My girlfriend and myself stayed 4 nights...
My girlfriend and myself stayed 4 nights at Zeavola from Nov 12-15 2006.
The transfer to the hotel takes a bit of effort, but careful planning and effective communication with the hotel eased our worries. Our journey from Phuket was:
*Communicate with hotel via email to let them know of your arrival time i.e. which ferry you will be catching (there are only 2 ferries a day).
*Upon arrival at Phuket, take a taxi from the aiport to Rasada Pier (try to take the cheaper metered taxis).
*Take the Andaman Wavemaster ferry, let staff aboard know of your hotel and you will be notified of when to alight.
*Zeavola will pick you up via longtail boat at Laem Tong.
Now to the hotel, and it was great! The room was exquisite; upon arrival, we were greeted with cocktails and shown our beachfront suite (rm. 50). The quality of furnishings was amazing; entered through an outdoor living area, with hidden beach access. Bamboo blinds surrounding the lounge could be electronically closed to give a true sense of privacy. Through the double doors is the bedroom - a king-sized bed complete with mosquito net, set on polished dark timber floors with a high ceiling. A sliding wooden door separates the bedroom from the dress area and bathroom. A surprise was that there were two showers, a fully private outdoor shower (perfectl for Thailand weather), as well as the standard cubicle. The quality of the fittings is top-notch, right down to the wooden-crafted tap handles.
The service was also outstanding, staff were genuinely friendly and helpful. Breakfast was included and has an international flavour, such as egg benedict, thai congee, big ben etc. We did not try the dinner restaurant, which was a bit expensive by Thai standards; further up the beach, there was a cosy thai restaurant called Jasmin which serves up quite decent food (surprisingly, a few Zeavola staff actually work at Jasmin..!). However, we did have the most relaxing nights at the beachside bar, which was an incredible experience. Lying on pillowed wooden deckchairs, sipping cocktails by candlelight, and with the beach right in front, it was one of the many highlights of Zeavola.
The location of Zeavola is decent, with its own private beach shared with only a few hotels. This is not an issue as the beach is fairly long, therefore most of the time we had the beach to ourselves. During the afternoons you do get a fair few daytrippers from Tonsai or Phuket, but its really the warm evenings that you look forward to. One thing to note is that some parts of the beach can be a bit too rocky, so take care when walking in the water.
If you wish to go to Tonsai, you can easily charter a long-tail to take you out. We found it was cheaper to get the locals to take you out on their longtails, and it is great to just go out in the evening for a nice dinner and a drink, before heading back to Zeavola.
We also chartered a longtail to take us island-hopping and snorkeling. Be sure to talk to Chet at the activity centre, and he will explain thoroughly the best sights to visit. We found longtail (rather than speedboat) the best option; as well as being less expensive, the ride is more traditional and enjoyable, and also only longtails can access the lagoon Phi Phi Lay.
Overall, our stay at Zeavola was fabulous; the photos on its website truly reflect the resort 100%. We will be back!
