Apsara Beachfront Resort and Villa

We returned last week after fourteen nights at this beautiful hotel. We travelled with TUI from the UK. On arrival we were greeted with an ice cold drink and towel which was very much appreciated after a very long journey. We arrived very early and were told our room would be ready soon and in the meantime to enjoy breakfast- which we did! We loved everything about this hotel. Yes we were staying amongst the corona lock down in the UK, however the staff still remained very professional, attentive and kind. Each day we enjoyed fabulous food, romantic walks along the beach and the best sun sets ever! We booked our trips through the lady in the lobby and these were absolutely out of this world. We were lucky to have the same driver for two of the trips- so if you get Ce say Hi from us! The staff on reception were incredible and a big thank you to Yuni and Emee for looking after us so well. Please stay safe and we look forward to returning to your beautiful hotel in the future.

We returned from Thailand last Thursday, on the last but one TUI flight home. We set off from Manchester on the 11th March with TUI (with what was to transpire later we were so glad we booked with them). For the first time in all our travels we decided to upgrade to premium class, and we are so glad we did. On a 13-hour flight the extra seat width and leg room was a godsend. Well worth the extra cost. We arrived at the Apsara at 8am the following day. We were advised that check in was not normally until 2pm so it was suggested that we go for breakfast whilst our room was prepared. After a stroll round the resort we returned to reception at 10am to be told our room was ready. We had a standard room on the 2nd floor (206) overlooking the swim up pool. Our room was clean and comfortable and the sleep quality was good. The only downside was that it was not easy to get in and out of the bath due to the high sides. We always got out gingerly afraid that we might slip on the stone floor. Try as we might it was difficult to have a shower without at the same time flooding half the bathroom. Hopefully the hotel will upgrade these rooms in due course. We also had a couple of water leaks from the overhead air conditioning housing unit but on each occasion the problem was quickly rectified by the hotel staff. We stayed on an all-inclusive basis. (AI). Breakfast, lunch and dinner was served in the main buffet restaurant. There was a different theme each evening so there was always a variety on offer. We were given 2 vouchers each to use in either of the 2 a la carte restaurants. In the first week we dined in the Zeus beachfront restaurant and on my 60th birthday we enjoyed a meal under the stars at the Napalai restaurant. It was a lovely occasion and at the end of the meal I was presented with a birthday cake by the staff! We had decided before coming out that this would be very much a beach holiday for us so we decided to do only one-day trip, that to the James Bond island. It was a very enjoyable trip and because of the circumstances we near enough had the island to ourselves. We also visited the nearby elephant sanctuary and fed the elephants. We spent many hours walking up and down the beach and when it got too hot a dip in the sea to cool off was very welcoming. But, be aware that there are rip currents at times that can easily catch you out. There are no lifeguards on patrol so take heed when the red flags are flying. During our first week we felt cosseted from what was happening globally and especially back home. At this time the hotel was fairly busy as were the other hotels further along the beach. However, before the start of the second week global events rapidly took hold. TUI cancelled all holidays and as each day passed the hotel became quieter and quieter as guest numbers dwindled. The resort took on an end of season feel. Many of the sun loungers were removed for storage and the amount of food choices at the buffet restaurant was reduced. The Ila (the AI lounge) then closed and the buffet restaurant closed the following day. For the remaining few days of our holiday we had all our meals served a la carte in the Zeus restaurant. An unexpected bonus, it was nice to have breakfast served overlooking the beautiful beach. Throughout our stay, all the staff were amazing and our thoughts and prayers go out to every single one. Despite all the uncertainty and concern for their own wellbeing they always treated us to the warmest of welcomes, morning, noon and night. We will also remember this holiday for all the friendly fellow guests that we met throughout our stay, not just at the resort but also those that we got to know on our daily morning walk along the beautiful sandy beach. We hope you all stay safe and well. We were fortunate to stay for the full 2 weeks. We received a number of updates from TUI during our stay and given that other guests were struggling to find flights home, the confirmation from TUI that they would fly us home as scheduled was very reassuring. Nonetheless we were relieved when we landed at a nearly deserted Manchester airport. Our sincere thanks again to all at the resort for looking after us at a difficult time and for keeping us safe and also to TUI for getting us home as scheduled.

We had a Great time at Apsara 1st week was great, went to the elephant sanctuary close to the hotel,fed and bathed them,we had a swim up room,no 111 which got a lot of sun until 2, some of the swim up rooms did not get much sun,went to mo mos ladyboy show which was great fun, unfortunately it closed soon after due to the virus, food we found lovely, lots of choice,during the second week the hotel became very quiet,however the staff still smiled and did everything to make sure we had a good time, as the previous reviewer stated, the red flag is there as a warning, although being a strong swimmer never found it a problem , but be careful anyone that’s not.Location is perfect, the beach is perfect although being empty made a difference, my only criticism was the sun loungers and umbrellas were well worn and need changing.Thank you Apsara keep safe and maybe one day we will return,Also a shout out to TUI who got us there and back probably not having a job at the end of it