I'll start with a Yamal charter flight. The flight was moved from 15:20 to 21:20. Many were warned through the agencies where the tour was bought. We were not warned, they sat in Domodedovo for an extra 6 hours, we arrived at the hotel at about 2 am the next day, that is, one day of rest was stolen.
The number was given, like most Russians, overlooking the road. But the view has nothing to do with it, it is impossible to sleep in this room even with earplugs! The next day I was moved to a room overlooking the pool and the hotel bar. They moved in during the day, so they did not expect a trick, and the main catch is that in the bar in the evening and at night they smoke so that at least hang an ax, and they will not be allowed to sleep until 3 am. The masters of Europe come off to the fullest, not thinking about the fact that people on vacation need to get enough sleep, that in the morning there is an early excursion, etc. But this is not the most offensive! The main thing is that the owner of the hotel has crossed the line that cannot be crossed: she supports all this and participates in everything (we will omit the details)! This is understandable: since the bar is open, money flows like a river to the cashier, this should be encouraged! It does not matter that it is 2 am, that people in "unhappy" rooms cannot sleep, choke on smoke - the coin will justify everything.
We want to move to another room. They promise the day after tomorrow to provide a room on the 1st floor overlooking the garden. Provided on the minus-1st floor. There are mosquitoes in the room (take a fumigator), but that doesn't scare us. The most important thing - isolation from the bar and the road - has been achieved. Nobody, except us, cares that half of the vacation has already passed, that there is no feeling of quiet rest, continuous transfers from room to room: put things down - put things out - 3 hours of precious time down!
The towels in the room are really very hard, they are not changed every day, they are dried in the garden, at the end of the building. Breakfast - well, very dreary! Only yogurt pleased me, all the sausages and cheeses were of the lowest quality. The crisis is understandable, but can you at least diversify something? Serve cottage cheese or oatmeal? Any baked goods other than dull cupcakes? Breakfast officially starts at 7 am, but the full set of dishes appears around 7:30, so if you are going to have a full meal before the excursion, you are unlikely to succeed. We never had dinner at the hotel, but I saw that the choice of dishes was minimal. Apples are served cut into pieces, which are immediately oxidized and do not look very presentable. To lay out whole apples or any whole fruits (peaches, plums) - apparently, not destiny. Dinner is quite good for this hotel, the classic principle of "meat-poultry-fish" is maintained almost always, melons, watermelons, grapes are sweet, with baked goods again a problem: something souffle-muffin, with vegetable cream, of the same kind. There are enough salads and vegetables. The hostess often "controls" the dinner, sometimes she cleans the plates herself, but you never know for sure whether she is watching the staff or your plates. Dinner drinks are not cheap, so it makes sense to bring a small electric kettle, mugs and make your own tea or coffee. The same applies to the iron if you take wrinkles with you.
One evening we returned from a tour and found the door of the room unlocked. In my opinion, this is generally unacceptable! The hotel management asked not to get upset, the maid simply forgot to close the door after cleaning the room. Like this: I just forgot, but if JUST something disappeared from the issue, it would be our problem.
Of course, this hotel does not pull 4 stars, it is a strong "troika" for Greece. Note that on the same site you will find the same May hotel (without the word beach), which is declared as a triple.
The hotel certainly has advantages: a good, well-groomed inner territory, swimming pools, free wi-fi throughout the territory, even a small, but its own parking, but most importantly - a very convenient location for independent travel in Crete, close to Rethymno. In Platanias - taverns, souvenir shops, car rental. Near the Adele Beach hotel there are fur shops (behind Platanias).
For the first time, the "picturesque" (according to some tourists) path and the road to the beach just horrified: there was dirt all around, unkempt. But Greece is not a well-groomed Croatia for you, once you have arrived, you need to turn your attention to something else. The beach is not very clean, not equipped, but quite acceptable. The main advantage is very few people and a very clean sea, if there are no waves. We bought an umbrella, mats and felt independent: where we wanted, we had a halt there. The "River" tavern on the beach is very good, we took mainly shrimps and small fish - smelt, anchovies, sardines - everything is very tasty! If the sea is rough and you can't swim, you can go to Bali beach - a very beautiful bay, but a lot of people.
Having familiarized yourself with the surroundings, you understand that May beach is still quite a decent option, after all, it is separated from the road by parking, there is a hedge of bushes on the side, the inner territory is very decent. Many hotels are located right on the road - such are the local features.
The staff at the reception (the owner of the hotel Maria, her husband and Sofia), of course, are friendly, Sofia and Maria can understand and explain a lot in Russian, if possible they try to get into the situation and help, but, of course, first of all, respect turns out not to the Russians ... M. b. Western Europeans, when booking a hotel, initially order a view from the room (the quietest rooms with a garden view) - I do not know, but all of our people are accommodated in noisy and uncomfortable rooms, then, if possible, they can improve the conditions.
Tez tour is a special song. Of course, at the first meeting they try to sell their excursions to you, the phrase is standard among representatives of all tour operators: "I am only at the hotel today, and then I do not guarantee that I will appear, even despite the specified schedule of hotel visits." Of course, you will not be allowed to think and familiarize yourself with an alternative, so prepare in advance. Moreover, you will find out the prices for excursions not when the information package of the Tour Tez is issued upon arrival, but only at a meeting with the guide. The return flight was delayed by 4 hours and was reported only an hour before the return transfer to the airport. Of course, if you knew about it at least 3 hours in advance, you could somehow plan the time differently, but nobody cares about that. But this is not the worst thing either. 5 minutes before arriving at Heraklion airport, the representative of Tez tour reported that Taimyr airline (aka Nord Star) allows only 15 kg in the form of baggage and 5 kg hand luggage... And all things are already packed in film, and the weight is calculated based on the standard charter requirements: 20kg per piece of luggage and 5kg of hand luggage. There is no limit to the indignation of those leaving, because in e-ticket the weight of luggage is indicated - 20 kg, but representatives of Tez tour with a cold smile ignore everything! They say that we ourselves must watch the requirements of the airlines, that with Nord Star they always have to listen to the claims of tourists. To the question "Was it possible to write about this feature in advance on the Tez tour bulletin board so that there were no scandals?", We got the same Hollywood mocking smile in response. Like, nothing personal, just business! This is some kind of conspiracy of silence between the travel agency and the tour operator. It is clear that Tez tour is in a share: after all, for each kg of overweight you will have to pay 3 euros, why give up additional money? The fact that the tourist could spend everything to the last, or the hotel does not have free internet - nobody cares! For a long time we have come to terms with the fact that abroad they treat us as people of not the first class, but when they try to additionally rob our own in rather nervous conditions of registration for departure - this is no way, brothers!
And here we were visited by an idea that has already visited many: that's it, basta, no tour operators and travel agencies! Now we book hotels and flights only ourselves! It is clear that soon there will be practically no travel agencies, now many tourists order and book everything themselves, and instead of fighting for a client, you get such rudeness, what else can you talk about ?!
In general, I liked the trip to Crete, we didn’t sit around in the hotel, went on excursions, traveled by car ourselves, looked a lot. To go or not to go to this hotel, and how to go - of course, the choice is yours. Study the reviews, compare with other hotels, figure out in advance where you would like to go, study the websites of the airlines you fly, before leaving the airport, be sure to look at the departure board, call the information desk: Domodedovo delayed all Greek and not only Greek flights. I tried to write as accurately and truthfully as possible about what I saw and experienced myself. I understand that my review stands out from the series of eulogies that are sung to this hotel. Who they sing by is another question: either they are written by the teacher of the Russian language, from whom Sofia takes lessons, or people were just lucky with the accommodation, or they do not travel much and, mainly, on three-star hotels, and saw something worse - I don't know!
I would like to wish the hotel staff success in their work and take into account different reviews. After all, if you want, you can limit the work of the hotel bar to 23 hours, or continue "meetings" in the pool bar, it is more separated from the rooms, there you can not disturb anyone. You can somehow diversify the breakfast menu, change the towels to softer ones, heat the water better, etc. There would be a desire! The hotel is, indeed, of the Soviet era, with appropriate furnishings, plumbing fixtures, antediluvian safes, poor soundproofing, etc. If this cannot be changed, then some other points that do not require global investments must be changed, because the price for this "three" is not very three-fold!
Friends, let me tell you in this review about one of my favorite beaches in Phuket - Mai Khao Beach. Why is he so good? Everything is very simple. Mai Khao is one of the most deserted beaches on the island with an impressive length of more than 10 kilometers! "And it's all?" - you ask, not understanding at all how difficult it is to find in Phuket deserted beach in the midst of the season. 🙂 But in fact, this is not all. Mai Khao is also the beach where planes land! An incredible sight, for the sake of which you can already break away from your home and rush almost to the very north of Phuket. 🙂
Below you will find my review of Mai Khao Beach with a lot of high-quality photos that perfectly capture the essence of this wonderful place.
By the way, subscribe to my Instagram. There I quickly spread the best photos and stories from my travels. 🙂
Mai Khao Beach on Phuket map
The beach is on west coast northern Phuket, far beyond Patong and adjacent to the south with Nai Yang Beach. Mai Khao occupies a line with a length of not much, not a little, almost 10 kilometers almost to the very bridge connecting Phuket with the mainland.
Mai Khao Beach - Review with photo from Travel or Die
South Mai Khao - Sirinath Park
Well, now let's take a closer look at the beach. You can get directly to the beach itself in at least two places - turning off the main road to the south and north of the airport.
1) If you turn south, then after driving past the fence behind which the airport is located, you will find yourself in national park Sirinath.
2) Entry cost the territory of the park will be 200 baht per adult and 100 baht per child.
3) In principle, you can enter the park for free, I personally don’t remember that someone would check tickets. This can be done both from the northern entrance to Mai Khao Beach, and if you turn off the main road in the area of \u200b\u200bNai Yang Beach. However, in this case, you will have to leave the car outside the park and walk to the beach.
4) The park is very nice. Unlike the part of Mai Khao Beach, which is located north of the airport, there is a shadow here that will save you from the merciless hell.
5) And what a calm and gorgeous water here! No waves, great visibility - a real paradise.
7) Locals come here for picnics.
8) There are not so many people here as on the main beaches of Phuket, but they are.
10) Mr. Krabs.
11) A view from the side of Sirinat Park to the Mai Khao receding beyond the horizon.
Mai Khao - a beach with planes overhead
After resting in the lagoon of Sirinath Park, I went to the part of the beach where the planes land overhead. It is literally a little over a kilometer from the park. In principle, you can clearly see how the planes land from the park, but this is a little different - close up the impression is a hundred times stronger!
14) Already from afar, you can see the crowd of greeters.
15) There are quite a few people on this heel during the season, but it is quite possible to find an angle and make a good shot with an airplane overhead.
16) And not only over the head, apparently.
17) People really try.
18) Take risks for a good shot.
19) In general, the spectacle is extremely spectacular, and most importantly free!
Central and northern Mai Khao - where there is no one
After taking a lot of pictures with the planes, we went to the place where the tourist's foot rarely steps - to the long part of Mai Khao Beach, located behind the airport. It's not difficult to get here, just move along the main highway and dive into the first exit you come across to the beach right after you pass the airport.
21) Next to a small shop, a huge boar is feeding.
22) Moving by car along the road along the coast, we got to Maikhao Dream Villa Resort and Spa, where we parked a wheelbarrow and moved through a pine forest to admire the beach.
23) And the beach did not disappoint us at all! Not very wide (25-30 meters), but very long and deserted strip of sand several kilometers long. The last time I saw this was during the low season.
24) And how it all looks from a height! Simply fantastic! North view.
25) And south towards the airport.
26) Pay attention to which part of the beach is "eaten" by the green carpet of plants creeping on the sand.
Reviewed and rated by Mai Kao from Travel or Die
Frankly, even though I personally liked the Mai Khao beach, even very much, but objectively it is difficult to call it a beach for everyone. Still, most tourists expect more developed infrastructure and other benefits of civilization from recreation, and on Mai Khao you will not find any evening and night life, or a decent choice of cafes and restaurants. Traveling somewhere without your own vehicle will be more than expensive. But if you want a secluded getaway away from the large crowds of tourists, of which there are plenty on the more popular beaches of the island, then this is the place for you. The main thing is not to be mistaken with the choice of a hotel and choose one where you will be offered so much good servicethat you will not feel the need to go out for lunches and dinners.
I also advise at least once to visit Mai Kao and to those who are staying in other places. At least for the sake of cool photos with planes landing over the beach, for the crystal clear water of Sirinat Beach and for the realization that there are places in Phuket where there is no one on the entire miles-long beach except you and a few other people.
Mai Kao's score: 9/10.
Hotels near Mai Khao
If you want to stay in Phuket in a quiet, secluded place without touching the huge crowds of tourists like on or off, then booking a hotel on Mai Khao is just a great idea.
There are not so many hotels on Mai Khao, only about 20-30 accommodation options. At the same time, most of the hotels are not very cheap, because refer to 4 * and 5 *, but there are also budget options, with a cost per night of the order of 1500-2000 rubles per room.
The most popular hotels in Mai Khao Beach are:
Where to book a hotel on Mai Khao Beach
To book hotels on Mai Khao, I advise you to use the Agoda website. This service belongs to the same holding as Booking, but unlike it, Agoda offers in Thailand, and in Asia as a whole, much more offers, and besides, they are also cheaper in 99% of cases. In terms of the quality of the services provided, they are absolutely identical, since work according to the same standards.
- You can select and book hotels on Kata Noi Beach through Agoda
- You can select and book hotels on Mai Khao Beach through Booking
By the way, if you suddenly prefer apartments and apartments to hotels, then for their rent it is best to use the AirBnB service - the most popular site in the field of private accommodation booking. Using the link you can get a discount of about $ 20 on your first booking.
Map of Mai Khao Beach Hotels
For a better understanding of which hotel is located, use the Mai Khao Hotel Card.
Maikhao Dream Villa Resort and Spa on Mai Khao Beach
Because we left our car just near this hotel, then I took a little of it outside, as well as on top of my drone.
Beaches near Mai Khao
Once you get fed up with Mai Khao, you will certainly want to visit other beaches in Phuket. There are enough of them in the north-west of the island, although the distances between them are quite large, so you cannot do without your bike or car. a taxi will objectively cost a lot. Closest to May Khao beach - this is Nai Yang, which is in the neighboring bay to the south. Further south is Knighton, a pleasant, medium-sized beach, and even further down the map you will find Banana Beach, a beautiful and secluded mini beach. The last beach that we advise you to pay attention to is the giant Bangtao, located next to a coniferous grove, in the shade of the trees of which it is very pleasant to relax on a hot day.
But this is only a small part of the interesting beaches on the island. If you are interested in a complete list of those, look for it in our article.
Mai Khao Beach in the photo
You can find even more of my photos of Mai Khao beach in a special photo album.
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Read the law on the official website of the President of the Russian FederationShe returned from about. Crete 2 weeks ago. Impressions about the rest are wonderful! I liked the hotel very much. I want to say right away that it is not for those who love hustle and bustle. There is no entertainment nearby. … More ▾ She returned from about. Crete 2 weeks ago. Impressions about the rest are wonderful! I liked the hotel very much. I want to say right away that it is not for those who love hustle and bustle. There is no entertainment nearby. You need to either go to Rethymno (4 km. To the right) or go to the neighboring village (about 1 km. To the left). Opposite the hotel, 50 meters away, there is a small, so to speak, "Super-market". You can buy fruits, water and everything else you need. 100 meters to the right, on one side of the hotel, there is a pay phone where you can call home. So, the hotel is clean, cozy and quiet, a beautiful palm park and generally a lot of greenery. Large and always clean pool. The staff is very attentive and efficient. Any problem is solved instantly. I had one, so they decided it instantly and everything is very friendly, with a smile. Only the hostess Maria speaks Russian and just a little Sofia at the reception, but this, in principle, is enough. A common language can be found with everything and always, if desired. You only need to behave like a human being, without folding. Don't forget that you are visiting. And don't read negative reviews Muscovites and Petersburgers, these bored gentlemen. The hotel is small, two-story, but with a lift. Some of the rooms overlook the road passing by, others on the pool, in the park. My room was on the second floor, cozy, clean and small, but for me one more is not necessary, especially since I only spent the night there. There were no problems with hot water for all 10 days. The towels were changed every day, but they were harsh, of course. True, this has its plus - they massage the body well. The air conditioner was still not very well located - right above the bed on the side. The room has a mini fridge, hairdryer, safe, for which I paid only 7 euros for 10 days. On the balcony there is a table and an armchair, as well as a dryer for towels and swimwear. On the wall opposite the bed is plasma and 3 Russian channels. The restaurant is located on the ground floor. The food was good, everything was in abundance. And the coffee is very tasty, and several types of local cheeses, and freshly squeezed orange juice for breakfast always. You want cold milk for coffee, you want hot milk. For dinner, several types of salads, at least 2 types of meat, several types of ice cream, dessert, watermelon, melon. In general, it was impossible for the hungry to leave. Everything is delicious and appetizing. In the right corner of the garden behind the pool is a path leading to the sea. Just 5 minutes of calm walk and here it is ... The beach is sandy, entry into the sea is convenient. Sun beds and umbrellas are of course paid, since the beach is municipal, but you can just lie on a towel or even sand. Right there on the shore there is a small tavern where you can always have a snack or drink something refreshing (and not only :-)).
In general, forward with a positive attitude! I wish you a great rest!
9,6
"Beautiful hotel and the area is all green, cleaning every day, close to the sea"
- ... Relaxation
- ... Group
- ... Accommodation for 8 nights
Far from the center, if not by car, you can wait a long time for a bus that runs every half hour. The paid drinks for dinner, of course, spoil the experience. If juices, tea, coffee and water were freely available, like for breakfast, it would be much nicer. Little fish / seafood for dinner.
The hotel looks the same as in the photos. There is a lot of greenery here and it is very beautiful, both outside and inside. The room is comfortable and very clean, cleaning is great (cleaned every day). Very nice staff, always helpful and prompting. Walk to the sea for 5 minutes along your own green path, and then past some farm with chickens. The area with the pool is also very pleasant, in the heat it is especially good to be in the shade, although the water smelled a little of bleach. The food is delicious, the choice of dishes is average (fish was very rare. Seafood (mussels) once). For dinner, drinks are all paid, including juices and water. Nearby there is a minimarket (2 minutes walk towards Rethymno), a supermarket (7 minutes walk in the opposite direction from Rethymno), stop (5 minutes towards Rethymno). The bus runs rarely - once every half hour. Sometimes you can not fit, then you have to wait for the next one (this was only once when we were driving from the city to the hotel). The beach in Rethymno is very long and wide, you don't notice people. We took a lot of photos where we couldn't see people at all. In the early days there was sand, but very strong waves. Then the sea threw beautiful stones, and it was painful to enter, but the water is clean and even transparent. The contingent is mostly aged Germans. There were practically no young people and Russians.
Residence time: October 2018
Russia7 marks "useful review"
9,6
"Sumptuously!"
- ... Relaxation
- ... Individual traveler
- ... Accommodation for 9 nights
Rested at the hotel from 29.05. to 07.06.2018 Everything was great !!! Cozy, small hotel, tastefully decorated interior, quiet, calm, good cleaning in the rooms, towels are changed every day, a beautiful garden on the territory. To the beach 200 m., Access to the beach through the garden along the path. Sandy beach, clear water. Very friendly and helpful staff, they try to help in everything. On the day of arrival at the reception I was greeted by a smiling, charming, benevolent Sofia, who speaks excellent Russian. She explained everything in detail, even went up to the room with me, showed me how to turn on the air conditioner, where is the refrigerator, etc. Argyro also works at the reception, she is also always very attentive, responsive and friendly. An amazing manager Maria, not a single hotel guest was deprived of her attention, she approached everyone, asked (in his native language!) If everything was in order, wished you bon appetit at breakfast and dinner. Excellent cuisine, everything is very tasty, varied menu, salads, cheeses, meat, fish dishes, seafood. I liked the puff pastry with a variety of fillings! Fantastically delicious bergamot jam and rose petals, figs and quince! The waiters are courteous and attentive. There was a barbecue evening (Maria hosted the program in 4 languages, including a little in Russian!) With a performance of dancers. And how great we all danced Sirtaki together! Wonderful hotel, great rest! 9 days passed quickly, so I didn't want to leave! MANY THANKS TO ALL THE WORKERS OF THE HOTEL! I will definitely come more than once !!!
Residence period: June 2018
