Today’s travellers expect the best of amenities and facilities at their chosen hotel. But when a luxury resort not only offers all the bells and whistles, but has serenity as its core concept, guests feel truly pampered. This was my experience while staying at the stunning Trisara in Thailand.
After a pleasant 15-minute drive from Phuket International Airport using a private road, I arrived at the resort in Cherngtalay, Thalang, on the northwestern shore of Phuket. I noticed pagoda-like roofs and traditional styling that blended beautifully with contemporary comfort. A seamless smiling check-in, and a golf cart swooshed me silently from the reception to my Ocean View Pool Villa. The gate into my private sanctuary swung open to reveal a pathway lined by lush bushes. Following a member of the Trisara team down this path, I stepped onto a broad teak wood deck. Letting me take a moment to gaze at the blue Andaman Sea stretching out beyond my private infinity pool, she then ushered me into my 240 sq metre villa through gorgeous double doors.
Image: Priya Pathiyan / Luxurylaunches.
Villa, won’t you?
The king bed beckoned, cool and inviting. Behind it, a beautiful wooden dragon sculpture added drama. An ample desk to the left and a spacious sitting area off to the right offered me many ways to interact with the suite. Doors on either side of the bed led into the bath and dressing space, so generously proportioned and well fitted out (that gorgeous bathtub and long, welcoming couch!) that I was tempted to spend the majority of my time in there!
During the day, the sliding windows that separated this area from the main bedroom and the doors that led to the outdoor deck could all be opened up to let the sunshine and sea breeze in. By night, it turned into a very cosy, comfortable and thoughtfully lit retreat. The tropical modernist feel of my villa was almost Geoffrey Bawaesque.
Always easy like Sunday morning
While Phuket has a lot to see and do (tours, shopping, shows, yachting and boat excursions, visits to the old town, island hopping to Phang Nga Bay or the Similan islands, kayaking, fishing, windsurfing, snorkelling, diving, Tennis, yoga, etc), Trisara, which means ‘Garden in the Third Heaven’ in Sanskrit, is truly a haven for relaxation. It is a great place for a physical and mental reset, for rest and rejuvenation in every way, I discovered. Mornings and evenings were spent by the private pool, enjoying my espresso with delectable local chocolate truffles from Chumporn after a long, languorous dip. Or luxuriating with a slow, fragrant shower under the open sky, allowing the sunlight to kiss my skin and form a thousand little rainbows.
Dining done right
Meals were even more indulgent. Trisara boasts several fabulous dining destinations within its 40-acre spread. The Michelin-starred PRU, headed by Dutch Executive Chef Jimmy Ophorst, is the most well-known for its locally sourced and beautifully curated tasting menu. But there is also the French bistro-style restaurant La Crique, famous for its fresh seafood and bright, Mediterranean flavours. I highly recommend their crab and avocado salad, yellow-tail tartare with caviar and a punchy citrus vinaigrette, and the barramundi on a bed of ratatouille with a velvety miso beurre blanc).
The sophisticated Thai Library is predictably popular even among well-heeled locals for its refined Thai cuisine. Not only did I get to dine here, but Chef Tew Teaw even gave me a personalised cooking lesson, introducing me to some unique Thai ingredients and teaching me to whip up an authentic fiddlehead fern salad, fish soup with snake fruit, and a Thai tenderloin stir-fry.
Images: Priya Pathiyan / Luxurylaunches.
The beachfront Cielo & Spice was where I headed for an al fresco breakfast with bamboo drip coffee, vegan pancakes with caramelised banana, and the best Thai-style grilled pork skewers, or any time I wanted some delicious international cuisine (they served up some incredible pasta). Every morning, I looked forward to swigging their energy-boosting concoctions such as the blend of tomato, carrot, rosella, finger root, and honey. And early
afternoons were spent sipping their chilled Thai coconut water while daydreaming on the sea-facing beach swing.
Serene is as serene does
With gorgeous green spaces to stroll through, a lovely standalone spa named JARA (try the Royal Trisara six-hand massage administered by three therapists at once!), and those spectacular sea views at every step, I found that Trisara has more than enough to help you slow your pace and find inner peace. And if you are craving even more repose, you can always place the little lady near your villa entrance to signal to everyone that you are not to be disturbed. Like the rest of the team at Trisara, she protected my tranquillity and soothed me to serenity.
