Mandalai Hotel

A new boutique hotel in northern Koh Phangan, offering 12 stylish rooms, a quiet beach, fab food and luxurious boat trips

At last! A stylish little beach hotel - just 12 rooms; that's minuscule for Asia - in a sleepy bay ringed by wooded hills on one of Thailand's loveliest islands. Yes, parts of Koh Phangan have been battered into submission by generations of Full Moon parties, and Samui is fast being Floridised, but here around Chaloklum you can still find unspoilt beaches with friendly fishing families and bobbing boats (one of them, a converted 55-footer perfect for sunset cruises and overnight dive trips, belongs to Mandalai). We've been looking for a place like this for years, and it promises to be well worth the wait.

But that doesn't mean you should hang around. Right now, the village is laid-back and lovely - there are a few Thai restaurants and a couple of funky bars, but it's still pretty quiet. Right now, you can book a room at Mandalai without having to reserve it months in advance. Right now you can lie on the empty beach and savour the space; you can swim alone in the pool or find a private bay for snorkelling. Right now, there are no crowds or wild parties up here. Catch it while you can.

Highs

• 12 beautifully designed rooms and suites: antique Thai furniture meets contemporary styling
• Going snorkelling, fishing and cruising in the hotel's refurbed fishing boat
• Full range of spa and massage treatments
• Beachside restaurant serving Thai and European dishes
• Easy access to the island's best beaches and nearby diving sites, including Bottle Bay

Lows

• Recent feedback suggest it needs a refurb - jacuzzis not working, rooms looking tatty - and service isn't what it should be ... but the owners are on the case
• It's hard to get to: you'll need to fly into Samui (and maybe stop over there), then boat to Phangan and drive (bumpy roads!) or longtail it to Mandalai; or you can grab a speedboat direct from Samui, but it's pricey
• There are no twin bedded rooms
• The pool is very enclosed - but you've got the open beach just outside