Trip To Krabi, Thailand: Aonang Cliff Beach Resort
By Elin Chow - Sunday, February 08, 2015
Photo By: Elin Chow
Official Website: Aonang Cliff Beach Resort
My husband and I planned a short weekend getaway trip to Krabi recently. Having booked our air tickets months ago, we proceeded to search for a hotel online. After much comparison, we decided to book the Krabi Romance package with Aonang Cliff Beach Resort for our Krabi trip this time.
Aonang Cliff Beach Resort
Set against the backdrop of lush green hills, Aonang Cliff Beach Resort is a 4 star boutique resort with a spectacular panoramic view of the cliff and Andaman sea. Offering a total of 97 spacious guestrooms, the resort is convieniently located in a shopping district, just 600 m away from the Ao Phra Nang Beach.
The Krabi Romance Package includes the following:
- 3 nights accommodation with daily breakfast in an ocean view room.
- Daily afternoon coffee and tea snacks
- Phi Phi islands or Hong island trip by speed boat
- 1 session of Jiu Jitsu self defense
- Free access to Andamana Beach Club
- Spa Day at Infinity Spa options of:
a) Cliff Beach Experience - Siamese Herbal Scrub + Hot Stone Massage (2 hours session)
b) Samunprai Experience - Tamarind Skin Exfoliation + Thai Massage + Thai Herbal Hot Compress
- Unlimited Wifi Connection
- With honeymoon setup with a choice of red or white wine
- Airport round trip transfers
Please note that the Krabi Romance package is strictly for couples only. Price of the package is divided in to two categories - peak (November - April 2015) and non-peak (August -October 2015) seasons.
Peak season: 18,500 THB (about RM 1,850)
Non-peak season 13,000 THB (about RM 1,300)
Our Experience at Aonang Cliff Beach Resort, Krabi
Airport pickup
Upon arrival at the Krabi International airport, my husband and I were delighted to find a driver already waiting for us at the arrival gate. While greeting us warmly, the driver proceeded to took our luggage bag from my husband as he led us to the car. Once we got in the car, the driver handed us a cold towel each to refresh our mind as he drove us to the resort.
Aonang Cliff Beach Resort is located approximately 40 minutes away from the Krabi International airport. Upon arrival at the resort, we were immediately led to an air-conditioned lobby where welcome drinks and cold towels were served to us. As we comfortably enjoy our drinks, the staff performed the check in procedure for us, confirming the details and bookings for our spa treatment and island tour.
After confirming all the necessary details, the concierge took our bags as he led us to our room.
Ocean view room
The Ocean view rooms are actually situated higher up on a cliff, so be prepared for some stairs climbing exercise.
Here, we boarded the elevator, leading us right up to our room.
Exiting from the elevator on the third floor, a stunning view of the Andaman sea instantly greeted us.
Located on the top floor, the spacious ocean view room features a king size bed, ensuite bathroom, individually controlled air-conditioning and a private balcony. In the center of the bed was two kissing swans crafted from towel origami.
How beautiful and romantic! But unfortunately, we had to 'destroy' the beautifully crafted towel artwork when it was time for shower.
In addition to that, we also enjoyed the free, fast and strong Wifi connection throughout our stay with resort. Undeniably, slow and weak Wifi connection can be incredibly frustrating and is often what makes our stay unpleasant. Thus, we were really pleased that the Wifi connection is working great without any disruption during our entire stay with the resort.
Located beside the bed was a cozy little couch. This is where guests could laze around with a magazine while enjoying the warmth of the sun.
In our room, beside our king-sized bed, there is a large glass window dividing the bathroom and bedroom that left the shower in full view. Apparently. the transparent bathroom is one of the most exciting feature of the ocean view room where you could watch your partner take a sensual bath. If you prefer more privacy while in your shower, a roller blind can be readily raised and lowered by manually operating the roller shaft.
The bathroom is very well-equipped and spacious. Instead of a bathtub, the bathroom is equipped with a rain shower. However, as much as we wanted to bring in some sexiness to our bedroom, we could not really accept the idea a see through shower. This also explained why we actually kept the roller blind down during our stay with Aonang Cliff Beach Resort.
The bathroom is equipped with shower gel, shampoo and body lotion.
Apart from shower gel, shampoo and body lotion, the hotel also provides some other basic necessities like cotton buds, shower caps and disposable toothbrush and toothpaste.
Although hotel toilet paper folding (also known as toilet paper origami) is a common practice performed by most upscale hotels and resorts worldwide, this is actually my first time seeing one. The practice is meant to assure the guests that the room has been cleaned. Even so, I was still delighted and impressed by the resort's creativity and attention to details.
Surprisingly, the floor mat has not been left out as well. Undeniably, it did make us feel that extra bit special and we actually appreciate every little effort that the resort puts in to make our stay pleasant and unforgettable.
Our ocean view room comes with a private balcony with a sitting area offering a stunning view of the limestone cliff and blue ocean.
To us, the sitting area was just the perfect place to relax over a cup of tea while enjoying the cool breeze brushing gently across our face.
Surprisingly, the balcony is also equipped with a mini Jacuzzi where you could soak and enjoy a romantic bath under the moonlight.
But sadly, my husband is never the romantic type of guy and does not like bath. Since he was not keen about the idea of soaking in bath, I ended up feeling uninterested too.
Back into our room. we proceeded to look into the closet located near entrance.
There are also lots of unexpected extras like slippers, umbrellas, bathrobes and a carrier bag with beach mat provided to us as well. Guests are free and encouraged to bring the slippers and beach mat out to the beach to enjoy on the sands. In addition to these, the room also comes with a personal safe box and hairdryer.
Basic coffee and tea making facilities and a fully stocked mini bar fridge are also provided in the room. I am surprised that our room even had a bottle opener! How thoughtful of them.
Complimentary white wine
We had the bottle of complimentary white wine was delivered to our room in the evening, exactly at the time we requested. The resort's staff even made the special effort to call us before delivering the wine to our room.
Pool
Other amenities include an outdoor pool and sunbathing area, gym and Andamana Beach Club. However, due to limited time, we did not get to visit and use the facilities at the gym and Andamana Beach club during our 4 days stay at the resort.
Located just beside the pool was a common rest area for guests to gather in and relax.
The pool is perfect for those who wish to go for secluded sunbathing or a quick dip.
Dining
Aonang Cliff Beach Resort offers a dining options for its guests and visitors. Guests are free to choose from several different restaurants and bars located throughout the resort to satisfy every cravings.
We had our daily buffet breakfast served at the Cliff Restaurant which offers a great view of the massive cliff in a relaxed and open-air setting. The buffet breakfast was good with a variety of options to choose from.
Buffet dinner at Aonang Cliff Beach Resort
Originally, we did not intend to dine in at the resort as we prefer to explore the streets of Aonang more. However, due to the unavailability of Jiu-Jitsu self defense session, the resort offered us a BBQ buffet dinner voucher for two to compensate us instead.
To be frank, we were actually very thankful for that as we have no intention to participate in the Jiu Jitsu self defense in the first place. Thus, we were really glad that the resort had compensated us with a BBQ buffet dinner instead.
The BBQ buffet dinner was delicious and fulfilling, though we find the choices are a bit limited. Even so, it was fairly priced at THB 390 (about RM 39 excluding tax) per person. This led us to dine in at the resort again on the following night since we had problem deciding where we should eat too.
Convenience
Aonang Cliff Beach Resort is situated in an excellent location with 7-Eleven, McDonalds and Starbucks located just beside the resort.
Bars, restaurants, massage centres and the Ao Phra Nang Beach (or Ao Nang Beach) are all within walking distance from the resort.
Having a 7-Eleven located just underneath our resort has provided us with lots of convenience. We could grab some quick snacks and many other basic necessities at any time of the day.
Spa Day at Infinity Spa
Infinity Spa offers a full- service spa menu including massage, facial, body wraps, scrubs and even nail services. Couple's room, Thai massage couple's room, individual's room and poolside massage are available to suit different guests' needs.
You may wish to visit its official website for more information.
As included in the Krabi Romance package which we had booked with the Aonang Cliff Beach Resort, we were entitled to a free 2 hours spa session at the Infinity Spa with a choice to choose between the Cliff Beach Experience or Samunprai Experience. Having never tried a traditional Thai Massage before, we decided to choose the Samunprai Experience which includes a Tamarind Skin Exfoliation and
A quick check from its website shows that a 2 hours Samunprai Experience spa session will cost THB 1,900 (about RM 190) per person.
Tamarind Skin Exfoliation
Our spa session starts with a Tamarind Skin Exfoliation followed by a full body Thai Hot Compress Herbal Massage. The Tamarind Skin Exfoliation session is known to be effective in helping to remove dead cells from the skin, thus giving it a more radiant glow. After the treatment, we were asked to go for a quick shower to wash off the scrub excess before they proceed on with the Thai Hot Compress Herbal Massage.
Thai Hot Compress Herbal Massage
The Thai Hot Compress Herbal Massage begins with the painful and extremely torturing traditional Thai massage followed by Hot Compress Ball treatment. Such treatment is known to be effective in reliving stress and fatigue and helps one to relax.
Indeed, the Thai Hot Compress Herbal Massage was effective in helping us to remove some of our physical fatigue and muscles stiffness. Our body felt really awesome right after the massage but sadly, the effect was not long-lasting at all.
Final Thoughts
Be sure to put the Aonang Cliff Beach Resort on the top of your list if you are looking for a perfect and romantic beach getaway. Overall, my husband and I were deeply impressed by the excellent service and hospitality offered by the resort. We would definitely recommend the Aonang Cliff Beach Resort to anyone who is looking for a quality accommodation in an easily accessible and convenient location, at a relatively affordable price.
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