Janet’s Trip Advisor review of Woodland Lodge, Koh Jum. Five stars!

We absolutely loved our stay here and would have extended it if we could. The family bungalow was spacious, with bookshelves to unpack onto and a large bathroom (one of the few places where you can have a shower without getting the toilet wet!). It had a double bed and a single bed. As we have 3 children, 2 of them slept on out travel mats on the floor and the owners provided an umbrella-like mosquito net for them.

The verandah was very big, we had space for our Iarge hammock, plus there were deckchairs and a table provided, so for once we could all sit down at the same time. It felt as though the owners had really thought about what you want or need and tried to provide it. We felt very comfortable.

The food was outstanding, such great cooking, there was no need to go anywhere else. However, there are other resorts and restaurants in walking distance if you fancy a change. The prices were also reasonable, including beer and wine, so you didn’t feel too guilty about having a few sundowners! And the sunset is so pretty here, it’s a mini-event on the beach each evening, with lots of comfy seats, buckets of ice and cold, white wine. Lovely!

Ko Jum and this resort seem to attract a slightly older crowd, and things are very low key, which suited us just fine, it’s not a party island, but lots of chance to socialise.

There’s a big grassy area that our kids turned into a quidditch pitch (we’re in a Harry Potter phase) and Ray, co-owner, brought out some footballs for them to use, which really kept them entertained.

The beach has lovely sand, and the area outside and just to the left of the resort is good for swimming in all tides, not too rocky unlike much of the rest of the island. However, the water is not clear and hopeless for snorkelling. I prefer a good swim anyway!

There are a few bits of old exercise equipment at the resort, a bit rustyp but useable, if you feel like working off some of the great food. I also went running a few times and could easily reach the village and the port, I would come back with little chocolate treats for the kids, there are plenty of little shops there. It’s too far to walk though.

You can also get a motorbike for 350B per day, delivered to the bungalow. We enjoyed exploring, but concluded we were staying at the best bit anyway!

The owners are so friendly and helpful. We paid a lot less to leave the island than we did to arrive by travelling back to Krabi with Ray, he even gave us a lift all the way to the bus station, which we really appreciated. He also told us lots of interesting local facts on the way.

After we left, we realised we’d left behind some clothes, and they have very kindly arranged for us to pick them up from a guest house in Krabi. Thank you so much!

All in all, it turned out to be one of our favourite places on the Andaman coast, I think we’ll be back.

See Janet’s other reviews.