What an extraordinary surprise this has been for two Canadians rescued at the end of a long road. Your hospitality and good will saved our holiday, renewed our spirits, and have left us in awe of this land and the Thai spirit.
Thank you Dao and Randy for making our time here so precious. Your place, your relationship, your approach to life – are the reason people travel.
Underneath it all, we seek the humane spirit and Dao’s Bungalows left us renewed and thankful.
May all of your endeavors, and the flow of your lives, be satisfying and full of peace.
Sincerely,
Marnie and Allan
A wonderful place, the kindest people ever. It’s like home, no stress. We feel like one big family.
There is nothing Dao and Co. can’t fix.
With a smile, Kam Pun makes the best Thai food ever, better than any restaurant.
If you have a lonely night, ask Dao to play poker.
The “Bungalows” are very nice and have everything you need there.
We will come back, and tell everybody about this place.
Thanks for everything!
Alex, Jennifer, Lars, Sussi – Sweden
We came for a few nights and liked it so much that we stayed for 10! We will certainly recommend your place to anyone traveling to this area.
Dao, your hospitality is terrific. And the meals provided by Kam Pun were equally so. Dao you have been the best host we have encountered on our 4 month trip. We wish you all the best and we recommend your bungalows whole heatedly.
Rob & Judy – Canada
After six weeks traveling around on motorbikes in Thailand, we were exploring this part of Krabi and found this peaceful place, including two lovely people Dao and her sister.
They really took care of us all the time.
Many thanks for three very nice and lovely days in one of your beautiful bungalows.
Rose-Marie, Sweden
6th Feb 2011 to 18th Feb 2011
If you are sitting here, then there is no point on writing about the beauty of both the people or the place, a single word will do.
“Paradise”
We came for 4 days as part of our tour of Thailand and stayed 12 and we are still reluctant to leave, but know we will return.
To Dao and her family, thank you thank you thank you, and wish you lots of love and happiness.
Alon and Carol, Scotland
P.S. If you are not sitting here while you’re reading this, you are in the wrong place. 
Dear Dao and family, 3/2/2011
We’ve always been searching for a place like this here. It’s so wonderful, peaceful, and quiet. That’s what we want. We’re traveling about 4 weeks in Malaysia and Thailand you know, and travel is hard work.
At this place, we can take new energy for our next trip and we come back soon to you.
Liebe Grüße
Detlef und Ona
Greetings from Germany
Such a nice place, so quietful (when there is no festival!) and beautiful!
Such a nice family, and especially Dao is the spirit of this place. She is so kind and helpful, doing everything so easy for her guests.
All that explains why, instead of 2 days we wanted to stay, we decided to stay 10 days.
We will be obliged to come back to visit more Thailand and, of course we will come to revisit you again.
Thank you so much for everything.
Love
Pierre and Evelyne
France
March 3rd, 2011
If you have a need to relax – then you should go to Dao’s bungalows at Had Yao. Together with Dao, her sister Kam Pun, and brother in law Sam Ran, we have spent eight lovely days of total tranquility in a beautiful open green garden next to the sea.
We thank you Dao for your smile and laughter. You are a positive and caring woman and have been the best possible host. You are as Bob the Builder a true and hardworking entrepreneur.
We almost forgot – we had probably the best Thai food ever – thank you Kam Pun.
Dao, we wish you and your husband Randy the very best of luck with your project and will highly recommend a stay at Dao’s Bungalows to all our friends at home… and we will be back!
Loving thoughts,
Lars and Solveig
Denmark
Never having visited Thailand, we put our entire trust in the hands of Randy and Dao, and we not only had an incredible experience, but made life long friends.
I have been trying to explain to myself and others just what Thailand is like, and I wasn’t able to articulate the sum of the effect, so we went back for a second visit in the same year.
After digesting that visit, as good or better than the first, I have come to the following:
Freedom! Not what we expect in America, but the freedom we could taste and smell and feel coursing through our young bodies when we would look at the world through a child’s eyes on a quiet summer morning, a freedom full of promise and knowing that ANYTHING was possible, and we could not be defeated in the attempt.
Singing of birds awaken you at dawn, and immediately the murmur of the sea kissing the sand, the breeze in the branches, and the aromas of rich earth mingled with the blessing of the salty tang of the sea awaken the wonder of a day of promise ahead.
If you have had the great pleasure of the bounty of fruits available in the tropical regions, you will just begin to understand what it is like to stroll into the meeting house to a veritable banquet of the most succulent, ripe fruit, just picked the day before, prepared for your breakfast, by the delightful family always smiling joking and singing. (They also make a rice soup that I will not attempt to describe, they will teach you how to make it yourselves).
We tried to count the number of different species of birds and couldn’t, I called to the water buffalo across the road, so I could get the right photo, and he walked straight toward me, We helped harvest honey from a wild hive, we picket food from the garden for our meals, we shopped with Dao at the open air market, of unbelievable variety, color, sampled foods we couldn’t identify, saw the elusive reclusive water monitor lizard, fed the monkeys, walked the beach again, received the best two hour massages imaginable, laughed and laughed some more, walked through the oldest lowland jungle on earth, visited Buddhist temples and were the first “Farongs “ to attend a ceremony at the local Wat, swam and floated in the pool while listening to Randy practice his guitar and sing the blues, while the eagles soar overhead.
While you eat breakfast and get the language, cooking, and cultural lessons, you are looking over the infinity pool, through the trees to the sea, which will ultimately lure you to the shore for a long secluded walk, from which you will return with more shells than you could possibly carry in your luggage, you will fill the memory card and deplete the batteries in your camera, and the unbridled joy of youth will flood your being, and its not even time for lunch.
There is no doubt that we shall return.
Michael Gray
Honolulu, Hawaii
In September 2007, I visited Randy and Dao’s retreat in Thailand. It was one of the most beautiful and relaxing vacations of my life. The beautiful beaches, food, sights and most of all hospitality were outstanding. Some of the highlights of the trip were visiting the island of Lipe which has some of the most beautiful beaches in the world, visiting with the Monks and worshiping in a Buddhist temple, sightseeing and a fantastic two hour massage in nearby Krabbi, a ride on an elephant and a short stop in Malaysia.
The rooms are spacious and luxurious and the food was excellent. Fresh coconuts right off the trees on the property! Beautiful birds and wildlife were everywhere. I hope to return someday to see the expansion of bungalows, and enjoy some yoga and the new tennis courts. But more importantly to see Randy & Dao again and enjoy their hospitality and priceless friendship.
Pattie Smith
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Aloha Randy and Dao,
I want to pass along to you and your wonderful staff my heartfelt thanks for the most amazing vacation experience ever! I have been blessed with years of global travel in fabulous locations and must say that I am completely blown away with the exotic beachfront setting, beautiful and unique luxury accommodations, fantastic food and incredible guest service at your retreat center! Your people are amazing and really make it special!
I had so much fun playing badminton on your huge manicured lawn with Dao and Duen I don’t know when I ever laughed so much! Jogging on the endless empty beach early mornings with Duen, and then coming back to swim in the pool… Randy, that’s the nicest swimming pool I’ve ever been in! The no chlorine technology you installed keeping the pH the same as the human eye is the coolest thing ever! Swim all day eyes wide open no problem…AMAZING! Top it off with a fantastic Thai massage and great music… I felt like I could melt right into the lush beautiful landscape!
I enjoyed the fresh market at nearby Nua Klong, the colorful sights and sounds and wonderful smell of fresh Thai cooking! OH the FOOD… AMAZING! Even the cold beer tastes better in Thailand! Riding the long tail boat to the island of Koh Jum and exploring the stunning white sand beaches was real cool too!
I have so many great memories thanks to you and your crew, I really feel like I have had a back stage pass to the best of Thailand. What great people! What a great country! I came home with a big smile renewed and refreshed. I am looking forward to returning again next year in February, perhaps we could do that cool blues festival in Phuket together?
Please give my warmest Aloha to all of your staff, they really took good care of me while on property, and made it fun and safe when we took exciting excursions and had great adventures outside of the retreat. Special thanks Randy… to you and Dao! It’s real clear the level of thoughtfulness, attention to detail, love and care that you have put into making Thai Beach Retreat Krabi special, congratulations it sure does work! Duen, Samut, Winn, and Titt all made me feel like family, and that feels real good!
Until next time… Warmest love and Aloha from sunny Maui!
ROCK
My stay at the Thai Beach Retreat is one that I will always cherish.
Randy and Dao are superb in making you feel welcome and helping you experience total relaxation. I loved my cozy bungalow which was surrounded by beautiful palm trees and the sound of ocean waves and tropical birds.
My walks on the beach were great, as I have never seen more beautiful sunsets and cloud formations. The scenery is breathtaking!
After a busy day of shopping and sightseeing, we relaxed by the Infiniti pool and soaked up the Thai sun.
Our meals were genuine Thai Cuisine prepared by Dao, who is an excellent cook and very accommodating to individual preferences.
Randy and Dao also took us to the island of Lipe where we snorkeled in aquamarine water – the coral was spectacular!
At night we were served dinner on the beach and ate fish that was caught the same day – delicious!
This trip should be at the top of your list.
Thanks Randy and Dao!
Debbie Walker
