beach. A place for leisurely swimming, meditation overlooking the sea and reading. On the veranda there is a hammock and a table, at the bar you can get ice for drinks and a large cold coconut. A place for those who prefer beauty and silence to comfort. At six in the morning there is a beautiful view of the sunrise.

The family bungalow does not have a refrigerator or kettle. This is honestly written, but when you travel with your family, you want to be able to drink cold water or make yourself a morning coffee. Many things in the house require repair and maintenance. Numerous dogs and cats are very friendly, but at the first opportunity they sneak into the house and look for something to eat :)

The hotel had a lovely charm and the beach was really nice. It was a bit of an oasis to stay after living in the city. There are a lot of people coming to the beach during the day.

We had booked a family room. The room right above the restaurant. Remember to ask for the room facing the sea which has a larger terrace. We only had a narrow terrace with a large palm tree right in front of the view. We got a blanket and didn't really feel that it was clean. When you took a shower the water wouldn't drain and we got wet feet when we went to the toilet. A bit uncomfortable since it came from the sewer. They didn't do much to tidy our room, but it was "cleaned" once out of our 3 days stay.

Woah this place was amazing. We loved that the bungalows are all tucked into the rocks and the pathway to our little house felt like an adventure. The food in the restaurant was excellent and well priced and the service was great. We loved the beach and the way it felt empty even though there were other people around. Our daughter loved splashing in the water and playing in the sand. The bungalow was super cute and we loved listening to the waves at night and sitting on our private balcony.

The bed and pillows were pretty uncomfortable.

The bungalow has a breathtaking view - the ocean is directly in front of the balcony and you wake up and go to sleep hearing the waves . There is a beach directly at the accommodation

The location was a bit remote - for some it might be advantageous but as we like to have it peaceful- taking the motorcycle and driving at least 15min(7-11) or half an hour to other parts of the island is necessary. You have hotel’s restaurant and beach but if you want anything else you have to drive to get there .

I was looking for peace and quiet. I wanted an old-style bungalow with hammock where I intended staying for two weeks, and that's exactly what I got. It couldn't have been more perfect. Since I visited out of season, most of the people I saw were day trippers although I understand it is livelier during peak. I have so many pictures of the empty beach. Fabulous! I had a bungalow on the rocks and getting to it was exciting in itself. Although much of the way is paved, you would have no chance if you had limited mobility, so if that's you, pick one of the newer ones on the beach. The bungalows are set in a national park so you are on the beach but also right in the jungle with all its regular inhabitants and night-time noises. I'd never seen lightning bugs before or a monitor lizard! My bungalow was all wood, with a raised bed, a new looking mozzie net, two fans, a pedestal loo and instead of a pipe sticking out of the wall, an actual shower unit! I mean, the water wasn't hot, but neither was it too cold to wash your hair properly. The balcony overlooked the sea and a corner of the beach and had a bench seat, a table and chairs, a hammock and a washing line with pegs. The service and the food were great, Pen is an excellent host, invisible unless I needed her when the service was fast and efficient. I particularly liked the hot water urn. There's an honesty system in place so I could get my morning coffee without having to ask someone or wait for it to be made, and it was exactly the way I like it every time.

Some of the portion sizes were massive, so big I hesitated to order them. This seemed to apply to the Western style meals so just be aware. I loved everything though. Don't go if you don't want a lizard on your wall. Don't go if you think that tap water should be chlorinated and crystal clear. Don't go if bits of jungle falling onto your bathroom floor through your slatted roof is going to upset you. Don't go if you want to party. If, however, you want to stay somewhere real, pretend to be Robinson Crusoe and spend your time eating, sleeping, walking and hanging about, get up with the sun and go to bed early you will love it. It was like Thailand twenty-five years ago. Take anything you might need with you, torch, mozzie repellent, sun cream, midnight snacks, there is no shop.

I had the pleasure of staying 4 nights in a beachfront bungalow at Mai Pen Rai, and it was an unforgettable experience. This is not a place for those seeking luxury or modern comforts, as some reviews have pointed out, but that’s precisely the charm of it. The idea of my trip was to get away from civilization, and this place absolutely nailed it. Waking up on the beach, with the waves just steps away, is an experience that words hardly do justice to. The view and atmosphere are simply magical—a true escape from the hustle of daily life. The staff here are incredibly friendly and flexible, always ready to help with a smile. The food is excellent, offering a variety of flavorful dishes that add to the overall charm of the place.

Admittedly, the shower flow was minimal at times (I had to postpone my shower twice during the stay).

Beautiful place with all different kinds of bungalows. We stayed in 3 different ones - the one directly on the beach was probably the least comfortable and old as it’s made out of stone and a bit rusty cause of salt water. The other ones were super comfy with crazy views over the ocean and nice balcony. If you want a completely enclosed room where no insects can come in , you gotta pay a bit more for an A/C room. We also stayed in No. 43 and it was probably one of the most beautiful rooms I stayed in in all Thailand. Everything was always clean. Restaurant is also very good with good food , especially at night a comfy atmosphere - staff was always friendly. Don’t go if you have problems with mobility as you might have to walk up and down a lot of sometimes slippery stairs depending on where your bungalow is.

Could have some more comfortable blankets.