Visit Natural Resort — Restaurant in Ko Samui

How to summarise the worst customer service experience of my life? I booked this resort 2 months ago through book yoga retreats and had paid a deposit and received confirmation, after some correspondence with the resort. I was so looking forward to a trip of a lifetime , flying across the globe for an active, relaxing, retreat style holiday. ||Just before I flew from the mainland to Koh Samui, I received an email from the general manager to say unfortunately due a glitch, they only realised I was coming that morning . The resort was full and my bungalow was unavailable, but they could offer me an alternative (didn’t say what) for 50% my remaining balance. I asked and was told a standard king size room ensuite. All the accommodation on the website looked decent, so I thought ok. ||When I arrived I was told I had to pay before seeing the room , when I saw it I realised the problem. It was above retail units up the road from the resort and was incredibly run down, with stains on the wall, no Wi-Fi, no safety box, a toilet directly under the shower unit and no plug or lampshade beside the bed. This type of room is not available to book on their website or advertised, other accommodation they advertise contains these basics along with a tv etc and it was clear this room was not routinely offered to guests. I said I would try my best but when I tried to go to sleep I realised the much bigger issue was noise. ||I was directly under the road where were scooters and people making noise all night long. The walls were paper thin and I could hear people who weren’t hotel residents in the apartments next to me all night. It was like trying to sleep beside a motorway, there are no words to describe how loud it was. I also had no way to distract myself by reading, going on my phone without turning on the main light at and sitting on the other side of the room. I felt so unsafe and distressed because of all the noise and not knowing who was in the other apartments. Paranoia sets in when you’re sleep deprived and alone in a strange place. ||I cried myself to sleep with earplugs in that didn’t make much difference and asked to speak to the manager via email that morning. He met me and basically said it was out of his control, an error that wasn’t his or the resorts fault and said they couldn’t find me an alternative as it was high season. He suggested I go look myself on booking.com and made no suggestions of what else I should do. The other guests at the resort could see I was distressed and told me I shouldn’t accept his lack of action, and it was their responsibility to find me an alternative, as the fault was on their side. ||There was accommodation online left, 117 properties in total. A lot was most expensive, party hostels or sketchy looking with bad reviews. All I needed was a private room somewhere safe. There were air b and Bs but I needed assistance booking one alone to ensure it was safe for a female alone. I found a hotel that was 17 minute walk , 800 euro in total ( less than the cost of my planned stay at visit natural detox resort) and asked they could arrange this for me and I come in daily to do the classes. The manager initially said yes and we started organising , then he turned around changed his mind and said “you need to find somewhere cheaper”. Upset, I said surely you should be helping and he kept saying “it’s the owners decision” , “we aren’t at fault” and told me to keep looking. ||The accommodation I looked at earlier in the day was now gone and I was trying to rebudget for the whole holiday, including food, activities. My refund wouldn’t come through straight away and I said I better ask for confirmation of my full refund in writing. At this point I realised they weren’t offering me a full refund , the 160 euro deposit wasn’t included! ||Again I had to ask to speak to manager again. His manner was infuriating, surely I had realised they wouldn’t cover that money as it was through book yoga retreats agents and I realised I had to chase this myself? Never once had he mentioned that the website I booked through in our prior conversations. He didn’t seem to understand that by using that website to advertise and book people into the resorts, he had a duty of care to rectify this issue. I had been crying a lot and never got angry during our conversations, despite being made to feel small, his only comfort saying “ I hear you”. When I realised there was no guarantee of a full refund I obviously tried to defend myself, explaining my horror of being more or less told it’s my problem if I wish to leave and they did everything they could, I managed to raise my voice and get my issues across. His dismissive nature lead me to say the F word in conversation and he immediately acted as I was being aggressive and threatening and told me he wouldn’t be spoken to in that manner and left me with the lovely poor administrator who could do nothing as I continued to cry. I stayed seated throughout, continuing to cry and he left me in a distressed state . It was the definition of gaslighting. He kept saying it was the owners choice not to put me elsewhere but wouldn’t let me speak with them. ||There was continuous contradiction throughout his defence, he kept moving between this story that the workers had “cycled up and down the area” looking for alternative accommodation for me the previous day and implying I was being dismissive of all they had to done to help. Nobody ever showed me a single alternative accommodation I could stay in. Also surely if this was true, that is burden of proof the resort was aware the room I was placed in was unsuitable.||On another note that is less important , this retreat is advertised as being 90% solo travellers. It was full of couples infact , and the age group was not mixed. That may be just luck of the draw . ||Customer service in book yoga have responded to me and will be refunding me but I don’t think there is any compensation for the cost of my change of plan. I actually decided to fly home, due to distress. I hope nobody ever experiences dealing with group in a scenario like this again. They had no concern for my safety and welfare as a lone girl in Thailand and didn’t seem to mind that I was clearly going to be leaving a bad review. Surely if you’re running a business (which is successful, as the resort was full) you would accept responsibility and do your best to help. There were other places I could stay , they just didn’t ever try make a single suggestion. They also have now send me a refund that is 10% less than what I paid them as my remaining balance.||Thank you to all the admin staff at the desk and the wild tribe cafe, they were kind. It was only the general manager who treated me poorly, but obviously he was in charge. As were the other residents , hopefully they still have a good time on their holiday. A lot of them comforted me and offered help looking for alternatives and one even offered me to stay in her room! I had such a nice time elsewhere in Thailand but sadly this experience will always stick with me, and make me nervous to ever travel alone again. ||Trip of a lifetime ruined - find somewhere else more professional to stay. Unfortunately Visit Natural Detox Resort appears the be a nice place to stay until something goes wrong, at that point, you are on your own. I hope they can reflect on this incident and learn from it...

Spending three weeks at Visit Natural Detox was truly one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. I don’t even recognise the version of myself from three weeks ago.

Initially, I came with the goal of getting physically fit, but after a minor ankle injury a few days in, I quickly realised that the real work I needed to do was internal. That’s where this retreat really shines: the balance of physical and holistic offerings gave me exactly what I didn’t know I was looking for.

The breathwork sessions were a standout and quickly became the highlight of my experience. The dynamic Shayla and Maeve had together in this space was something special. Their combined energy brought such a depth to the experience which created such a SAFE space.

And speaking of Shayla - where do I even begin? She is an absolute gem. From the moment she performed Reiki on me, it felt like a full factory reset - kick-starting my transformation. I went from feeling like a shell of myself to becoming a sponge, eager to absorb anything that could nourish and support me mentally and physically. Shayla's constant support, encouragement and energy throughout those three weeks helped me fully surrender to the process - and that changed everything. Thank you, Shayla - from the bottom of my heart.

The gong bath and meditation sessions Deniz held were another powerful part of the experience. They grounded me in a way I didn’t expect. Beyond his sessions, I even began meditating on my own twice daily and the positive effects have been so hugely noticeable. When my phone broke, (currently still phoneless/traveling abroad) I was shocked at how unbothered I felt. In the past, that would’ve really stressed me out. It was a clear sign of how much this practice has shifted things for me. This is a practice I’ll be taking with me for life.

The accommodation, grounds and pool are beautifully maintained. My room was peaceful, had great air conditioning, a spacious bathroom and was cleaned daily with such care by the housekeeping team. The ladies are so sweet - you can tell they take pride in their work and always greet you with a smile...They made every day brighter, and even taught me a bit of Thai daily!

The entire Wild Tribe Cafe and Natural Detox Resort reception team are so warm and genuine - they take the time to check in, ask how you’re doing, and make sure you truly feel at home.

And the food? Absolutely incredible. I’ll admit, I was a little apprehensive about transitioning to a vegetarian diet for three weeks, but the Wild Tribe Kitchen team made it effortless. Every meal was wholesome, hearty and delicious. I never once craved meat or sugar - my body loved the food and I felt nourished and energised every single day. The kitchen staff are like food fairies - truly amazing, they have a gift!

Taylor –Thank you for letting me enjoy the moment. I hardly felt the need to be on my phone knowing you had the photos covered. That peace of mind was such a gift.

Leo - Thank you. You’re doing something really special here. I appreciated our chats and your presence - you should be so proud of the space you're holding and the impact you and your team are having on people. This place is changing lives.

If you’re thinking about doing this retreat - do it. I’ve formed lifelong friendships through this experience. Visit Natural Detox is so much more than a retreat. It's a family. It’s a reset. It’s a rediscovery. It’s a home...

OMG where do I start??? O.K. let's start with an apology it's taken me so long to leave this review - especially since I was raving about this place from Day 1 and it's now already been a month since I left!!!!||I stayed for 29 days & had THE BEST experience! I honestly can't fault this place, so much so that I already rebooked for another month next year!!! Yes, I know there are a gazillion other retreats & locations around the world to try out but when somewhere ticks all the boxes for you, you've just got to come back for more!!!||I loved the schedule for starters (& when I say schedule it was all optional - no pressure to join anything you didn't feel like!) but being an early riser anyway, I loved the 7am hike to get the juices flowing! Some of the hikes were more challenging than others & I would say that it certainly helps to have a basic level of fitness BUT what you don't have in week 1 you will certainly have in week 3 & 4 :-)||The 11am yoga session was always the biggest challenge for me as I'm not experienced in yoga and was REALLY inflexible to start with but I felt this was something I really wanted to persevere in as it's so good for the body. I'm still no "yogi" today but feel soooo much more flexible than I did when I started and am now inspired to continue!||My favourite session of the day was the Strength Training! I never thought I could look forward to a 5pm gym session every day but Netta made this possible! I loved how she pushed us without pressurizing us & the results to me were amazing! I lost 6kg & 15cm (!!!) off my belly in those 4 weeks :-)||The daily schedule was then also peppered with Breathwork sessions, ice-baths, meditation and more, all still leaving plenty of time to check out the beach, chill by the pool or just snooze in your air-con room......||And finally, the food!!!! OMG the FOOD!!!! The menu is INSANE! I'm not even a vegetarian yet I absolutely LOVED the mainly vegan menu! How can all these dishes taste so good??? In fact the food there was our main topic at the long shared tables in the cafe at every mealtime. "Ooooh, what are you having?" to "Ooooh can I have a taste?" to "Quesadillas again please?" were commonly heard questions :-) The friendships we all made during our time here were not JUST based on the amazing food but I'm sure no-one left without the memory of that being their favourite topic ;-)||And apart from the wonderful people I met during my 4 weeks - mostly women traveling solo & every individual with their own story - I have to end on the most precious aspect of this resort - the STAFF!!!! Oh my, such beautiful people, from the amazing cafe-staff who remember your name from Day 1 and ALWAYS greet you with a smile, to the friendly room-cleaning team that also ensure your drinking water is topped up to the superb management team looking after your every need! Leo, Netta, Joe, Lander, Kit, Pao, Enjoy, everyone else in the kitchen & also your drivers - I am absolutely in awe of what you have created & CANNOT wait to come back next...