MOONLIGHT Exotic Bay Resort

Moonlight Bay Resort has a bit of a wild and secluded feel to it. While the entrance sits right on the main road on Lanta's west coast, much of the resort lies hidden on a small, remote beach. The resort itself sits across a wooden bridge that spans a small canal leading down to the sea. The bungalows are concrete but pleasantly interspersed among the trees, and are well shaded. The higher-end lodgings sit along the rocky and windswept beachfront. In the rainy season, a guest might feel like Robinson Crusoe, with plenty of pounding surf and tree branches shaking in the wind. The hotel underwent major renovations in 2015, including a stylish overhaul of the lobby and restaurant and the addition of Pool Access Rooms around a second swimming pool.

Moonlight Bay Resort is located along tiny, rocky Khlong Toab beach, more than halfway down Koh Lanta's west coast. It's a good 20-minute drive up the coast to the ferry pier and main town of Saladan, but the road is paved. For restaurants (aside from the resort's Chomtalay), shops, and bars, guests need to drive five minutes down the road to Khlong Nin, or north to Khlong Khong. For those without cars, there are tuk-tuk taxis. This area feels more secluded than other parts of the island, as the coast is not built up.

The well-maintained rooms feature fine hardwood floors, plus wood desks, cabinets, and hardwood beds. All rooms come with safes, tea- and coffee-making facilities, flat-screen TVs with satellite channels, beach baskets, and free Wi-Fi. Bathrooms are small but modern, with designer-style sinks and showers. Standard Hilltop View rooms require climbing stairs, and don't offer much in the way of views, while Sea View Rooms overlook the water. Beach View Rooms with deck whirlpools offer the best views of the water, and their large, sliding-glass doors let in plenty of light. Canal View Rooms, which sit at the front of the property where a canal flows through the grounds, underwent renovation in 2015. Pool Access Rooms, which face a small second swimming pool, were also added at that time.

The Moonlight Bay Resort has a a spa offering Swedish massage and traditional Thai therapies, and includes breakfast in the room rate. There is a small swimming pool with a kids section, as well as a smaller pool attached to the swim-up rooms. A computer is available for guests' use in the Library. A small meeting room and free bicycle rental are available. The restaurant, Chomtalay, serves Thai and international food, and in addition to breakfast, serves an a la carte lunch and dinner from a renovated open-air palapa. The renovated beach bar is a good place to watch the sun do down.