I stayed at Leela beach for 10 days in june.....i must admit my friend and i when we first got there both said we would stay 1 night and move on somewhere else....after our first night there though we were completely hooked!!!!!The people there are so laid back and friendly, the other backpackers we met were awesome and we all just hung out the whole time we were there.......whenever you wanted to just go and chill out with someone....there was always someone in the restaurant to talk to....it was just awesome.....i love the staff and the local(charlie) and i cannot wait to return there next year!!!!!!!!!!If you are a laid back person and love having fun....this place is awesome.....and its so beautiful!!!!!!!!

I have to say, i read the review of the person who had a bad experience at Leela Beach, i also experienced the long travel to get there, waiting for a room and the dodgy room on the edge of the cliff. I do have to say though, once we explained that we had booked a beachfront bungalow (i took the email with me) they were quite happy to move us. We stayed for a week, it was a great location, away from all the noice. The rooms were really basic but it's so cheap, you really can't complain. We had loads of fun and will be staying there again this July. If you realise this is a 1 star place, you won't be disappointed. I loved this place!!!

I was in thailand 3 years ago for 6 month, and I stayed in Leela Bungalows twice for 2 weeks each.
Of course if you want a occidental room you should not go there. For 150 or 200 bath, you can't expect a palace.
But this place is so preety. It is not fare from the center and it is quiet. Of course you should not be afraid of all the animals, but do not forget that ther were there before and they are afraid too!!!!
I enjoyed this place and maybe you too......

This review is a mixed one because on one hand its a horror story and on the other its an immersion into backpacker lodging, dropping you in the deep end. You should survive if you have a good sense of humour.

Firstly having arrived with a big backpack off the ferry it was a bit of a trek to the bungalows about 10 minutes walk! The island is fairly undeveloped and off the beaten track would describe the walk to the bungalows well.

When we got there, the staff were disorganised and unfriendly and took a long time to get you a key and for someone to show you the accommodation. Other Bps looked fed up. The accommodation at Leela Beach ranged from simple but nice to seriously dodgy.

The room I got was cheap (very cheap) but at the same time set on a cliffside and was a shack. Not that I expected much for the cost but it was even by Thai standards not good value for money. Bits of wood tacked together with nails formed the box shape I was to stay in. Thatched palm leaves and bits of old wood made a roof and a seperate area with a hole in the ground a hose, a bucket and a toilet bowl made the en suite bathroom.

When I say I cliffside I literally mean cliffside. There were a series of dodgy wood steps up the steep banks to the box. When I got into the room I had to attatch the mozzie net using bits of string and a thin branch to keep the local resident critters away at night .Some of these include cockroaches, ants, snakes and spiders! Also the distinct whining buzz of mosquitos at night is an unpleasant one especially when all goes silent. Fortunately they do have mozzie nets.... unfortunately they are like swiss cheese.

On the plus side Leela Beach is beautiful and clear, fairly ideallic and safe to swim in too. Its not too far from Hat Rin where the Full Moon Party goes down.

There are no facilities here though, just a place to crash out. The food on the Menu is often unavailable and poorly translated including the elusive dish entitled 'no name' ???

I left some wet clothes to dry in my room out of view and they must have fallen on the floor. Attracted by the damp and humidity a big spider (bigger than my hand) came up through the floorboards (which are about an inch or 2 apart!) and just lay there its back half pulsating and its back legs arched. I went to get a bucket to try and catch it and there was another one on the bucket. Finally I managed to get rid of them both though a bit dubious about staying there.

On a seperate occasion I was in my room and I heard a sawing noise and the 2 thai guys working for the hotel in maintenance started taking the steps away which lead up to my bungalow, while I was still in the room!!!

I had to jump down about 7feet to a safe part of the steep hill to get out!

I suppose this is a typical story of many people who stay here so if you do decide to grace Leela Beach Bungalows with your presence bring your sense of humour

or pay more and go to the Coco Beach next door, which is a bit dearer but is bigger, cleaner, nicer, excellent facilities lots of sexy Bps and is like a 5 star superior compared to the 1/2 star Leela Beach Bungalows but then where's the challenge!