NEW HUT BUNGALOWS

Lamai Beach | Koh Samui | Thailand

Date of Stay:  January 2015

Room Type:  Bungalow with fan and shared bathroom

Price per night:  500 Thai Baht

Ratings:

When I found New Hut Bungalows, I was quite simply looking for somewhere affordable to stay as close to the beach as possible. New Hut bungalows ticked both boxes as they are absolute beachfront with the high tide mark only metres from the row of bungalows. Located on the southern end of Lamai Beach, New Hut is far enough to be at the quiet and more affordable end of the beach but still only a 15 minute walk into the centre of Lamai. 

Lamai is quieter than it’s nearby neighbour Chaweng and while it still has plenty of nightlife, restaurants and every convenience available, it has a more relaxed atmosphere and the beach is much calmer than the wind swept ocean at Chaweng. Chaweng is approximately twenty minutes away by local bus away and the airport is around half an hour in a taxi.

​The brightly coloured bungalows stand out on the beachfront and this rustic little property has (in my opinion) one of the nicest sections of Lamai Beach, lined with palm trees and swept daily by the staff, making an ideal spot to sunbake or read a book.

New Hut has a variety of accommodation from family bungalows with air conditioning and private bathroom, to the simple A-frame beach huts that I stayed in. The huts themselves are very basic with two single bed mattresses on the floor, a fan and a small shelf with power points. I stayed here alone and I have to say that it could become slightly claustrophobic with two people, as there would be barely enough room for luggage if both beds were being used.

The other problem I encountered during my stay was the sand. Because the bungalows are built directly on the sand, it is completely impossible to keep the sand out of your bungalow. Brooms are provided in each bungalow but I found this didn’t really help. It would be great if they could provide a tap for washing feet or even a small bowl of water to rinse your feet in before getting into bed.

​The attached restaurant serves up a wide variety of meals, both western and Thai and all at fairly reasonable prices. They also do a seafood BBQ on certain nights with a good selection of fresh seafood, cooked to your liking. The bar has a good selection of drinks and some of the cheapest beer I’ve seen during their daily Happy Hour. The bar however is simply a part of the restaurant and not really the type of atmosphere for a big night out., rather a good location for few drinks with dinner or a some sunset Happy Hour beers.

There is a toilet and shower block with around five toilets and five cold water showers. These were kept clean at all times however it is slightly frustrating that they don’t provide toilet paper and instead insist that you buy it from the small shop in the restaurant.

Overall, New Hut is a great little place to stay for a few nights where you can simply chill out and enjoy the beach but still close enough for a short walk into Lamai either along the beach or via the road. The main downside of this property would be the size of the A-frame bungalows, however as mentioned, I stayed here alone and had plenty of room to spread my luggage out on the spare bed.