We LOVE this secret little island! So, me and my hubby travel a lot in Asia and Mook Island was a recommendation from one frequent traveler to another that usually go off the beaten path. And little did we know when we booked this place that it was run by an organisation who help buliding schools and pay for school fees in rural provinces (such as Trang), where the level of education is not comparable with Bangkok. So by living here, not only did we get to stay on a beach front hotel, but we supported a good cause at the same time. Upon arrival we were greeted by a friendly Italian girl and the hotel manager Kahlil who spoke very good english. After checking us in, when we came down to get some water from the refill station (as this place is striving to be more eco-friendly and sustainable = no plastic used and much more), Kahlil told us a bit about this place - and why some things are operated differently. When low season, he leaves the island to teach english in rural schools where the foundation is supporting with english teachers and also sometimes with tuition fees for some kids in the villages. That was both heart warming and surprising since we did not read about this in the reviews on TA prior to our booking. He then went on to tell us that all people working around the facilities are island born, mostly older women some with disabilities, that would not get a job anywhere else. Note that older here on the island means like 50 (which is no age). Sadly, these women are thought of to be no good to the other hotels and can't find a job anywhere else. So Koh Mook Riviera Beach Resort has hired them to get their lives on track. (The other resorts on the island only hire english speaking young people from the mainland). We stayed in a river front room on second floor with a beautiful view over the beach and the sea. Me and hubby are both adventure lovers but still like a nice comfy bed at night. So to set the standard of expectations here, we would HIGHLY recommend the beach front rooms, especially on the second floor. They are newly renovated equipped with WIFI and have enough space for big suitcases and to chill around the room if you want AC. There's also this outdoor section in front of your room where you have the nicest sunset views we've seen so far in Thailand! Since this is the room we stayed in, I can't say about the bungalows. However, the money that the Resort makes, that is not firstly put into the construction of a new school in Trang province, that money is left for the hotel manager to upgrade the rooms and bungalows one at the time. And since this is family driven, apart from all the island women working the kitchen etc, Kahlil and family is renovating whenever they find the time and money in between. The pool and facilities are good, simple and clean, really like an island living with a kind of family friendly feeling. Pool is saltwater (children friendly not deep) and a nice option since there's a low tide in the
40 Ulasan