Likes
1. More romantic
than Phuket and Koh Samui, and the atmosphere is totally different to
Pattaya
2. A good place for those who aren’t looking for the
kind of pounding nightlife and loose morals found elsewhere in
Thailand
3. Pretty, clean, quiet, with natural beaches and
pleasantly warm water
4. Many beautiful nearby islands that are
perfect for daytrips
5. You don’t need to take a domestic flight
from Bangkok – it’s easier (though longer) to travel over land
and take the ferry
6. The inland waterfalls are beautiful, as are
the sunsets over the ocean
7. The infrastructure is improving
every year, but it still isn’t overdeveloped in the way that Koh
Samui is now (not to mention a bigger city like Pattaya)
8. Summer
holidaymakers are pleasantly mixed in terms of age, and there are
fewer obnoxious tourists (it isn’t cool enough for them)
9. A
good option for a relaxed summer holiday
10. It isn’t completely
tranquil – there’s some nightlife at White Sands, and even
shopping opportunities.
11. The East Coast is more authentic
1. Maybe if it’s
your first trip to Thailand you’d be better going to somewhere more
well-known, with more developed tourist infrastructure
2.Not a lot
of great hotels on the island, though there are two or three gorgeous
luxury hotels
3. The sea can get dangerously choppy at times
4.
Roads on the islands are narrow and twisting, and often in poor
condition – getting around can be tricky
5. It’s easy to see
that within a few years it will lose its present easy,
unselfconscious charm
6. Service isn’t as professional as
elsewhere – staff may not meet Western expectations
7. When it
rains, people stay in their hotel rooms – there isn’t much else
to do
8. Some areas around the waterfalls are seriously
dangerous
9. You have to constantly keep an eye on high and low
tide
10. The number (and unwanted proximity) of stray dogs on the
beach
