Having stayed at the Cape Panwa Hotel 9 times, we thought we would have a slight change and decided on the Kantary Bay instead. Whether it was because it was our 10th visit in total, I do not know but we were upgraded to a 1 bedroom apartment Room 505. It was spectacular. It came with a 250 degree view from a very large balcony, nice large bedroom & Living room, Bath and separate shower. The breakfast was good ( though not as comprehensive CP). Uncle Nan's (the only restaurant in the hotel that we tried) was also very good. The other local restaurants that we enjoyed were Treetops( opposite the Raddison Blue and Sea Breeze - behind the hotel. Because it was our 10 th visit we were given the whole afternoon and evening sailing on the Panwa Princess a 90ft boat as a loyalty thank you.
On behalf of my wife and I, I would like to say a big thank you to all the staff especially :- Somnuk and Lorn ( at breakfast) jenny and Sandy( on the beach) and Porn and Simon
( Lighthouse Bar)
As the saying goes - we will be back!!!

Stayed here for five nights from Aug 23rd. It was everything we wanted. Friendly, quiet, clean, welcoming!
It was the rainy time of year but this would not put us off coming back at this time again! The staff were really friendly and helpful every time they saw us.
Breakfast was hot and fresh every morning with enough variety.
We were upgraded to a one bedroom appartment with a beautiful view and spacious balcony with a washing machine for our private use on it!
Would highly recommend the Kantary Bay if you are looking for a quiet Phuket holiday. Lots of lovely little resterants hiding around the area and walking to find them is a pleasure!

Our first trip to Phuket island in Thailand and we stayed at the Kantary Bay hotel, in Cape Panwa area, the southern tip of island. Kantary Bay hotel has a sister hotel, the Cape Panwa Hotel and Spa Resort which has a beautiful white sandy beach and guests in either hotel can enjoy both facilities.

We stayed in the Kantary Bay hotel, a water front hotel by the Bay next to the Phuket Sea Aquarium between 2nd and 6th September 2012. The hotel is about 50 minutes from the Phuket airport by car and we were met and picked up by our Travel Agent, Hotelbeds representative on arrival at the airport.

On arrival at the hotel, there is a small drive way leading up a few steep steps up to the reception area on the right and waiting or seating area on the left. We were greeted by a friendly receptionist who showed us to the seating area whilst she did the checking in procedure all for us and we completed the guest forms and handed our passport details. We were taken to our room on the 2nd floor in the Bayside Wing.

Our room is a Studio with a small kitchenette with cooking facilties and utensils, a mini fridge; a bathroom with a bath and separate shower . The bathroom is clean although it is showing its age from the bathroom tiles and shower head.

There is a sitting area with a sofa and a chair where you can sit and relax and watch TV. Taking two steps down from the sitting area is the sleeping area with twin beds (pushed together to make a double bed), a double wardrobe, writing desk and a balcony with a table and 2 chairs. The room is spacious and has a lovely feel to it with its separate sitting and sleeping areas. It is clean and comfortable for two of us. There is a small microwave, toaster and kettle. Limited tea and coffee are provided and two small pots of cream are placed in the mini fridge. They are replenished each day.

The room is air conditioned so it is a blessing and convenient as the weather is hot in Phuket, about 30-32 degrees C whilst we were there. We would recommend that you buy a plug in mosquito diffuser for your room to keep the mozzies away. You will need a two pin adaptor as the power supply is 220 volt, so bring one with you. If you wish to do a bit of washing, there is a small wooden drying frame outside on the balcony. All the Bayside Wing rooms have garden view which consists of a lush garden, walkway to the Laem Panwa restaurant which serves a la carte menu and seafood in the evening. There is a mini mart next to the restaurant where you can buy the essential items, drinks and food. There is a roof top swimming pool on the Bayside Wing accessible via the fourth floor. There is a great view of the bay, coastal road and the many islands out in the sea.

You can enjoy the various plants and flowers along the walkway from the Bayside Wing to the reception main lobby area. There is a dining room next to the lobby (behind) where you can have your buffet breakfast, from continental to local Thai breakfast of fried rice and noodles and rice porridge. Choices of breads, croissants, pastries, fresh fruits and juices are available.
There is a larger swimming pool situated in front of Bay Inn Wing 1, with a shop that sells souvenirs and clothing, the Clock House Cafe, and Uncle Nan’s restaurant on the first floor. Bay Inn Wing 2 is situated between Bay Inn Wing 1 and the Bayside Wing blocks and both Wings overlook the bay and sea. The Fitness room is on the Bay Inn Wing 1.

Kantary Bay hotel is good standard hotel with self service facilities rooms couple with the use of hotel facilities if you prefer not to do your own cooking. We had bed and breakfast during our stay so apart from using the kettle; we did not make use of the kitchen utilities. We would recommend that you use bottle water for your drinking or kettle.

Outside the hotel, to the right there are some restaurants which served food and drinks. Our favourite restaurant is called the “Sawasdee” restaurant run by a family which serves good local Thai food, and it is the first restaurant on the right of the hotel. The spicy prawn and green mango salad is delicious at 120 Thai Bhatt and we liked the yellow Thai curry and Pad Thai noodles – sumptuous. A tip, at this restaurant, they also do laundry service at a very reasonable price, collected after 5pm the following day.

The hotel provides a free shuttle truck service to the sister hotel, Cape Panwa hotel and spa, takes about 5 minutes. The Cape Panwa hotel is situated on an open coconut ground with a fantastic and beautiful and private white sandy beach where you can sun lounge in the shade of the coconut palms, walk along the beach or swim in the blue sea. Kayaking and sailing activities are available at a cost and there is a cafe in the ground for snacks and drinks. The fun bit is taking a very short tram ride from the top of the hotel down to the beach area. We recommend that you bring with you some mosquito repellent and your sun protection lotion on to the garden and beach areas.

There is a spa and beauty salon to the right of the hotel under a separate building. Similar to Kantary Bay hotel, the hotel rooms are situated in different wings in alphabet order. In addition, there limited individual villas with private pool overlooking the coconut ground and sea view. There is a swimming pool in the centre of the hotel and a cafe/restaurant overlooking it. There is a “Games” room, but we would prefer to call it a circular tower for reading and relaxation. On the beach front, there is the Panwa House Restaurant where you can dine with sea view.

Staying at the Kantary Bay hotel is comfortable and coupled with the enjoyment of the Cape Panwa hotel and spa facilities, completes our stay in Phuket and making both hotels a good choice of accommodation in a quiet and relaxing area, away from the hustle buzzle of Patong beach. If you prefer the bars and night scenes, we recommend that you stay closer to Patong beach because Cape Panwa is a small and tranquil village.

Outside the Kantary bay hotel, there is a taxi rank where you will need to haggle for the best fares. It should not cost you more than 150 Thai bhatt per person each way to Phuket town, about 30 minutes ride, and 300 Thai Bhatt per person to Patong each way, circa 1 hour ride.
In Patong, always haggle the asking price and try to aim for 20% to 40% if you are buying from the shops.

Take a 20-25 minutes taxi ride to the Puthai Souvenirs Market where you can buy some good wooden crafts to take home with you from your holiday in Phuket, and your trip there will be rewarded with the presence of a baby elephant called “Johnny” with its trainer and you can have your pictures taken with the Johnny at 20 Thai Bhatt for a bowl of bananas for him. It is worth paying the 20 Bhatt.

Take a boat trip to the “James Bond” island and see the famous island for yourself where “The man with a golden gun” movie was filmed as well as the floating village with a floating football pitch – amazing it is.

We enjoyed our holiday in Phuket and our stay at Kantary Bay hotel with its friendly and accommodating staff.

The Wise Ones