The heavens opened as soon as I stepped into my villa. So I rushed out, camera in hand, to capture what I had been deprived of for over a year. I’d arrived at the Amanpuri in Phuket at the tail end of the Thai monsoon. Living in the desert has its advantages but experiencing soothing tropical downpours is not one of them.
Presiding over its own peninsula along the island’s west coast, this luxury resort sprawls across 76 acres of low-lying hills, which were once home to a coconut plantation. Guest villas and pavilions are secluded havens with lush flora cocooning each type of accommodation in a network of vines, trees and bushes for added privacy.
There are plenty of activities on offer including SUP paddle board lessons and snorkelling tours
Soak in panoramic views from a luxurious bath
The five-bedroom, ocean-view villa I stayed in came with a private pool, terrace, open-air dining room and spacious living room. Traditional Thai architecture dominates the landscape here, but indoors I found every modern luxury I could think of, from a giant bathtub overlooking a private garden to a bed that made me feel like I was sinking into marshmallow fluff. As if that wasn’t enough, Suau and Joy, the resident housekeeper and chef, spoilt me rotten every day. Each evening I’d return from dinner to find thoughtful gifts – artisan chocolates, a traditional wooden water dipper, a handmade coconut body scrub (The ever-hungry foodie in me thought it was rice pudding at first and I merrily put a spoonful in my mouth!) and lemongrass balm – waiting for me alongside notes explaining where they’d been made.
Nature blends harmoniously into everyday life at this resort. I was pleasantly surprised when a harmless tree snake was allowed to cross a wooden walkway peacefully while we waited patiently at either end. Shallow ponds filled with lotus plants dot the property. Each evening as the sun sets, the ponds’ resident frogs begin to call out gleefully – a medley of sounds I hadn’t heard in years.
Work up a sweat at a Muay Thai class
Enjoy a romantic dinner on the beach
Yoga is usually my go-to activity whether on holiday or at home, so instead I decided to step out of my comfort zone and try Muay Thai. I thought the Taekwondo training from my early 20s would help me sail through a 45-minute lesson. Wrong! A one-minute round of kicks and punches left me out of breath, painfully aware that I needed to get back to cardio training. That evening I made a beeline for the spa where a therapist stroked away my aches and pains during a 90-minute aromatherapy massage.
In spite of the Amanpuri’s many distractions, I spent most of my time at the main restaurant, Buabok. Head chef Kannika Jitsangworn’s meticulously crafted menu includes her mum’s treasured family recipes and authentic southern Thai dishes prepared with fresh local ingredients. The light yet flavourful clear lotus root soup with tofu, mushrooms, goji berries and rice noodles was an excellent choice for a starter. Yaam Phuket has replaced Som Tam as my favourite Thai salad. It has heat from red chillies, sourness from green mango and lime, a burst of citrus freshness from pomelo rounded off by the sweetness of palm sugar. Don’t miss out on Buabok’s most popular dish, Gaeng Pu Sen Mee (Phuket-style crab meat yellow curry). And just in case you can’t make it to Amanpuri, chef Kannika shared her recipe with us so you can cook it at home.
For more information, visit aman.com
Further afield
As tempting as it may be to spend all your time on the property, the town and surrounding areas have plenty to discover. The Amanpuri contributes to several projects that support the local community and encourages guests to also get involved during their stay. One such place is the Phuket Elephant Sanctuary (PES) where I spent an afternoon on a guided tour amidst these magnificent animals. Bordering the Khao Phra Thaeo National Park, PES serves as a retirement home for female elephants who have been rescued from illegal logging and tourist activities. The current residents, whose ages range from 37 to 71 years old, spend their days foraging and bathing under the gentle, watchful eyes of their personal mahouts, with an on-site vet to care for every need. To ensure they are no longer bothered by humans, interactions with visitors are limited to a supervised feeding session at the end of the walking tour.
For more information, visit phuketelephantsanctuary.org
