Wow, what a resort. Ive just got back from a stay at this resort and I give it top marks, Ive never stayed anywhere quite this luxurious and classy, and never stayed on such a beautiful beach either. The beach is so nice because the middle portion is so underdeveloped, there is literally nothing there and it keeps going forever. It is a far cry from Phukets sleazy beaches packed with regimented rows of deck chairs and hawkers selling everything from newspapers to their little brothers. Pimalai is the future of Thai tourism, Phuket is the past. We stayed in a Pool Villa, number 808, which got a brilliant sunset view, just wow, so amazing. Our agent requested it for us, we do want to thank them also for a good job.

Back to Pimalai, the food is seriously yummy, plus the service standards are top notch. Nothing seems to be too much trouble for the staff here, lead from the front by the friendly French GM Franck, who greeted us on arrival and was very affable.

Dont forget to drop by the Why Not bar during your stay at Pimalai. It is located just down the beach, all you have to do to get these is to hit the beach, turn right and walk for 600 metres. Its just the right distance away from the resort, far enough away not to be a night-time nuisance, near enough to stagger home to after a few cocktails. There are trees growing through the roof at this place, which must be a candidate for being Thailands most rustic beach bar. And if you walk left on Pimalais beach, you will reach the Same Same But Different, a good quality beach restaurant operated by locals. It also ranks high in the rustic/back to nature department in the most charming way possible.

For snorkeling lovers, we would strongly recommend taking the boat trip out to Koh Rok one day. We have learned that quality snorkeling directly off the beach has become a thing of the past in Thailand (and so many other countries, sad to say). When we addressed our grievances to Pimalais front desk they told us not to worry and booked us on a small boat to Koh Rok the next day: finally the snorkeling you dreams you see in documentaries a world of colorful and abundant marine life still exists around this and other islands in the seas around Koh Lanta.

For divers, Pimalai has a lot to offer. The twin dive sites Hin Daeng and Hin Muang offer the best advanced diving in the region and are second only to the Similans when all of Thailands dive sites are ranked. You have to be a PADI Advanced diver to go dive there. Koh Haa is another quality dive site and is one where divers can go diving with their non-diving partners, who share the boat and go snorkeling instead. The divers get to do some pretty scary swim-throughs, while the snorkelers get to gawp at the nemos for which this site is renowned. The reason there is so much marine life is that Pimalai resort sponsor a project for breeding and releasing exotic fish into these waters.

Pimalai has 5 restaurants offering as wide a variety of cuisine as any gourmet could wish for. The headline restaurant is the Seven Seas and offers European food, some of it with an Asian fusion influence. The restaurant is located overlooking the bay and sunset, so is a particularly atmospheric place to eat dinner, as the view is so breath-taking. The next restaurant I want to mention is the Rak Talay restaurant down on the beach. This one concentrates on sea-food, which is done to perfection. Hungry diners are advised to try the buffet, which is varied and huge. We also ate at the 2 restaurants half-way up the hill at Pimalai, but I forget their names. One is the resorts Thai restaurant, the other has a mixed menu with something to appeal to everybody, so is a good choice for parties of diners which include people who do and do not wish to eat Thai food.