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KURAMATHI - Guest Comments

Uniquely, this island has three separate hotels on it, although all of them are owned and run by the same company. The standard "Kuramathi Village" occupies the eastern end, the up-market "Kuramathi Cottage" is in the middle and the slightly less up-market "Kuramathi Blue Lagoon" is on the western tip.

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Guests are free to move about between the resorts (a bus runs up and down all day) to try out the other restaurants and bars, the varied nightlife or simply to explore. Every night there is some live band, disco or beach party at one or other resort. The whole island is most attractively landscaped and the low, thatched buildings fit handsomely into the environment. The three resorts are, nonetheless, quiet clearly graded.

The standard of interior design and the materials used inside the Kuramathi Village bar, restaurant and rooms is moderate at best, but that is why it is to the lower-side. The bar is an unpretentious, lively place that tends to stay open later than those of the other hotels. A pertinent reason for this is that about 80% of the guests here are on all-inclusive deals. On Kuramathi that covers a range of common drinks, snack, one excursion and one fishing trip.

Please CLICK below links for the prices of the respective activities at "Kuramathi Village":

Diving prices |  Excursions prices |  Snorkelling gears prices |  Boat Hire prices |  WaterSports  prices  

The restaurant is ordinary looking, and so is the food. This is a good reason (and this may not be accidental) to try out the alternative restaurants. At the Village this is the adobe grill serving fine meat, fish and seafood on the beach. There is a 5% discount for those on half and fullboard.

The 144 rooms range from the basic block rooms (70) to the larger, lighter round bungalows (44) and onto the well appointed, shady and cozy wooden bungalows (30). The block rooms have the advantage of being closer to the bar and restaurant and the good beach. The other rooms are on a quiet part of the island, but the beach pretty much disappears at high tide.

The Kuramathi Cottage has 50 water bungalows all in a row, and 33 beach bungalows. The water bungalows are best rooms on the island (and are exactly the same as those on Baros), with good textiles and excellent fixtures and fittings, a minibar, telephone, bedside radio and a verandah on three sides with steps down to the lagoon. A short swim away is a fine, long reef. The beach rooms are cozy and they could be considered as garden bungalows rather than beach bungalows.

There is a man-made beach behind the bungalows which is not too bad, but the main beach is on the other (inside atoll) side, where the watersports centre for all three hotels is sited (and the tennis court). The bar, restaurant, and lounge building of the cottage are exclusive looking and, especially in the evening with thoughtful lighting in and around the place, it is particularly conducive to relaxed drinking and dancing. The two specialty restaurants are Chinese and the Palm Court Grill.

Please CLICK below links for the prices of the respective activities at "Kuramathi Cottage":

Diving prices |  Excursions prices |  Snorkelling gears prices |  Boat Hire prices |  WaterSports  prices  

The Kuramathi Blue Lagoon is recognized as the quietest of the three, attracting families and a less young crowd. It is also the smallest, with just 20 water bungalows and 30 beach rooms. The bungalows have been redecorated to a high standard, while the beach rooms are plain but comfortable and well built.

Please CLICK below links for the prices of the respective activities at "Kuramathi Blue Lagoon":

Diving prices |  Excursions prices |  Snorkelling gears prices |  Boat Hire prices |  WaterSports  prices  

The bar, restaurant and lounge area is compact and comfortable, with a pleasant sundeck. At sunset decks gather here to watch the feeding of stingrays.

Outside the beach rooms is the longest stretch of open sand on the island, but the price to pay for this is a prominent sea wall. And at the very western tip is a lip of sand where romantics gather each day to watch the sun go down.

Each resort has its own dive centre and the real prize is the nearby hammerhead shark site which is otherwise only accessible to safari boats or divers from North Ari getting up before dawn.