판바리 리조트(Panvaree Resort)

We booked last minute to stay at Panvaree and could only get availability in a "budget double room" above the restaurant and with no direct lake access. I was slightly apprehensive and kept checking to see if there had been any cancellations for the bungalows but this was not to be. All I can say is wow. Even in this room (which was still lovely) the whole experience was magical, the staff were incredible and the setting beyond words. Both my 9 year old son and I can't wait to have the time to go back again, hopefully for longer next time. Thank you so much.

My stay at Panvaree Resort was marred by a distressing incident, revealing the hotel's lack of medical preparedness. They directed me to a person purporting to be a nurse, offering expired medication at a charge. The manager's dismissive response compounded the issue. This negligence raises serious concerns about guest safety. Panvaree's approach to medical emergencies and their disregard for expired medication risks guests' well-being. Until addressed, I cannot recommend Panvaree Resort to fellow travelers.

I loved this place, its so peaceful and beautiful. I stayed 2 nights with food and trips included when booking direct. I even got to see wild Elephants which was my highlight. Its good value for money but your paying for location and the food was nice and staff friendly.

We stayed at the panvaree for 2 nights and it was a perfect stay. All of the meals and tours (except national park fee) were included in the price which was a surprise to us and amazing value. The tours were brilliant and our guide found wild elephants before any other boats did. We could hear gibbons from our bungalow in the morning and took some kayaks out to find them (kayaks also included in cost). It is a surreal place. The bungalow was great, very comfy pillows and beds, and jumping into the lake straight from our room was sensational. The staff were really friendly and there was a lovely relaxed vibe. We have already recommended a stay at this place to friends. Amazing hotel!

Panvaree Resort is a like a surreal dream. Nestled deep in Khao SoK national park it's a little difficult to get to, but well-worth the effort. We were greeted at the pier by Benny, Panvaree's friendly and helpful guest liaison (and tour guide and bartender extraordinaire,) and ferried by long tail boat to the most magical and beautiful spot. Panvaree's floating bungalows were beautiful, clean, cool, and relaxing. The food was delicious and the complimentary kayaks were fun to help us explore the scenery. Definitely take the included sunset/sunrise boat tours. The swimming was DIVINE! All the staff were friendly and helpful and Benny went far above and beyond with lending good guidance and helping us arrange travel for the next portion of our trip. Grateful for the privilege of visiting this amazing place.

Interesting set up of floating hotel rooms. Staff is anti-social, walk way between rooms could be dangerous for some. Not much to do there. Food less than adequate. Over priced, over rated, and a long 45 minute boat ride from dock, motor so loud I needed ear plugs. I suggest staying at another hotel on shore offering 24 hour electricity. Spend your money taking an early morning boat tour. We thought strange no birds, some said flooding canyon killed generations of birds. Two days, one night more than enough. Next we will return to Krabi same day. Hotel didn't wait for us for early morning tour, four rooms of friends. We had largest room prepaid, friends rented same room on upgrade for less money. Nothing special about this hotel, look at other locations.

Let’s start with the positives. The location of this resort is absolutely stunning, but that’s not difficult since Cheow Lan Lake is one of the most beautiful places in the world. Our room was clean and comfortable, with a working airconditioning between 17:00 and 09:00 hrs. The reason I am rating this location as poor has to do with staff and food. We booked a private tour through a third-party provider. We had our own guide and only used the resort for sleeping, eating and drinking. One of the first things that I noticed, that staff was considerably more friendly with all the guests that booked a tour directly with the resort. Giving them a warm welcome, and waiving them goodbye. During dinner service, the staff was much more engaging with the tour groups that booked directly with the resort. They certainly were not unfriendly with us, but the difference was clearly noticeable and I find this very strange. Then the food. It was one of the worst food experiences we had in Thailand, and I am very much used to eat authentic food from all over the country. Including the southern spicy Thai food. The food here was bland. No spices at all. Boring at best. An insult to the Thai kitchen. It was also clear that leftovers were used and recycled. In the evening, it was a bbq. Staff were all crowded around the grill. At someone point, about 5 to 6 people were ‘busy’ behind the bbq grilling sowers, and still it took ages for the food to be finished. We were told ‘5 minutes’, but these definitely were ‘Thai 5 minutes’. At one point, staff was eating all the food themselves and throwing a small party. Even though it was NYE, staff should be primarily focussed on serving their paying customers. Again, we saw them being very proactieve with ‘their tour group’. No one around to take drink orders, it took over 30 minutes to get served. The breakfast was sub par, mediocre at best. Cheap ingredients and food that was clearly yesterday’s bbq. It would be interesting to know if all the positive reviews are from guests booking directly with the review. And it these people have ever eaten authentic Thai food as opposed to the low quality stuff served here.

I don't understand the bad reviews. Maybe these people have very different expectations about a "luxury but raw" nature-experience in Thailand and for this price-point. But for us it exceeded every expectation honestly! We booked directly through the website and got an amazing experience from start to end. We traveled with 2 young kids (2yo and 5yo). It's not the safest environment for them off course but we knew this and came prepared. If you have young kids who are used to running by themselves everywhere and all the time and who you can't control to hold a hand/stand still somewhere/wear a life jacket a lot, then I wouldn't do it with small kids! To dangerous! We had a private house mostly to avoid to disturb other guests to much with the noises from our kids. The lake was very calm on the night we were there and this actually made it a very silent environment to sleep! The kids slept great although it got little warm on the mezzanine. We brought our own deryan baby tent for the 2yo. The house was very clean, considering the age and location of the accommodation. I really am a clean freak at home and I am very scared of bugs/spiders etc but I felt very at ease here the whole time. We all had a swim in the lake, the water was very warm! They had a fitting life jacket for the 5yo and we brought our own for the 2yo. Food was as expected/seen on the photos before and was a bit bland but therefore enjoyed by everyone! The included tours were more then enough for us with the kids. A one hour boat ride was a maximum for them to enjoy it. We opted to pay more for a private boat again to not disturb the other guests with our childrens noise. This made it very unique and a touching experience for all of us. The lake is so beautiful and just to be in this place and take in all the beauty of nature is really enough of an "activity" for us. The staff was very friendly and helpful indeed with the limited English but in the end they understood what was important. They could be more "joyfull" and make more "atmosphere " for sure, to make it more like a group-backpackers-mass tourism-like experience. So maybe some people miss that kind of enthusiasm from the staff, but I think this place is then not the right one for you. Because that would really ruin the peaceful and silent experience this is. You have to be in touch with nature/listen to the silence of the place and the sounds of nature. Staff is there to serve you and take care of you but not for your entertainment. We honestly thought that was a good thing and an advantage and therefore we would do this experience again in a blink! Given the included food, tours, comfort of the house/linnen/towels/... we thought the whole trip was great value for money actually, especially since we paid for a private house and private boat. This is really a unique experience!

We stayed for one night as a private trip we booked with a local guide. I had wanted a bungalow with air con and really liked the look of the views. The bungalow was very clean and the staff were friendly and helpful. I'm not sure why people are moaning on here? What level do you expect on a floating bungalow in the middle of a lake? We thought it was breathtaking and a highlight of our holiday. A few things to note: the electricity and therefore AC isn't turned on until 5pm and after having struggled with heat exhaustion that day, arriving the the boiling hot restaurant (no fans) was a real struggle. I have to say though, that once they saw I was struggling, fans were turned on and they really looked after me. A cold shower helped and then I could relax as the sun set behind the mountains. The scenery is absolutely beautiful. Pictures don't do it justice! The lunch was nice, dinner OK and as others have said, big portions. We are so glad we booked a private trip on the lake as our guide and boat driver were able to fi d lots of wildlife for us. It was a dream to wake up and listen to the gibbons haunting calls across the mountains, and although I was told I probably wouldn't see them, our guides hit the jackpot. My favourite animal and a trip to remember all my life. Looking at the greenery across the way, I actually thought our room was better as we had direct access to the lake as well as our own bathroom. It was much cheaper and the same beautiful views! Overall, definitely stay on the lake and don't be pit off with these reviews.