Gold star for Layana

This place knocks the socks off any competition. It is by far our favourite resort of all time. It is expensive but worth every penny. We stayed for 7 nights on the spa ultimate package and booked through their website. Our stay was wonderful from start to finish. Layana is a resort but very much boutique one. At 50 rooms, it is a small resort, with personable, friendly and attentive staff.

The chalets rooms are positioned in well maintained and landscaped gardens. They are spaced apart so you get the privacy. The rooms are extremely comfortable with great bathrooms. There is a sunken ground level bath tub as well as super strength power shower. The balcony was spacious with two comfortable loungers and table. As you would expect, all the extras are provided; toiletries, bath towels, complimentary water, and some scrummy marsh mellows every day!

The spa is superb. It is on par with the cream of the Spa’s in London, except the treatments are half the price. With our spa package, we had 4 hours of treatments each, but they were so good that we purchased more. Our favourites were the Reflexology and Hot Stone Massages. Go for the floral bath prior to the Hot Stone. I would not recommend the manicure as unfortunately the colour does not stay on the nails. However, I think this is due to the hot climate, rather than any fault of the manicurist. I did mention it to the spa and not only did they refund the cost, but offered a complimentary treatment to compensate.

The restaurant is highly recommended for breakfast, lunch and dinner. There is plenty of choice for breakfast so you don’t get bored. The lunch is a light snack menu such a spring rolls, chicken stay etc, but also great sandwiches and pasta dishes on offer. For dinner there were two strands; a traditional Thai menu and a Western fusion one. Both menu’s offered great variety and were cooked to perfection. You could mix and match. We would highly recommend the tasting menu (think it is only offered on certain days). The service at the restaurant was impeccable. If like us, you enjoy great food and wine, you shouldn’t stay anywhere else in Koh Lanta. The food was relatively inexpensive, but as you would expect the wine was understandably pricey as it is imported. For a house bottle, you can expect to pay around £18-£20. My only small complaint is that the beers should have been cheaper. They were double the price of the bars nearby.

There are plenty of other restaurants and bars nearby. You can walk straight up the beach for 10 minutes and you’ll find plenty of choice. Our favourite bar was the Irish Embassy (this one is up and then off the beach) and there is a great little café called Fusion next door. The Thai and Western food here is delicious and fresh.

The beach stretches for miles, the sea is warm, and you can get great waves for some body surfing. The sand is soft with plenty of interesting shells. The rains bring in the shells and it rained almost everyday on our visit. This didn’t bother us as we went to spa when it rained.

There is a library where you can rent books or DVDs, and internet connections. All of these are complementary.

In terms of Layana organised activities, we would recommend below:-
1. Diving – there is a dive shop within the resort. I checked prices against competitors and only £5 or £10 more for a day of two dives. I went for the easy option, especially as the dive instructors here are experienced and friendly.
2. Mountain biking – takes you on a tour on the other Koh Lanta island (there are two). The other one doesn’t have any tourists and is well worth a visit
3. Thai cooking

Layana really does go the extra mile to ensure all your needs are met. We were staying here when Bangkok airport closed unexpectedly due to government protesters. Michael and his team helped us organise an alternative trip home via Malaysia and Singapore. We were very grateful as without them it would have been a struggle and rather stressful.

Layana is everything all the reviews say it is and more.

Due to the airport closure in Bangkok, we had to take an overnight bus to Krabi. Layana then came and found us at the bus station to provide our transfer to Ko Lanta. This was our firest experience of the excellent hospitality of the staff, from start to finish. The staff were always happy to help out with any querey and never did I feel like it was an annoyance or hassle.

The setting is wonderful, spacious rooms, the beautiful infinity pool, fabulous library of books and DVD's for borrowing during your stay and a wonderful stretch of beach.
The excursions and activities provided by Layana are also wonderfully thought-out to try to avoid other tourist boats and crowds.

The food provided in the restaurant caters to both Thai and western tastes and is wonderfully prepared. However, the staff will also recommend other places to dine on the island.

Layana was everything that I was looking for, for my honeymoon. Great location, fabulous food, staff, facilites and service.

Layana truly deserves its high rating and great reviews. My partner and I stayed there in mid November and really enjoyed it. We were looking for somewhere a little off the beaten path (as best you can get in Thailand), but still high quality and relaxing. Layana and Ko Lanta delivered on all accounts. I give it exceptionally high rating on its staff, service, and facilities. Ko Lanta is not a party island, so go elsewhere if thats what you are looking for. For us, the island was perfect. It has a very relaxed atmosphere with friendly locals. We stayed in the basic room and found it exceptional. The basic rooms are in a four-plex with private balconies. The spa at the Layana was great as well. More expensive than your standard massage on the beach, but the spa was a great experience, well worth the price. We got a discounted couple's swedish massage and I would recommend this. I would suggest branching out and exploring other parts of the island and restaurants along the beach. Seems to me the divey places always had the best food. Ko Lanta has a relaxed and less touristy feel than other Thai islands we have visited. Check it out before this changes. Layana also provides first class service at a less than first class price. I would also suggest doing the morning bike tours and the cave exploration. (However, be prepared for hiking, heat, crawling, climbing, spiders, and getting dirty for the cave. Its not what we expected, but it was a great adventure.)

This was just such an amazing place to stay. Very calm, and it only rained one or two days during our stay, and only for about 1-2 hours.

The owners are amazingly gracious and are always having wonderful events. The leisure staff, including the super fun Mr. Bee, give perfect service when on one of the trips, or just lounging by the pool.

I feel Layana was the perfect balance between having enough activities to keep my wife busy, and myself relaxed and just enjoying the sun/beach.

Also, the restaurant is really, really good. The cooking class is fun, and make sure to order the Layana special sometime.

The only downside to the place is the local town of Saladan is so-so. Most of the shops sell tourist junk and there just doesn't feel like much local culture is represented there. The Saturday Market is better.

To wrap it up, everyone was super nice, the drivers are terrifying, and the beaches/forests/nature are nirvana inducing.