Khao Lak Merlin Beach Resort

We stayed at Khao Lak Merlin Resort for our first visit to Thailand and were not disappointed. Our family of myself, my husband and our 3 ‘children’( 2 daughters in their 20s and our 8 year old son) arrived around 9pm after a long flight android taxi from Phuket airport and received a warm welcome. It was lashing down with rain. We we took to our rooms briefly then had buffet dinner in the restaurant - the delicious Thai curries and Jasmine Rice were a taste of things to come. Our rooms at Khao lak Merlin resort were spacious and tastefully decorated in Thai style with lovely dark wood and tall wooden ceilings with huge beds, large balconies overlooking jungle area and bathrooms with a sunken bath and easy to operate shower. Only downside we found was no wardrobe, just one rail between 3 of us and cupboards two being too high for me to comfortably use. Rooms had a safe ,hairdryer and very useful pair of umbrellas. The rooms had air conditioning and a ceiling fan and were cleaned daily to a good standard. We were fairly lucky with the weather - day one was intermittent sunshine and slight showers followed by 4 or 5 days solid sunshine after some rain overnight and early morning then sunshine and showers followed by our last day which was pretty much rain. Having said the rain did not spoil the holiday at all it was always warm and nearly always cleared up although there were several days when the sea was very rough. The hotel grounds are lush and well cared for with beautiful trees, flowers streams and wildlife. We saw mynah birds, gekkos,skinks, water monitors ( some large) fish toads and bats. There are several pools ( a few exclusive to swim up rooms ) but we tended to stick to the family pool with swim up bar and next to kids pool with slide which was also near to bar and restaurant near beach. We could always get sunbeds although not always an umbrella. The restaurant food is excellent there is an extensive lunchtime menu of both European and Thai dishes and in the evening a choice of buffet including a barbecue or A la Carte both of a high standard with exquisite desserts. Breakfast is extensive with eggs cooked to order to a high standard. The restaurant staff are fantastic- hardworking and helpful. The beach is idyllic- long and sandy with a jungle at one end and rocks further along although as mentioned earlier the sea can be rough but lovely and warm . I recommend the huts on the beach for aThai massage (about £7 for an hour) There are a few touristy shops and bars just down the road. We went on the trips booked from here to James Bond Island/ Mangroves by canoe/ floating village/ Monkey Temple and Waterfall a truly excellent day which was about £35 each including Thai lunch. Our guide was terrific and weather beautiful. We also visited Elephant Sanctuary where we bathed two majestic elephants which was an incredible experience. We also took a taxi to the Turtle sanctuary ( highly recommended) and daughters hired a moped for two days at a very cheap rate to explore including Coco Beach. We also went to the market in the evening about 10 minutes away and came back in a Tuk tuk taxi. We had a wonderful time here and would highly recommend It is simply stunning and we felt so relaxed . Thank you to the manager and staff at Khao Lak Merlin Resort. We miss it already.

Upon arrival my daughter & I were offered an upgrade to an amazing suite over looking the ocean. The room was divine, modern & comfortable with a bathroom exuding luxury. The walk in Romanesque bath was luxury in the extreme.The sheets were crisp & cool & always welcome after the heat of the tropics. The whole resort is a delight, with well tended gardens & beautifully clean pools. We enjoyed spotting the wildlife, quite often a large water monitor would amble across the lawn. Just keep quiet and watch, it's all there to be seen. The food is of good quality, fresh & plentiful, we are pescatarians & never found it difficult to find delicious options. Breakfast is buffet with an egg station, offering everything from poached eggs to pancakes & waffles.Lunch is in the beach restaurant & waiter service. Dinner is an international buffet with a live cooking station. Something for everyone & a huge array of fresh fruit at all meal times. The holiday was made extra special by the amazing staff who are so warm & welcoming, nothing is too much trouble & you are always met with a smile & a greeting. The Spa facility is beautiful, we treated ourselves to a full massage, such a wonderful experience, not to be missed. If you want to do an excursion I would recommend walking down to the little street at the bottom of the hill & going into some of the tour operators to compare prices. The tours are the same, the locals get the benefit & we saved about 50%. Win, win! This resort is beautiful.

A Beautiful and comfortable resort with friendly staff. My only disappointment is the beach is COVERED with plastic rubbish. Sad world we live in today. Please khaolak Merlín clean up the beach along with your neighbours! And teach locals to treat their rubbish responsibly 😐 without the plastic, and rubbish it's beautiful.