MAKING A SPLASH
Making A Splash - Luxury Travel Magazine
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Making A Splash | |||||
| By: Merry Kirkwood, Issue 37 – Summer 2009 | |||||
| (Banyan Tree – Puket, Thailand) | |||||
| WHY STOP AT ONE POOL, WHEN YOU CAN ENJOY TWO? BANYAN TREE PHUKET GIVES NEW, WILDLY WATERY MEANING TO THE LUXURY OF ROMANCE. | |||||
| It’s late, and the sultry Thai evening is rather breathless: that mix of humid Phuket heat that spells bare-armed holiday dresses and delicately jewelled sandals for women, and stylish shorts and overbright shirts for men. Draped in swathes of billowy white fabric by evening, the opened-sided central sala of my DoublePool Villa is a perfect vantage point to drink in this private outlook. Cooled by the ceiling fan, stretched out on my ‘day’ bed, wistful music in the background, the estate-like garden and elongated infinity pool are perfectly spot-lit by a catwalk of tiny lights that twinkle cheekily, as if to say ‘take a look at me ’. Space, privacy, incredible Asian design and attention to detail are the order of the day – and night. To the left, a separate lounge/TV area with bar, wine fridge and desk are housed in one ‘room’, while to my right there’s a bathroom/dressing area, and master bedroom so expansive I consider moving in permanently – and bringing the extended family. If setting a mood is the secret to success in romance, Banyan Tree Phuket’s DoublePool Villas has it in the bag. From the tips of each of the 22 steep-roofed Thai style DP villas, to the depths of the gardens that over-spill their neat borders despite daily taming, this is sensual, sensuous resort living. Pretty nooks and crannies abound – little vignettes bursting with colourful frangipanis, lilies, candles or fruit, and all cleverly furnished much like the scenes of real-life theatre just before curtain rise. All promise moments a deux. Two chairs by the teak table rest patiently under the market umbrella. A pair of sun lounges set into the paved forecourt, are ever ready for the mere suggestion of sunbathing ensemble. There are day beds inside the sala – two naturally – and, indulgently perhaps, there are the two pools. If affection in the western world is symbolised by gifts of chocolates or roses, you could be forgiven thinking that the secret to Thai romance can be simply outlined: just add water. Banyan Tree Phuket has long been a favourite destination for lovers of luxury since its opening. Set on a saltwater lagoon in the Bang Tao Bay region on the central western coastline of Phuket, and stretching to a sandy beachfront meeting the Andaman Sea, its original award-winning mix of over 100 Jacuzzi Villas, Pool Villas, Spa Pool Villas and Two-Bedroom Pool Villas have maintained a successful resort formula of stylish accommodation, and private pools hidden inside high-walled courtyards with their own tropical gardens. Guests have learnt to expect high standards of dining options (with a fresh and delicately flavoured mix of Thai, Asian and western cuisine), sublime spa treatments, and other activities including the chance of 18-holes (on the golf course that runs through the heart of the resort), and quirky market shopping in nearby Patong Beach – a mere 20-minute taxi ride away. Many guests have discovered that few things cause them to step beyond their pair of sizeable front doors. Romance and uber-luxury have taken a leap forward in the newer section of the resort with the DoublePool Villas. DPV Guests are met at the local airport by private car, and whisked to a separate tree-lined entrance drive and reception/lobby area, where each couple is assigned a personal villa host on call (by resort mobile) 24-hours for the length of their stay. This is Banyan Tree at its best: a feast for the senses and perfect antidote for the terminally over-busy. And in this case, with an added dose of romantic indulgence thrown into the mix. While exploring the DPV for the first time – which takes some doing given their size that spans 1,530 to 2,185sqm (remembering that a an average city hotel room may cover around 50sqm) – the highlight is opening the double doors to the bedroom. Glass walled, the bedroom sits in a floating pavilion surrounded by the inviting waters of the ‘second’ pool, all inside a pretty walled garden. And this pool is not just for show. Here too table and chairs (yes, they are plastic) await the moment you might wish to throw open the sliding doors to your bedroom and literally launch yourself into this wading pool. Blissfully air-conditioned, this space is the ultimate private sanctuary, and each night brings a little surprise, thoughtfully planted by your villa host. One evening it might be cocktails set up in the wading pool, another a little gift left on the bed. I come to think of Marc, my villa host, as an ‘indulgence coach’, always coaxing just a little more into the day. Desperate romantics don’t have to choose quiet seclusion of course, and there are rafts of diversions, both small and large, that can fill every minute. Or not at all, as suits. My favourites are the rituals that weave a little Thai culture into the visit: the coffee man Khun Koe Pi, a charming fellow that brings his gear to the villa, kneels down or squats on his haunches, and goes through a daily ritual of serving a thick dark brew; the Thai cooking class held in our villa kitchen; the in-villa breakfasts, so generous they seem to morph into lunch; and the in-villa Rak Nirum spa session on offer. More adventurous romantics could choose to go cave kayaking at night, or to take yachting or seaplane excursions. But for many, simply being close to the water is the winning formula. A morning dip in the crystal jet pool perfectly sized for two, followed by breakfast or lunch beside the main resort pool at Tamarind or the Watercourt, a spa in the flower- decorated bath overlooking the garden, or simply luxuriating in the massive in-villa shower and steam stall before dinner at Tre, the French Vietnamese restaurant. Tucked into the trees edging the central lagoon, and candle lit each evening, the dining atmosphere is completed by the haunting tunes of local musicians hanging in the night air. Twice as nice, I say. | |||||
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Banyan Tree Phuket | |||||
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