Oozing luxury and romance
Anantara it sounds like the setting for an M M Kaye novel. The resort on Koh Samui island rests in the Gulf of Thailand, east of the Andaman Sea where Kaye set one of her famous murder mysteries. Among the swaying palm trees and banks of bamboo, the five-star resort faces a golden sandy beach.
We had been slowly working our way up the hotel star scale since we arrived in Samui, starting at a humble beach bungalow and finishing at one of the finest resorts on the island.
We knew on arrival we were in for something special when reception staff handed us cool towels to wipe our brows (perhaps they wanted us cleaned up before going any further) and an ice-cold, freshly squeezed juice of some tropical variety.
I felt for the guy who lugged our grubby backpacks to our luxurious room. The packs were as shabby and sandy as we were. But the staff here were as five-star as the place.
Everyone, from the bartender who made our nightly and extraordinarily potent mojitos (with Koh Samui rum for a local touch) to the gardeners, seemed enthusiastic and always keen for a chat.
But back to the rooms. We were deposited into a garden-facing, second-floor pad looking out over a lily pond, lit up each night and home to some very happy and vocal frogs.
Luxury and romance oozed from the room, with the use of rich wood, stone and eastern artefacts. The bathtub is built for two and could open up on to the bedroom. A bowl of red rose petals was replenished daily. A waiter appeared at our door nightly with a complimentary aperitif and tomorrows weather forecast written on a leaf.
Sometimes, after a strenuous day by the pool or beach or zipping around on our hired motorbike, we didnt want to leave the room. Instead, we ordered cocktails from the Eclipse Bar downstairs and a little later, some of their fabulous appetisers works of art with a mix of Thai and Pacific flavours and played backgammon on our cushioned balcony.
Even the most standard room is luxurious and, if youre willing to part with serious money, a couple of suites open up on to their own mini- golf lawn with separate spa pools. For the deep-pocketed, try one of the six royal suites that face the beach.
Opened in 2004, Anantara is a resort of just 106 rooms and suites on 11 hectares of beachfront in Bophut Bay looking out over Koh Phangan.
The jewel in Anantaras crown is its spa. Its set among more than 3000 square metres of lush landscape with each spa suite linked by a path bordered by fragrant lemongrass and other aromatic herbs and flowers.
My back massage was heaven in a pair of hands. But for a real treat, try the three-hour four-hand massage where two therapists combine five different massage styles Japanese Shiatsu, Thai, Lomi Lomi, Swedish and Balinese. And when you have recovered from that try Thai cooking classes, guided mountain bike tours, yoga classes, deep-sea fishing excursions or a snorkelling trip.
There are books and games and, if you really want to know whats going on in the outside world, you can order one of more than 250 newspaper titles printed in A3 format.
The infinity pool and beach were too much of a lure for us despite the myriad hawkers trying to flog all manner of goods to do much else for the three glorious days we spent there.
When we moved, it was to eat. We were spoiled for choice. The Full Moon restaurant looks out over the pool and beyond to the sea. The food is excellent if pricey but the view takes the cake. The High Tide restaurant in the hotels lush gardens does traditional Thai food and the Eclipse Bars beautifully crafted snacks combine Pacific and Asian cuisine.
If youre feeling particularly romantic, you can dine privately in your own raised muslin-shrouded platform in the gardens while your own chef cooks from a menu then and there.
Do as much or as little as you like at Anantara. Apart from a turn at waterskiing, we pretty much lay about absorbing the luxury. With our next stop a high-rise two-star hotel in Bangkok, we wanted to enjoy every moment before being written out of our own decadent tale.
FACT FILE
Cost: Until April, room with breakfast NZ$340 to NZ$1120.
Getting there: Return flights from Bangkok to Koh Samui (one hour) are from NZ$345 on Bangkok Airways.
More information: Anantara.com
Anantara hosted Bess Manson.
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Thursday, January 31st, 2008 at 6:05 pm under