5* Bangkok, Koh Samui & Phuket in 5 days!
We flew via Doha with Qatar – super airline, great food and crew. Upon arrival at chaotic Suvarnabhumi Airport in Bangkok, we were met by our local representatives who whisked us by buggy straight from our gate to the luggage collection and then onward to our hotel in an air-conditioned minivan with massage seats in the front! A god send when you arrive on a full-to- capacity flight and have to negotiate the vastness of this airport.
Our home for one night was the luxurious 5* Siam Hotel. Frequented by the likes of David Beckham and Sam Smith, this wonderful property sits on the banks of the Chaopraya River and offers a free shuttle boat to the piers of central Bangkok. The hotel is filled with exquisite art and antiques and set amidst 3 acres of peaceful and lush gardens – it really is an urban haven of tranquility! All of the rooms in the hotel are suites and they also have Villas with private pools within the grounds. The hotel’s own riverboat took us into Bangkok for the afternoon, but it was lovely to sail home to escape the hustle and bustle of the city. We ate in the Deco Bistro for late lunch and dined al fresco in the evening to taste traditional home-cooked Thai cuisine prepared by award winning chefs. Here, I delighted in the snow fish red curry which was a taste sensation! You can also arrange to partake in a Thai cooking class, immortalise your stay with a famous Sak Yant tattoo or arrange a sunset cruise… we chose to spend the morning in the gym, with a lesson on Muay Thai Boxing – what an experience!
Day 2 saw us back at the airport for our second flight onward to the beautiful island of Koh Samui. I was quite entranced by the most amazing, quaint little airport I have ever seen – one which I will never forget! Our hosts took us the short journey through lush countryside, past Fisherman’s Village in Bophut onto the beautiful 5* Santiburi Hotel. Elegant and refined, this resort is beachfront and set in 23 acres of tropical greenery. With a huge centrepiece swimming pool and 5 restaurants this was really a special place to stay. Various accommodation facilities here, from main hotel suites to Beachfront or Garden Villas with private pools and then the spectacular area known as The Reserve which is where I stayed. Contemporary living with bright indoor spaces and floor to ceiling windows opening directly onto your private garden and pool (floating breakfast optional!). Complete luxury and privacy. Dinner at the Beach House was superb and I was very much looking forward to waking up in Paradise. In the morning, after a hotel show round, a 60-minute full body aromatherapy massage had been arranged in the Spa. We then had some free time to explore the hustle and bustle of the local shops outside the resort and also Fisherman’s Village, where we watched an amazing fire show at Coco Tam’s from bean bags on Bophut Beach.
The following morning, the hotel had arranged a Thai Cooking Class for us. We started by meeting the Head Chef, Adrian who walked us through his pride and joy culinary garden. This was amazing to see and understand how the hotel is as self sufficient as possible. Chef proceeded to let us loose in the outside kitchen by the beach which was a sublime setting. Once we had mastered our Pad Thai, Som Tam and Tom Kha Gai – we then sat down with some fine wine and ate alongside the Chef. Another memorable experience!
Sadly, we bid farewell to Santiburi.. back to my favourite ever airport for the short prop hop to the island of Phuket. I was quite surprised at the amount of cars, people and mopeds we encountered on our 1.5 hour private transfer to Kata Beach. We took the coastal route however which was quite stunning on one side, driving past Surin Beach, Patong Beach and Karon down toward our hotel for the next 2 nights – the 5* Kata Rocks. I have never seen a place quite like this – iconically built into the rocks, modern, funky, very instagrammable… the 34 beautifully appointed rooms are known as Villas. 1 to 4-bedroomed with full kitchens, lounges, private infinity pools and incredible views over the Andaman Sea. Along with innovative gourmet dining and an award winning Spa, this hotel is a definite ‘bucket list’ stay. As it is so steep, a buggy will take you from Reception up to your Villa and bring you down to the restaurant for breakfast and dinner. They will also take you down to the bottom of the hill to Kata town, leave you with a mobile phone which you call for a pickup back to the hotel.
There are 2 main dining areas along with poolside dining by the resort’s main infinity pool, or you can arrange an alfresco dining experience Tapas on The Rocks at sunset!
Once again, our hosts had arranged for spa treatments which were incredible, followed by a Cocktail Making class! Fun and creative, we learnt how to shake Bloody Mary’s and mix Kata’s secret Signature Gin cocktail by their on-site mixologists. This was followed by happy hour and dinner in the Clubhouse. The accommodation here is almost self-catering so is sold on a room only basis, giving you the flexibility to dine in or out. Breakfast by the pool was incredible, the Eggs Benedict with Tom Yum sauce to die for. If you are staying elsewhere in Kata, I would recommend pre-booking a Day Pass to Kata Rocks just to experience this amazing venue!
So, a fleeting visit but very educational for me. Thailand was as beautiful as I expected, the people lovely and the hotels I visited outstanding. The weather is variable dependent upon where you are visiting but peak time tends to be between November and April. Food and drink is reasonable. You can consider a twin centre holiday with Bangkok and Hua Hin (land transfer) or perhaps a triple centre as I did. Whatever your plans are, please get in touch today – I would love to guide you through all the options available.. NAMASTE!