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Villa rental in Phuket, Thailand |
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The Retreat, Naka Yai Island, Phuket, Thailand (Ref:
24117)
Self catering villa in Phuket, Thailand |
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Review submitted by Christina
from Maidenhead
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(Submitted:
16/11/2009) |
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"Very beautiful house in lovely quiet setting. The house staff looked after us very well during the stay and cooked delicious meals.
Of the three beaches on the east side of the island, the middle one is absolutely stunning.
It would be great for future guests to have access to a canoe or small rubber boat to get to this beach (we rented one).
The owner is fair and very pleasant to deal with!"
Owner reply:
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A boat is now available.
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Review submitted by Marie
from New Hampshire
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(Submitted:
19/08/2009) |
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"We had a 9 night stay in August 2009, overall we were very satisfied with the property. The pool was nice and well taken care of (a little work is needed around the edges of the pool). The jacuzzi is now a frog pond and the sauna is not operational but that did not bother us as it was too hot to use either.
The staff were great but did not speak english but we managed to get by. The meals were good but and we did expect Thai food during our stay - however a pre-selec ted menu would have been great as we had a couple of people who did not like really spicy food and seafood. They cooked 3 different main courses so we got by but it was touch and go for a couple of meals. The mattresses need replacing in some of the rooms, they were like sleeping on concrete. The master bedroom was nice but it would be good if mosquito nets could somehow be added to avoid having to close up the front of the room and spray. That also applies to the annex rooms.
The internet connection was not the greatest but we got by with a little patience. The usb cable were a little rusted but still worked. You have to bring your own lap top though as there is no computer in the house but we knew that and were prepared. Air conditioning is only in the 2nd and 3rd bedrooms but there was enough of a sea breeze to cool the living areas and master bedroom.
It was easy to arrange day trips and the boats, drivers were all on time. When the tide was out the long boats were unable to dro p us off at the villa but dro pped us at the next beach over, we were most impressed when the 3 staff walked around the rocks (carrying our wave walker shoes) to meet us and help us carry our purchases back over the rocks to the villa.
Overall, it was a good stay and I would stay there again but I would hesitate to say the stay was a "luxury" stay. The furniture is tired and frayed and some exterior painting is needed. The bathrooms were fine. Some boards games on site would have been good. Good value for money, great location and fantastic views, very friendly and helpful staff but not a 5 star standard."
Owner reply:
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Due to the logistics of transporting provisions to our location we are unable to offer a choice of dishes from a menu but we do try to accommodate a range of tastes by providing a variety of main course dishes (at least 3). We will endeavour to meet individual tastes (such as vegetarian) if these are notified to us at the time of booking. Most rental villas are, of course, "self catering" and unstaffed. We try to enhance the pleasure of your stay by providing the services of staff and meals at no additional cost.
The matresses are "Sealy Posturepedic" (see internet reviews) which are of high quality and designed for healthy rest but may be found to be too firm if one is used to sleeping on a "soft" matress offering less support. Again, this is a matter of personal preference.
We have made bookings during the month of September unavailable to enable us to carry out some necessary re-decoration, renovation and replacement of worn items.
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Review not verified by RentalSystems*
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(Submitted:
22/05/2009) |
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| "A superb holiday. Very relaxing location. Well looked after by staff. Being an island location power is from generator which means power-points, water-pumps etc. are off when generator is switched off but staff always put it on immediately when asked. A small inconvenience overshadowed by far by the excellence of everything else."
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Review submitted by Susan
from ROCHDALE
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(Submitted:
16/05/2009) |
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| "The bad points.
When we arrived it was on a rocky shoreline, though that did not really matter as a lovely beach was closeby. It looked as though the villa had been shut up for quite a while and had just been opened as it was quite dusty upstairs and the waterfall at the entrace was not working. The jaccusi was now a frog pond. Downstairs was very nicely looked after and was cleaned daily, as were the beds. In the main en-suite the sinks did not work at all. The deckchairs around the pool needed to be replaced as one was quite badly ripped and the pool was clean but looked as though it needed some repair around the edges as it looked as though there was rust coming through at the top.
The good points
The staff - They were on time to meet us and the arrival at the villa was very smooth. They were really good and the food was so good. There was adquate beers and fruit juices in the bar at a reasonable price. They changed the beds and towels everyday and were always on hand if you needed anything, and they did everything with a smile."
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Review submitted by Maureen & Brian
from Whitstable, Kent. UK
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(Submitted:
14/03/2009) |
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| "We were a party of five adults at The Retreat for 29 nights. A truly tranquil location. The five staff were excellent attending to our every need and the food the girls prepared surpassed all expectations. We were so sad when leaving and would certainly return again. A small rowing boat would have been handy to get to other beaches when the tide was in and a set of snooker balls for the men in our party would have been appreciated."
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Review submitted by Sue
from Loxwood, West Sussex
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(Submitted:
22/02/2009) |
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"We arrived on Monday 24 November 2008 in time for lunch. Si had cooked the lunch but had not been informed of my fish allergy. This had been communicated with Pantera Enterprise at the time of the booking. Si spoke very little English and it took quite a while for her to understand. We decided to text a message to Pantera asking them to inform Si of my dietary requirement. In the evening of the first day we went to switch on various lights and use various electric sockets but nothing worked - again we tried to speak with Si but she couldnt help. We again sent a text message to Pantera explaining our disappointment of the standard of the villa. The next day an electrician was sent onto the island to sort things out but all through the week there were still some sockets and lights that did not work. Also there was nobody there to assist us with any arrangements to go and visit other places near the island. The villa is in a lovely location and we were all looking forward to staying on this remote island but unfortunately we were really disappointed with our stay. You really need someone there in charge of the villa who is interested in what they are doing and makes sure that everything is in full working order at all times."
Owner reply:
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The problems expressed by the renter were all remedied very quickly. The electricity generator is switched off during the day unless requested by guests. When it is switched on in the evening the circuits are first disabled to avoid surge and switched on one at a time as required. The electrician who was sent immediately found no faults.
This is essentially a rental villa although we go much further than most in terms of guest services. Our manageress who speaks perfect English has recieved much praise for her care of guests but, like everyone else she is also entitled to some time off and her own holidays. As back up in her absence travel information and booking of sea or land transport can be sought from the minibus driver whom we use and or his wife who both speak English.
It seems that some guests are intent upon a "fault-finding" mission. It is difficult to believe that they found nothing commendable about their stay and allowed an attitude of mind to such minor temporary hiccups to spoil the enjoyment of their holiday.
Please read the other reviews for a balanced picture.
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Review submitted by brett
from Qatar
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(Submitted:
30/07/2008) |
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"The location and the villa was great, staff more than helpful and food fantastic.
Lack of a/c in main bedroom and lounge/dining area was a serious disadvantage - breeze just not enough in July. A/c would have meant more comfortable evenings and nights, and the ability to be mosquito free.
Visitors need a little more info re insects and wildlife ( including snakes)
When the generator is switched off during the day it is an inconvenience lights, hot water and water pressure are all a necessity day and night. The staff willingly switched the generator on when asked, but it was a nusiance - as was the fact that we often had to ask for lights in particular rooms and a/c to be swithched on -why were they switched off? Again staff willingly switched them on, but it was an inconvenience.
There was no computer or working Internet access as stated.
More info needed re cost of drinks, boat trips, beaches and taxis before arrival.
If these things were sorted out it would make a great holiday become an amazing one."
Owner reply:
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Snakes are part of the natural environment in Thailand. On a visit you are not guaranteed to encounter them and you are not guaranteed not to encounter them. They are present in all rural areas and, sometimes but less frequently, in urban areas. They are more afraid of humans than we are of them and provided you give them a wide berth and the opportunity to "run" away they will do so. They cannot hear but react to vibrations so keep away and stamp your feet as you go!!!
If you are lucky you may also encounter some magnificent lizards including a Thai type iguana, pangolins and dugons plus dolphins, large rays and flying-fish offshore. Its the wildlife of Thailand.
Most guests prefer the generator to be off in the daytime some prefer it to be on. The only reasonable instruction which we give to the staff is to act upon the guests requests.
I cannot understand the remark about computer access. There is a USB connection but guests are advised to bring their own laptop if they want to use this facility. The format of some villa rental websites unfortunately does not differentiate between computer access and computer availability.
We will respond to the request for more information and try to add this to the on-line pre-arrival instructions.
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Review submitted by Ciaran
from Sydney
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(Submitted:
27/06/2008) |
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| "My wife and I just returned from the Retreat. We spent a week there and had a very relaxing time.
The house is beautiful, the views are spectacular and the food was the highlight.
The only things I would change are the mozzies and the fact that the power was from a generator. Overall minor blips on a wonderful holiday.
Ciaran & Jodi - June 2008
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Review submitted by Andrew
from Ashford, Kent, UK
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(Submitted:
09/06/2008) |
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| "The Retreat is exaactly what it is, Myself and my new wife thought we were part of the TV show castaways, well except you will be living in luxury!
I would recomend this villa to anyone wishing to get away from it all, but retaining the oppertunity to go out and have some fun.
The masterbedroom is ubelievable and the view is spectacular especially when the sun come up in the morning
The staff were fantastic especially Del (i think thats how you spell it) and looked after our every wim including purchasing a hairdryer for my wife to use and stocking the fridge with jack daniels for me. The food is fantastic and a mixture of western and thai, sea food lovers out there will love it. Highly recomend the thai massage it was worth every penny and made me feel like a million bucks, impressed a lot of my friends telling them we had a masseuse onsite for a few days
The only problems with this property was that after two weeks of being pampered and spoilt i really did not want to come home and go back to work and especially miss having such wonderfull food prepared for me 3 times a day, Lastly and i cant believe i nearly forgot this the Bananna pancakes for breakfast are awsome and coming from someone who does not eat breakfast i made sure i was up early for this speacial treat every day!!!
No More to say - Just go and visit for yourself - you will not be dissapointed
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Review submitted by Sean
from San Diego
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(Submitted:
10/05/2008) |
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| "My girlfriend and I were privileged to stay at this villa during our two month trip around Southeast Asia. I knew that sometime during our trip, I was going to propose to her, but I wanted to find the perfect place. When I first saw the pictures of the villa on the internet, I knew immediately it would be the ideal place to ask her to marry me. My expectations were far exceeded! The pictures only give you a glimpse of its immaculate beauty! From the gorgeous dark wood to the jet-spa bathtub, every detail of this villa is pure perfection. The infinity pool is feet from the ocean tide. The master bedroom has a perfect view of the entire beach. You will sleep better than you ever have in your life with the sound of small waves and a constant ocean breeze. If you are lucky enough to wake up early (which believe me is difficult considering the luxurious emperor’s bed) you will see the most beautiful sunrise over the water without even having to lift your head off your pillow. The villa has all the right amenities to make a romantic stay as a couple or a memorable and fun stay with family and friends. Everything is provided for you, from the robes and slippers to the pool rafts. The staff and cook are of the best possible quality. They were so helpful, but made sure to let us have our own time together. The food is incredible. It was by far the best meals we had in Thailand. They came out in the same fashion as a five star restaurant with three courses followed by endless exotic fruit for dessert. We initially had plans to do some day trips (which the owner will gladly arrange), but we ended up getting so wrapped up in the luxury of this villa, we spent all of our days on the island. The owner was extremely accommodating and worked out an incredible deal for us. After we left, we realized we would have paid triple the price to stay there because it was that incredible! It was the ideal place to propose to my now fiancé and we had such a great time that we are contemplating having our honeymoon there. There is not a resort in the world that could match this kind of luxury. Thank you for the experience and memories."
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Review not verified by RentalSystems*
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(Submitted:
22/04/2008) |
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| "Jaew and Si looked after us so well during our 2 weeks at Koh Naka its made the reality of coming back to work even worse! You really feel like you are on your own tropical island. The house is beautiful, spacious and you almost feel like you are living in the trees, with the most spectacular views. Even though we had looked at the photos on the website, the real thing is incredible. Jaew will organise all sorts of trips for you, by longtail boat, the kayaking was brilliant for us all, even the young children enjoyed it. I did yoga most mornings by the pool, before a quick swim and then Si's excellent banana pancakes and fresh fruit for breakfast. Explore this place now - before any other developers catch on. Alastair"
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Review submitted by Hans
from Hong Kong
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(Submitted:
19/02/2008) |
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"Positive:
The food was superbe
The location
The staff was very helpful in arranging day-trips
Negative:
Very noisy generator which had to be on if we wanted to flush the toilet, take showers, and run the aircon (this was necessary in the two back bedrooms). This noise was very disturbing.
The 'furniture' around the pool needs serious upgrading.
The hot water situation was problematic. You had to let the generator be on for a while before there was any. During the day that meant that either you had to listen to the generator or not take showers."
Owner reply:
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This review seems to fly in the face of all other reviews received. The generator is remote from the house and, at night, when it is used for lighting and air-coditioning, noise should not be a problem. It is however, close to the swimming pool and, if on during the day, could be disturbing in that location. However we have never had any other guests who wanted it on during the daytime. We are located on a tropical island 8 degrees north of the equator and with outdoor temperatures of 85-90 degrees we have never had other guests who required "hot" showers during the day. Most have wanted to cool off!! I guess you cannot please all of the people all of the time or anticipate individual idiosyncracies. The renter made no complaint to the owner during his stay.
The pool loungers are due for replacement and will be replaced.
The island is due to be connected to mains electricity soon.
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Review submitted by reg
from leicester
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(Submitted:
18/02/2008) |
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| "Fantastic resort - go whilst you can. Building and development on the way.
Everything and more that we could have hoped for.
Felt a true break from the hurlyburly of life.
Ideal if you want to switch off and relax rather than be actively involved in the main island of Phuket.
Staff could not have done more for us and the cooking was fantastic. Staff always present but completely unobtrusive. Special mention to Sai and Jiaow (apologies for misspelling).
Only questions I would ask is how much money to take as it is a hassle getting to mainland to get monies etc - for drinks, trips, massages etc.
Also you need to be realistic we had frogs and bats in the bedroom which added to it. Although was surprised that mossie nets were not present and would advise others to take their own.
We had two young children with us who loved it. Some of the best beaches are very very close. Wouldn't hesitate to go back or reccomend it.
Reg"
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Review submitted by Pamela
from Chao Long Village
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(Submitted:
30/06/2007) |
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| "We had a perfect weekend staying at this beautiful house. Every little detail was perfect and the photos did not quite do it justice. The lovely main bedroom with a view over the ocean was fantastic as was the bathroom. The food was absolutely sensational and we had perfect romantic dinners on the balcony by candlelight. The staff were very helpful and discreet. Can't wait to go back again."
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Review not verified by RentalSystems*
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(Submitted:
31/08/2006) |
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"The Greater Phuket Magazine, Volume 17.1:
This private villa sits in splendid isolation on its own little island making it a particularly romantic escape for those who seek absolute privacy. Anyone's holiday dream home. Incredible landscapes and delightful Thai food you couldn't recreate if you tried. A haven in which visitors can come to create their own dreams."
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Review not verified by RentalSystems*
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(Submitted:
31/08/2006) |
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""The perfect place to escape from life's pressures"
Elegance in Living 2005"
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Review not verified by RentalSystems*
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(Submitted:
31/08/2006) |
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"Review by M.D. of Marylise Bridal Gowns, Antwerp, Belgium:
Inspiration and creativity are very important items for people working in the fashion industry. Koh Naka Hideaway has been for sure a place on this world that inspired us fully.
We love the place.
This is an incredible beautiful and unspoiled spot, a paradise far away from tourist traps and the hassle and bustle of commercial holiday places.
The island has been a place that inspred us in our creativity, where we felt great and in perfect peace with ourselves. A romantic place and for sure a dream location.
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Review not verified by RentalSystems*
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(Submitted:
31/08/2006) |
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"Greater Phuket Magazine Vol. 15 No.4:
"A luxurious villa. Exclusive comforts and privacy."
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Review not verified by RentalSystems*
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(Submitted:
31/08/2006) |
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"Review by Tropical Homes Magazine - Jul-Sept 2004 issue:
Simply wonderful. Wide-open, airy rooms take full advantage of the inspiring views. An innovative blend of natural and elegant materials, meanwhile, as well as quirky design features that include a bathroom sink made from a wooden field plough and the prow of a longtail boat transformed into a wine rack are just a few of the special touches. A
paradise found."
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* Reviews with 'review not verified by RentalSystems' are testimonials that have been added by either the property manager or members of the public for bookings that have NOT been made via the RentalSystems booking engine.
Reviews with star ratings are customer reviews are reviews that
are from customers that have booked using the RentalSystems
booking system and are therefore verified that they are from
genuine customers who have stayed at the property. Only these
reviews have star ratings and contibute to the RentalSystems
Index.
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