The Anda Mani Khao Lak

Ten Villas on One of Khao Lak’s Most Secluded Beaches

13 viewsBy Willy Thuan · Living in Phuket since 1994

The Anda Mani is one of the smallest luxury properties on the Andaman Coast, with just ten villas and suites on a private stretch of Lam Kaen Beach, the southernmost and quietest section of the Khao Lak coastline. Khao Lak-Lam Ru National Park sits directly adjacent to the Anda Mani, acting as a natural buffer against the busier resort zones to the north. The beach in front of the resort is calm, uncrowded and genuinely beautiful, with no rows of sunbeds to compete over.

The Anda Mani is adults-only. Owner and General Manager Kris Priyajana runs the resort on a “feel at home” philosophy, which shows in the details: complimentary minibar items on arrival, afternoon cocktails and nibbles included, all-day hot drinks, and personalised notes left in rooms. The scale of the property makes genuine personal service possible in a way that no 200-room resort can replicate. Guests who have stayed repeatedly single out the staff as the defining reason for returning.

(349 reviews) #1 of 7 hotels in Lam Kaen

The Rooms

All ten units at The Anda Mani are villas or suites, each with teak and palm wood furniture, a private terrace or balcony, spa bath, rainshower, 44-inch smart TV with Netflix, stocked minibar, and sea, garden, pool or mountain views. Premier Suites sit on the ground floor with a private porch and a couple’s soaking tub. The Family Suite occupies the second floor with a large balcony and room for up to three adults. Premier King Suites on the upper level have high ceilings and wide ocean views.

Oceanfront Villas are the standout category, positioned directly on the beach with a raised king bed designed to face the ocean view and a private terrace with nothing between the guest and the sea. The Villa with Couples Bath adds a large shared soaking tub as a central feature.

All units have complimentary minibar items replenished on arrival, daily housekeeping, bathrobes, slippers and bidets. Beds are consistently described as exceptional. The intimacy of the property means guests can request almost anything and receive a personal response rather than a call centre reply.

Restaurants and Dining

The Anda Mani only has one restaurant, serving Asian and international cuisine in a beachfront setting with pool views. Breakfast is cooked to order daily, available from 7:30 am to noon. There is no rigid buffet timetable.

Guests who want to sleep late and eat late can do so without compromise, which is a genuine rarity. The menu covers fresh seafood, Thai dishes and Western options, with personalised requests handled as a matter of course rather than an exception.

Afternoon cocktails and nibbles are included for all guests daily, served poolside or on the beach. In-room dining is available. A handful of local restaurants and beach bars sit within a two-minute walk of the resort entrance, giving guests easy access to cheaper local food without needing a taxi. The pier for Similan Islands boat trips is a 10-minute drive for guests who want to arrange an early departure.

Facilities

At The Anda Mani, the outdoor pool sits between the villas and the beach, with sun loungers facing the Andaman Sea. The Ocean View Spa Pavilion offers traditional Thai massage and a range of body treatments in an open-air setting.

The spa is small but well-regarded, with treatments timed to complement a day of snorkelling or beach walking rather than function as a standalone wellness destination. Snorkelling, kayaking and stand-up paddleboarding are available from the beach.

A travel desk handles Similan and Surin Islands day trips from November to April, bamboo raft wildlife watching tours on the river, jungle walks in the national park and bicycle hire for self-guided local exploration. Thai cooking classes are also available. The resort has no gym or kids club, which is consistent with its adults-only positioning and intimate scale.

The Location

The Anda Mani sits on Lam Kaen Beach at the southern end of the Khao Lak coastal strip, about 75 km from Phuket International Airport. The drive takes roughly 75 minutes. Khao Lak town and Khao Lak centre are a five to ten-minute drive. Bang Niang Beach and its night market are 7.8 km away. The pier for Similan and Surin Islands departures is 10 minutes by car, making this one of the closest resort positions to the dive boats in the area.

Government building restrictions in the Lam Ru National Park buffer zone prevent large-scale resort development in this area, which means the immediate surroundings stay quiet and the beach stays uncrowded regardless of the season. For guests who want Khao Lak at its most undisturbed, this is the correct end of the strip to be on.

Who should book The Anda Mani? Couples and honeymooners who want an intimate beachfront villa with personal service that a larger resort cannot provide. Divers using the resort as a base for Similan Islands liveaboards or day trips. Anyone who has stayed at the big five-star resorts in Khao Lak and wants to try the opposite end of the scale.

Who should skip it? Families with children. Guests who want a full gym, kids club or large resort facilities. Anyone who needs a wide range of on-site dining. Travellers who find the limited room count and simplicity of facilities underwhelming relative to the price point.