On our arrival, Mélanie, our hostess, offered us a refreshing drink and described in perfect English, the facilities and the many excursions proposed by the hotel.
Elegant Thai statues, beautifully carved and painted, welcomed us; our rooms were immaculately clean, decorated with superb Thaï silks, exquisite wood carvings and handsome local furniture. A big bowl of fruits was beside the tea and coffee tray and fresh flowers were waiting for us.
Every day, a special little treat was discreetly placed in our rooms; these surprises were awaited with great anticipation and very much appreciated by us all; (We were nine from 10 years to 75 years old). The choice of excursions catered for all tastes... sportive, love of nature, cultural... The snorkelling, taking us by boat to discover a spectacular display of colourful fish, followed by a picnic on the nearby island ,will stay a favourite memory for the family.
For me personally, I will always remember and treasure the visit to the cave occupied by a large number of sitting Buddhas. Our guide explained patiently the meaning of the different positions of the hands and the religious reasons held by the Thai population. It was a revelation, an introduction to the philosophy guiding the lives of Thai people; I cannot thank him enough! During the journey, he would stop to allow us to observe how rice was planted, how the trained monkeys collected the coconuts, noticing a beautiful bird here, an unusual flock there; at the end of the afternoon, he took us to a picturesque waterfall below which we could all paddle or bathe.
There are many other events worth mentioning, the delicious, well presented meals, some English books in the library, the free WiFi, the kidney-shaped mosaic pool.surrounded by loungers, the well-kept garden, the abundance of flowers and plants, the exquisitely drawn posters of the local flora and fauna in the meeting room, but above all, the owner, his deputy and all the staff were dedicated and took time to give attention and personal care to everyone,
I read with amazement two letters written by some Australians criticizing the hotel ... How could they say such nonsense! Obviously, if they liked busy, noisy touristic places, the Coral
Hotel does not provide that kind of holiday but their desciptions were offensive and untrue. I feel like apologizing for Mr Sauchet loves Thailand and through his hotel, he tries to share with us all, his passion for that country.
Thank you for an unforgettable holiday!
Mrs. F. Clark