For my relaxing and solitude getaway in Krabi, I chose to stay somewhere quiet, peaceful and secluded. In fact, I chose to stay in a bungalow hut at Chill Out Bar & Bungalow located in the secondary forest, nearby the towering limestone cliffs of Tonsai Bay a.k.a Tonsai Beach, Krabi. 😀
Chill Out Bar & Bungalow – Of Bungalow Huts, Reggae Bar & Fire Shows
It has always been my dream to stay in a bungalow hut made of bamboo or wood in the forest, so when the opportunity came, I just grabbed it without any hesitations. A quick search online presented me with a list of available accommodations in Tonsai, Krabi. And from that list, I narrowed it down to my preferences.
Finally, I found what I was looking for at Chill Out Bar & Bungalow. The establishment exudes a laid-back, chill out, hippie kind of vibe that suits its name perfectly. Not only does it provide its guests with stays in bungalow huts, it has an awesome Reggae bar and chill out area, and not forgetting wicked fire shows as well! 😀
There is a restaurant that serves Thai and Western cuisine and a souvenir and convenience shops nearby. Depending on your needs, there is a suitable bungalow hut for every budget – standard, family and backpacker (dormitory). The price changes according to the seasons. Do take note that the bungalows are not located on the beach, but in a secondary forest (about 5-10 minutes walk from the beach), nearby the beautiful limestone cliffs of Tonsai, popular as a rock climbing destination.
Bungalow Hut With Garden View – My Love & Loathe Experiences
I booked my 2 nights stay at Chill Out Bar & Bungalow in Tonsai, Krabi with Booking.com. The total price I paid including taxes for my bungalow hut with garden view is THB1,180. However, breakfast is not included. As mentioned in my previous blog post, I arrived and checked-in my bungalow hut late at night. Read about my long-tail night boat ride from Ao Nang pier to Tonsai/Railay experience here. 🙂
It was a long day and I went to bed early in preparation for tomorrow’s activities. After a cold shower, I dozed off on the bed serenaded by the melodious screeching sound of the insects in the background. The next morning, I had a good look at my bungalow hut and its surroundings. However, the story does not end there. As much as I was happy with my bungalow hut, I discovered some unpleasant experiences as well.
What I love about my bungalow hut with garden view:
- The bungalow hut is exactly how I imagined it to be – basic, simple, rugged, spacious and relatively clean
- The double bed is clean and comfortable
- Each bungalow hut has its own patio for guests to laze at any time of the day
- The windows with curtains provide enough lighting into the room during the day and much needed privacy at night
- The dim light inside the bungalow hut wasn’t bright enough for reading, but it did give a romantic feel to the overall experience – definitely suitable for honeymooners! 😉
- Free WiFi is not available in the bungalow huts which is a great excuse for a technology detox
- My C13 bungalow hut is located deep in the secondary forest with a beautiful view of the area and towering limestone cliffs nearby
- The natural sound/music of the insects calling during the day and night is soothing
What I loathe about my bungalow hut with garden view:
- My bungalow hut is located close to the generator therefore it’s very noisy at night. Thankfully, I have the innate ability to fall asleep anywhere, any time, and at any given situation, so that wasn’t a huge problem for me
- The mosquito net inside the room provided good protection against the insects, but there was a thick layer of dust all over it. Because of that, the wind generated from the fan above wasn’t able to penetrate the net, thus it was hot and stuffy inside the net. I resorted to take down the net and sleep on the bed without it instead. It was so much better and pleasant without the net around
- According to the latest reviews, many complained of being bitten by insects such as mosquitoes and bed bugs. From my experience, I wasn’t bitten by any probably because I applied generous amounts of insect repellent before I went to bed. Fyi, I always bring a good insect repellent with me on my travels 😉
- Be aware that there is a daily power cut from 6am – 6pm. Again, that doesn’t bother me much because I spend most of my time exploring outdoors and only returning to rest in the evening
- The cleanliness of the bathroom was highly questionable. And, the shower in the bathroom wasn’t working at all! 🙁 Luckily, the sink was working and I bath from it using a makeshift water dipper. What an unforgettable experience it was. Did I mention that there is no hot shower? Brr…
- According to the reviews, many complained of having their clothes stolen by monkeys. During my stay, there were monkeys present in the trees, but I’m aware of their presence and hung my clothes to dry in the bathroom and kept my door/windows closed to prevent them from stealing it
In A Nutshell
I don’t usually complain much about the places I stay because I always travel with a pinch of salt and aware that not everything is perfect. There will be a mixture of good and unpleasant experiences from time to time and it’s entirely up to us whether to allow the unpleasant experiences to affect our overall experience or not.
In general, my 2 nights stay in a bungalow hut at Chill Out Bar & Bungalow in Tonsai, Krabi was a relatively fun and pleasant one. I love the bungalow huts very much and the overall laid-back, chill out, hippie kind of Reggae vibe. The staffs were friendly and the foods and drinks were affordable. Plus, I enjoyed the wicked fire show very much! Be sure to catch it if you’re staying there. 😀
Up next: Long-tail boat ride from Tonsai Beach to Railay and chill out at Tew Lay Bar – a hidden paradise at Railay East, Krabi