Seavana Koh Mak Beach Resort

the food ad presentation was fantastic, the restaurant was very nice

sand flies

Honestly, ten stars are not enough to describe our experience 🤩 we didn't manage to arrive on our first day (the sea was too wild for us to take the speed boat, which turned out to be the smallest one! and spend an hour like this) BUT the hotel were so nice and understanding and extended our stay so that we didn't lose a paid night. After arrival (catamaran from Koh Chang - friendlier option for us who don't trust sea with our lives), we were picked by their friendly staff. Receptionist was very helpful, our bungalow was sooo spacious, comfortable beds and all amenities. There were paddle boards and sea kayaks available (for free) in the resort. Restaurant service and food were the best. Large swimming pool and sandy beach just for us (beach is super kids friendly). We hired motorbikes (from the reception) and discovered the island. As the bungalows are surrounded by nature and also when travelling through the island, we spotted many animals nearby (varan, crabs, geckos, huge butterflies and even 2 snakes on the road!). Just to mention - based on previous comments we knew (and were warned at the reception) there are sand flies - we slept under the mosquito nets in the room, that were really helpful. I got bitten once (but have to admit it was quite painful for a fly). Whe leaving, we got a beautiful gift and were delivered to the pier, also they arranged tickets for us.

Nothing, absolutely nothing

Location staff and food

There is nothing more subjective than evaluating a holiday and a resort. If you are looking for a place with spaces that are visually pleasing, both in terms of architecture and natural surroundings, and if you plan to spend 90% of your time within the resort without moving around much, this is the place for you. The pool is beautiful, though small. The restaurant area is also very scenic. The villas are nicely decorated. Some members of the staff are kind — a few in particular — but overall, we are not happy with our stay.

Overall, the biggest disappointment was expecting a high-standard structure. Instead, it is mostly about appearance (in fact, the place is full of Instagrammers), but what matters most — making guests feel welcomed and cared for — is missing due to a general sense of neglect and sloppiness. The location is particularly inconvenient, isolated and far from everything, connected to the main road by a two-kilometer unpaved path, completely dark at night and full of potholes, which becomes truly dangerous in the rain. If you don’t want to spend your entire stay closed inside the resort, you have 2 options: rent a scooter or use the taxi service (starting from 15 euros per trip, or 60 euros for a full day). Walking is technically possible, but it would take a couple of hours to reach any points of interest. The staff is not well trained in dealing with guests; almost no one understands English, and very few are genuinely kind or helpful (the reception staff, in particular, are brusque and curt). The resort management feels completely abandoned: nobody asks if you’d like a drink but especially concerning is that no one clears tables, and dirty dishes are left for hours, attracting animals, particularly an overwhelming number of ants throughout the property. One evening, after we finished dinner around 9 PM, we watched the staff close the restaurant at 10 PM without having cleared our table, leaving leftover food, meat and vegetables, exposed. Similarly, in the beach area, tables remained cluttered from 5 PM all through the night. The outdoor shower for the pool and the beach was out of order without any notice. Access to the pool is difficult, with no steps or safe walking paths between the decorative stones surrounding it. There are kayaks and paddleboards available, along with life jackets, but no supervision at all if you decide to go out into the sea. The room has no space to store clothes — no shelves, no wardrobes. The bathroom has no hooks to hang towels.