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I've done everything
I can to assure the information here is accurate and
up-to-date, but things happen which are out of my
control that might cause you some headaches when you
try to book a room on Koh Jum. Some of the resorts
have online booking, but most don't. All of the
bungalow operations have cell phones, but the numbers
sometimes change. Phones get disconnected. Bad
connections are probably going to happen and your
message isn't going to get thru to the right people
on the first try. English is not the first language
for Koh Jumbians and that can be a difficult hurdle
to get over when you're trying to make reservations.
Don't get
frustrated. Keep trying. Afterall, this is Thailand
we're talking about and it's good to remember that
Koh Jum isn't Phuket, and for that we should be
grateful even if it's a little harder to get what
we're after.
Online booking is
probably going to be the easiest, but keep in mind
that you're going to pay a little more for your room
than you would if you walked up and bargained for it
at the resort. I online-booked a B400 room for Ting
Rai Bay last year and it cost me B700/night for 5
nights. Assume the booker is going to have the
temerity to actually try to make a profit from his
services. Deal with it. The extra money you spend is
worth the cost because you won't be making two or
three long distance phone call from Europe and the
internet is free. You'll get a nice confirmation
letter via email. Print out a copy and bring it with
you. It's always good practice to re-confirm a couple
weeks before you show up, so keep the bookers email
handy. When you get ready to leave Krabi/PhiPhi/KLanta
slip into a travel agency and pay them to call ahead
to remind the resort that you are going to be on the
next boat.
If you're
like me and travel with no fixed schedule or
timetable, then making reservations months in advance
is a waste. My advice is that when you get to Krabi,
KLanta or PhiPhi just walk into any travel agent and
ask them about what's available on Koh Jum. All of
them will have current information about the resorts
and will book you a place right then by phone. If
you're concerned that you're paying a little more per
night that way then book one night only and go to the
island and see what else is available. The upside is
that you'll have a place for the night and won't be
sleeping on the beach, but the downside is that in
high season you might not find anything else you like
and when your one night is up they'll ask you to
surrender the room to someone else who has already
made a reservation. I have seen that happen a couple
times much to the dismay of the farangs trying
foolishly to save a few baht. If you're only going to
stay a few days anyway, what's the point? If you
really like KJum (and I'm betting you will) then you
can make arrangements with the resort or another
place to stay longtime. That's how I did it the first
time I went to Koh Jum and it worked out well because
I could bargain for a cheaper rate. And got it.
Or you can
just show up, look around at a few resorts that are
in your price range and hope for the best. Keep in
mind that the resorts need to know you're coming so
they can send the longtails out to meet the
ferryboat, but in high season they go out anyway.
There are always people coming and going so you
probably won't have to ride the boat all the way to
Krabi or KLanta.
Or you could
just leap off the ferryboat with your backpack and
swim in. I haven't seen that one yet, but I'm
hopeful.
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