Staying at the Devasom Khao Lak

Since we booked our trip to Thailand, the place we were most excited to stay was the Devasom Khao Lak resort. This hotel had only just opened up, and we were some of the first guests to have stayed here. Looking back, I cannot think of a single hotel that could surpass the quality and service that we experienced in the Devasom Khao Lak, it truly was a very special place…

Getting to the Devasom Khao Lak from Phuket

We landed at Phuket airport early in the morning as we wanted to get the most out of the day. The wait for the luggage at Phuket was rather stressful affair as my suitcase was missing its padlock. Luckily for us, nothing was missing. After we investigated this, apparently it happens a lot here so they can prove they are checking bags. So, if it happens to you do not be too alarmed.

Outside of the airport was our transfer to the Devasom Khao Lak, a good hour or so away by car. I would definitely recommend a private transfer. It is a really nice journey and you can enjoy the views of the Thai countryside. Within the hour, we reached the town of Khao Lak itself, which unfortunately was made famous due to the dreadful tsunami that devastated it in 2003. When we arrived, the city was abuzz with the Songkran festival, so water fights were dominating the main street.

Once you pass through the town, you will come across a small lane that veers off towards the beach. You then go off-piste for a short while before getting to the Devasom Khao Lak grounds.

Arrival at the Devasom Khao Lak

My first impressions of the Devasom were impressive. The grand, white building looks almost colonial and it gets even better when you enter it. The lobby has stunning views of the local estuary and ocean. You also get the scent of all the tropical flowers, sounds of the exotic birds and of course, a complimentary welcome drink. Our drink actually contained a certain liquor that changed colour from a pale white to a light purple when mixed with lemongrass. They called it the secret ingredient!

Because of our flight time, our room was not ready yet. I would suggest arriving this early though if you can. Whilst your room may not be ready, you can chill by their beautiful pool and tuck into the food.

The grounds of the Devasom are stunning and I loved walking around it. I found it surprising that the humidity was not as high as it had been in Bangkok. The pool area is set up perfectly, with a large infinity pool that looked outwards onto the ocean and beach. You also get views of the estuary, where you can see large white egrets and dazzling blue kingfishers.

At the pool area is the main restaurant. There is a tropical, boho theme that runs throughout the hotel. It all feels very posh, expensive and exclusive. You will feel spoilt and in paradise, which is very much the idea behind the entire hotel.

I will get to the food a bit later, but the seafood and a cocktail we had whilst we waited were scrummy.

Our Room

When we had been booking the holiday, we had opted for a Jacuzzi room. I loved this room, but I do have a regret. For a little more (Thai hotels are not as expensive as those in the West), we could have got a pool room. If you can, upgrade to this. You will get a private pool and it will save you walking back and forth to the pool area.

Nonetheless, our room was still incredible. To this day (I am editing this in 2024), it is the best hotel room I’ve stayed in. We had a large king-size bed, which was opposite a large television. However, the star of the living quarters was the balcony. It had a fantastic view of the estuary and ocean, and obviously came with a Jacuzzi and a seating area.

We also had a large bathroom, which had TWO large walk-in showers and a standalone bath. The bathroom also had a door to the balcony, meaning you can have private al-fresco showers with a view.

If you are looking for high-end luxury in Khao Lak, I do not think you can find better than this…

The Beach Area

Because of the location of Khao Lak, storms are quite common in the afternoon and evening. These probably last an hour or so and then subside quickly.

On our first day, after the storm, we decided to go down to the beach and have a little explore. The immediate beach area is lovely. You have a lagoon to paddle in with lots of little sea creatures that live there. The beach does go on for miles and meets the other hotels, but it still felt pretty empty.

I also would like to add that you get the most stunning and gorgeous sunsets here. Be prepared to see colours in the sky you just did not think were possible.

Breakfast at the Devasom Khao Lak

When we were staying at the Devasom Khao Lak, the breakfast was purely sensational. There was everything you could ever want from a good breakfast. You could have a continental, full English, pancakes, Chinese. There were also at least 10 different types of jam (yes, you read that right!).

The best part about it is that it is all-you-can-eat. Each morning, we had a good hour or so tucking into some of the best hotel food you can imagine. Because of the size of the hotel, I also never found breakfast too busy. Plus, the variety changed each day and I never got bored of the selection. Again, up there with the top breakfasts I have ever had.

Adding to it all is the place to eat. The the breakfast was served at an outside restaurant, and we were surrounded by hummingbirds and kingfishers. We also saw the odd monitor lizard that slowly strolled across the lawn.

Excursions

Being by the beach, the Devasom have a lot of different excursions for you to do. Whilst they offered snorkelling on-site, the only one we took advantage of was renting a canoe. You can then paddle this along the estuary. We thought it would be an amazing idea. However, after only five minutes or so, we realised that this was not the sport for us. Needless to say, I needed a large coconut cocktail after that! I would say though that, whilst chaotic, I did enjoy the sights and sound of the estuary.

The Devasom also offer bikes to rent to cycle around Khao Lak. Whilst we never did this, I have massive regrets and would have really liked to. Again, it is all included so it could be well worth your time. If you want to go further afield, you have plenty of places to see nearby. Phuket and James Bond Island (Phang Na Bay) are both only an hour away. You also have lots of snorkelling / diving sites in the area, such as the Similan Islands and Khao Na Yak.

Whilst not officially part of the Devasom, just down the beach is a lovely restaurant called 8 fish. I loved the food at the hotel, but it was upmarket and pricey. However, 8 fish sold cocktails for 99 baht each… So about £2? We had good experiences there, and feasted on Thai food and cocktails, all whilst taking in the stunning scenery.

Dinners at the Devasom

Food at the Devasom were always amazing. From pizza to fillet steaks, each meal was a treat. Just again though, be warned that it is more expensive than you think. Probably on-par with London prices.

A real star though is the offering of dinner on the beach. This is expensive, but it was probably the best food I have eaten in my life. However, on our evening a large thunderstorm was predicted, and so we were given a large room at the bottom of their hotel tower.

The staff set up an utterly perfect evening (shout out to Spy!), with candles arranged in a spiral pattern around the room. We also had our own personal waitress and chef for the evening. We had both opted for a steak for our main course. The chef cooked it right in front of us, and decorated it to look like the islands surrounding the famous town of Koh Panyi. It was, without a doubt, magical.

Spy, our lovely waitress, had also a little surprise for us. She loved photography and blogging too, and at the end of the night took us down to the beach to set off a Chinese lantern.

This was our engagement meal and the hotel really made us feel special. It was genuinely a perfect night, and it was all thanks to the Devasom hotel.

The Devasom Khao Lak – Final Thoughts

If you are staying in Khao Lak, or visiting Thailand, you need to stay here. Not only is the hotel arguably the best we have ever stayed at, but there is something magical here. I love the setting, the décor. It all works perfectly. The staff are also incredible. Our engagement dinner had a lot of thought and effort put into it and, when we both had bad heatstroke, the manager even came herself to look after us. I love this hotel and would fly back to Thailand just to eat their steak and swim in their pool.

Staying at the Devasom Khao Lak | Our Amazing Experience