Shantaa Koh Kood — Beach Villas on Ao Tapao with Garden Bathrooms Open to the Sky
Koh Kood is the big island at the far eastern end of Thailand — the boat from Trat takes the better part of an hour to get there. Once you arrive, people tend to ask for somewhere quiet right on the water, and the name that keeps coming up is Shantaa Koh Kood. An island family opened it back in 2004 and deliberately kept it small — around 20 villas spread across 35 rai on the west coast, the side that watches the sun drop into the sea every evening. What guests mention again and again is the open-air garden bathrooms and the wide lawn that rolls right down to the shore — and it currently sits at #1 of 17 Koh Kood resorts on TripAdvisor.
Shantaa has been open since 2004, run by a family who grew up on Koh Kood itself. They kept it deliberately small — around 20 villas across 35 rai — so the place never feels crowded. The design is modern colonial: white timber houses with hipped roofs, plain and unassuming from outside but roomy within. Villas come in several sizes, from the Shantaa Sweet for two up to the Shantaa Villa and Extra Sweet Plus that sleep up to four. Nearly every one has a private timber deck with folding glass doors that open right up to the sea breeze.
The thing guests talk about most isn't the bed or the view — it's the bathroom. Many villas put the bathroom in an open-air garden, with a tub set among green plants and the sky overhead. By day, sunlight filters through the leaves; at night you can look up at the stars while you bathe. That single detail is why TripAdvisor reviews keep calling it a dream bathroom. The main restaurant serves Thai food and seafood on the water, while Ghati Cafe is the coffee corner overlooking the bay, where you can sit and watch boats come and go all afternoon.
"Open the door in the morning and the sea is right there, bathe in a garden under open sky, and at night it's quiet enough to hear the waves — you come here to do absolutely nothing."
The lawn in front of the resort is generous and slopes down to the shore, with sun loungers and umbrellas set under the coconut palms. This is the sunset spot people return for most: because Shantaa faces west, the sun goes down over the water directly in front of you in the evening. There's a swimming pool for a dip, and the resort lends out kayaks and paddleboards free of charge, so you can paddle along the coast at your own pace.
Worth knowing before you book — the shore directly in front of the resort is rocky, not a sandy swimming beach. If you want sand under your feet, the white sand of Ao Tapao beach is about 200 metres away, an easy walk. Koh Kood itself is still very quiet, and there's barely anything in the way of shops or activities right around the resort. Anyone who wants nightlife or a late-night food run may find it lonely — but if you came to genuinely switch off, that quiet is exactly the point.
The Trip.com score sits at 9.7/10 from 46 reviews — service scores 9.9 and cleanliness 9.8, with staff repeatedly praised for attentive care and remembering guests by name. The honest gripes: the kitchen closes fairly early, with dinner orders taken until around 9 pm, after which the resort falls silent. Some reviewers note the breakfast selection is limited, and the smallest villa category is on the compact side — useful to know so you can pick the right room from the start.
On price, Shantaa starts at roughly ฿4,200/night for a smaller villa in normal periods — reasonable for a private beachside villa on an island this hard to reach. High season (November–February) sees rates climb and rooms fill quickly, since there are only around 20 of them. The resort also closes for the low season each year, roughly mid-May to September during the monsoon, so check the opening dates before you plan anything.
The bottom line: Shantaa Koh Kood works best for couples or anyone wanting to slip away somewhere quiet and beachside on an island that hasn't been overrun. It isn't a five-star luxury resort — it's a boutique stay that's attentively run, spotlessly clean, and full of its own character from those garden bathrooms to the sunset view. If you want more space and the budget stretches, the Shantaa Extra Sweet Plus sleeps four and has a larger deck.
Summary from Booking & Agoda
- ✓ Villas spotlessly clean and well kept in every detail
- ✓ Staff attentive and warm, remember guests
- ✓ Open-air garden bathrooms genuinely distinctive
- ✓ Quiet and private — a real switch-off stay
- ! Kitchen closes early — dinner orders until around 9 pm
- ! Rocky shore out front — sandy beach is a 200 m walk
- ! Very quiet surroundings, almost no shops or activities nearby
- ✓ Modern colonial design — plain white timber houses
- ✓ Wide lawn sloping to the shore, beautiful sunset spot
- ✓ Thai food and seafood on the water well-reviewed
- ✓ Free kayaks and paddleboards to borrow
- ! Smallest villa category is fairly compact
- ! Breakfast selection is limited
- ! Resort closes for low season (roughly May–September) during the monsoon
- 💡If you want to swim straight off the beach — the shore in front of the resort is rocky, not sand → the white sand of Ao Tapao is about 200 m away and far better for swimming
- 💡If you like late dinners or nightlife — the kitchen closes around 9 pm and the surroundings are very quiet → keep snacks in the villa or plan an early dinner
- 💡If you're travelling in the rainy months — the resort closes for low season, roughly mid-May to September → confirm the opening dates before booking boat tickets and a room