3
Matt Ives -
2 months ago
Cookies Salad Hotel is a quiet, bohemian set of bungalows nestled on a hill at one end of Haad Salad on Koh Phangan. The first thing to understand is that the hill the bungalows sit on is very (very) steep. Those with limited mobility or young children may struggle. It’s a good place to build muscle strength in your legs though. The bungalows themselves are nice, simple, and clean. The hot water in our bathroom was a bit frustrating as it changed from hot to cold no matter the handle position. The TV box didn’t work at all. The bed was a bit hard but still quite comfortable. The highlight for us though was the little private outdoor area we had containing a few couches, small kitchen, and table. Great to hang out there in the morning / evening and enjoy the view of the bay. Just watch out for the mosquitos lurking around. The outside kitchen area is a bit strange as there is a microwave and a big pot but no cutlery, dishes, plates, bowls etc. I asked to borrow some from the restaurant down the hill but was met with an inexplicable no. You get two small free waters each day which is not nearly enough for tropical Thailand and you get charged for extras, so you’ll need to head into the small village down the beach often for supplies. Walk down the beach, hang a right at Salad Beach Resort, cut through, and you’ll get to a few local stores. The beach is dotted with restaurants and bars of various quality (avoid Double Duke, do not avoid Spicy Salad), a small village, a big hill … and that’s about it. You’ll need transport if you want to get up to anything other than this. Another thing to point out is Salad Beach itself. It’s very tidal. At low tide it’s rocky, ankle deep, and not good at all for swimming. At high tide it’s waist deep at best. It’s not an “all day swimming beach” unless the tide timing really works out for you. It’s got stunning sunsets though, particularly if you park up at the north end at the right time. Because of this inswimability during the day we (and many of the other hotel clientele - 90% French) mostly stuck to the hotel pool which overlooks the beach. It’s got a nice view, cool nets with pillows to relax on, plus a slide and jumping area to keep the kids busy. A few other points about the hotel to end with. Breakfast buffet is decently good with a daily revolving selection of tasty foods. Lunch and dinner food is great too (coconut chicken soup and pizza is recommended) and handily it can be charged to your final bill rather than paid per visit. Laundry can be organised by the hotel. Staff are friendly and helpful. So there you go - hope that helps you decide. We (family with two youngish kids) had a good time and enjoyed the chill atmosphere but wouldn’t go back as we prefer better swimming beaches. No slight against the hotel at all - it’s fine, just the beach itself wasn’t quite what we were after.
