I’ve been wanting to visit Thansur Tatai Eco Resort for what feels like forever, but every time I checked the rates, they were always a bit out of my budget.

When I was planning a surprise birthday trip for my boyfriend, I was torn between Koh Rong and Tatai. In the end, Tatai won. It was more budget-friendly and let’s be honest, it’s the place I’ve been dreaming of visiting. Plus, we both have already been to Koh Rong for several times.

I booked a 2-night stay for January 2025 way back in November 2024, and I managed to snag a rate of $118.80 – a deal I was really happy with.

My boyfriend and I finally made it there, and below is our laid-back, no itinerary experience at this eco resort.

Getting There

The original plan was to leave Phnom Penh in the morning, but since my boyfriend was occupied with many things, we ended up starting the trip at 12:00PM.

Here’s the route to get to Tatai Resort:

• Take the expressway from Phnom Penh and exit at Kampong Seila
• Continue toward Srae Ambel Intersection, then follow National Road 48 until you reach Tatai Bridge
• Look for a small dirt road on the left side of the bridge and follow it until you see the wooden bridge

Sounds straightforward, right? Well, not really. The road conditions were awful. The national road to Koh Kong has been under construction for years, and honestly, it doesn’t look anywhere near finished to me.

The small road leading to the resort wasn’t any better—unpaved, sandy, and rocky. I genuinely felt bad for our car tires.

Heads up: The resort’s pinned location on the map is wrong. You need to drive past the pin until you reach the end of the road. Once you spot the wooden bridge on your right, you’ve made it.

At first, I thought we’d have to take the boat from Tatai Bridge, but the resort is actually accessible by car.

We finally arrived at Thansur Tatai Eco Resort at 4:50PM after making three stops. Thanks to the expressway, we still managed to save a lot of time. If only National Road 48 were fully paved, we could have gotten there even faster!

Seriously, imagine driving smoothly without dodging potholes and loose rocks. The trip would have been way less stressful—and maybe I wouldn’t have spent half the drive cursing reckless drivers like these photos below.

Arrival

I messaged the resort team to let them know we had arrived, and they sent someone with a cart to the parking lot to collect our things even though we only had one backpack each.

We were then guided to the lobby for check-in and taken straight to our room afterward. No welcome drink or anything like that, which was a bit surprising.

Welcome to Our Double Room with Park View

When I booked back in November 2024, I specifically requested a “Happy Birthday” text on the bed for my boyfriend. Both the booking and the request were confirmed.

But honestly, since I made the booking two months in advance, I had a feeling they might forget. So, just to be safe, I sent them a reminder the day before our arrival about the birthday decoration on the bed. And when we arrived, there was nothing on the bed.

I was honestly disappointed because my surprise for my boyfriend completely fell through. I was speechless, and didn’t say anything to the resort staff. I just simply moved on from the mishap and shift my focus to the room instead.

I actually liked how the room was decorated. It wasn’t anything extravagant, but it fit the setting perfectly and looked great in its simplicity.

What I especially liked was the view from our bed.

There’s a small platform right outside where you can step out, sip on your coffee in the early morning, and just soak in the view. It was such a peaceful spot.

But… what I didn’t like was how poorly maintained the resort was.

I noticed they changed the name from “Koh Andet Eco Resort” to “Thansur Tatai Eco Resort”. I’m not sure why—maybe the property was sold to new owners? No idea.

I remember being so impressed by how well-kept the place looked in photos I saw years ago, which was why I always wanted to visit. But being there in person was a different story.

First, I was already disappointed with the missing “Happy Birthday” decoration.

Second, the cleanliness was frustrating. There was visible dust everywhere, spider webs in the corners, and stains on our bed sheets and pillowcases. I didn’t bother taking photos because I didn’t want to remember the stay by those details.

The curtains looked old, some lightbulbs were out, and the bedside lamps didn’t even have bulbs in them. It just wasn’t the resort I had dreamed of visiting all these years.

I did, however, like the bathroom—especially the wooden standing bathtub. You couldn’t exactly fill it up and soak in it, but it worked as a sort of platform for showering—like your own little shower throne.

Oh, and yes, there was hot water, which was definitely a plus.

By the time we finished unpacking and taking some photos of the room, it was already around 6:00PM—just in time for dinner.

Thansur Tatai Eco Resort Restaurant

The resort’s restaurant is located on the opposite end of our room. The resort itself isn’t big. Since it was built directly over the water, it only takes about 5 minutes to walk from one end to another.

Right in front of the restaurant, there are a few sunbeds where you can relax and take in the view.

I liked the overall setting, but it was clear the restaurant, much like the room, wasn’t well maintained. You could see dead plants hanging in plain sight.

For dinner, we ordered Stir Fried Curry with Seafood, Deep-Fried Shrimp with Garlic, and two dishes of steamed rice. Water was provided for free. Thankfully, the food didn’t take long to arrive.

The portions and flavor were okay, but I really didn’t enjoy the steamed rice. It was way too tough for my taste.

You can check their menu here.

After dinner, we headed straight back to our room.

Day 2

Catching Sunrise

We woke up early, hoping to catch sunrise. This was the view from our room.

There was a little fog in the air, adding a soft, peaceful touch to the morning.

We walked over to the restaurant, but sadly, the sunrise was nowhere to be seen. The mountain blocked the entire view.

The resort isn’t the best spot to watch sunrise or sunset with your own eyes. Maybe if you had a drone, you’d get a better shot. From the ground, though, you can only catch the soft hues of dawn and dusk, which was okay. I wasn’t disappointed, it still had its own kind of beauty.

We actually wanted to go to the provincial city of Koh Kong, Krong Khemarak Phumin, but just thinking about the road conditions was enough to make us drop the idea.

With nothing on our itinerary, we decided to head back to sleep, skipped our complimentary breakfast, and stayed in bed until right before lunch.

Lunch at the Resort

By now, you have probably realized this trip was all about nothing and just chilling—and honestly, that was exactly what we needed.

On our walk to the restaurant, we spotted so many jellyfish—like, a lot. Most of them were a bit deeper in the water, so we couldn’t capture them in photos. It was actually the first time seeing them in their natural habitat instead of behind glass in an aquarium.

For lunch, we had Seafood Salad and Beef Laab. Once again, the portions and taste were okay, but the rice? Still not it.

After lunch, we went back to our room, and I ended up rewatching Squid Game Season 2 with my boyfriend until around 4:50PM.

Activities You Can Do

There are actually activities you can do at the resort. You can take their kayak around, free of charge, rent their boat to Tatai Waterfall nearby for $50 per boat or take a one-day trip to Koh Kong Krao for $150.

If you’ve read my recent article before this one, you’d know that I just got back from Koh Kong Krao not too long ago. So, there really wasn’t any point in going back so soon.

As for Tatai Waterfall, I checked Google reviews and saw some reviews from just five days ago mentioning that the water level was really low. I wasn’t about to spend $50 for that, so I decided to just chill in our room.

The waterfall is actually accessible by car, but once again, thinking about the rough road conditions made it a solid no for me.

Last Dinner at the Resort

We managed to finish 4 episodes of Squid Game 2 before dinner. My boyfriend isn’t much of a movie or series binge-watcher like I am, so after four straight episodes, he needed to rest his eyes and took a quick nap.

After two meals of tough steamed rice, we figured it wasn’t going to improve. So, this time, we went with Tom Yum Soup and Fried Squid with Young Green Pepper. The food was, once again, just okay. Tom Yum was a little too milky compared to the normal tom yum, but soaking it with rice really helped balance out the toughness. So, in the end, I’d say we made a good choice.

The mosquitos started attacking us, so we didn’t waste any time and just went straight to our room after dinner.

Last Night in Our Double Room

Falling asleep on our last night was a struggle. The wind was so strong, and since the rooms are literally floating on water, I couldn’t stop imagining the whole house drifting away to the other side of the creek.

And the noise from the wind? Horrible.

I finally managed to fall asleep around 1:30AM when the wind calmed down. Not gonna lie, I was praying for my life before I dozed off.

Personal Suggestions from My Experience

Although my experience wasn’t the best, I’d still recommend visiting Thansur Tatai Eco Resort at least once. But I suggest staying for one night only, not more. If you want to extend your trip, there are other resorts nearby that might offer a better stay, so consider resort-hopping for a change of scenery.

Also, I’d highly recommend going when the road conditions improve. Right now, it’s honestly not worth the long, bumpy drive for the resort’s current state.

The best time to visit would be in November or December when the weather is calmer and a bit cooler. The resort doesn’t have air conditioning, only fans, so visiting during these cooler months make the stay much more comfortable. Plus, the wind isn’t as strong during this time.

Oh, and don’t forget to pack some snacks! There’s nowhere nearby to buy anything. Also, be sure to bring insect repellent and insect bite gel—you’ll need them!