Phuket pavilions.

We had a weeks annual leave in October and all we wanted to do was to chill out, read, eat drink and relax so we got to work looking for somewhere that would be nice, quiet and comfortable.

We hunted around the internet and finally came upon this small resort in Thailand.

Phuket Pavilions are situated on the Island of Phuket on the East side of the island about 10 miles away from the international airport overlooking the Andaman Sea, Thailand.

Phuket Pavilions is a small resort built on the side of a hill providing small intimate villas or large three bed roomed villas each with your own private infinity pools. The concept is that they are built of natural products and high quality Asian influenced art and fittings. Each one provides fantastic views that are very private and secluded not being overlooked by anyone else.

In total there are 49 villas built on the side of a hill either overlooking the sea or jungle. Each villa is unique but all have infinity pools where you think the pool goes on for ever and just drops out of site. These are by no means ordinary villas they are very luxurious with wonderful furniture and fittings and tastefully decorated. Each bungalow is fully WiFi enabled which was really handy and the laptop and other electronic equipment were able to pick up a signal with little fuss.

You enter your villa through a massive doorway which leads into an enclosed courtyard, Entering the building through the front door there is a small lobby to kick your shoes off and this leads you into the large lounge. What is striking is that there are floor to ceiling windows ensuring the views you have are breathtaking. Leading off the lounge is the main bedroom which is comfortably furnished and again has floor to ceiling windows. There is complementary wifi throughout the resort which is fantastic. There is a massive flat screen television and a DVD player with a wide selection of DVD’s available for loan from reception area which is brilliant. A very thoughtful touch is an iPod docking station and they provide you with a preloaded iPod with a selection of ethnic and relaxing music to while away your time there. There is also a digital locking safe to lock away your belongings.

The bathroom is next to the bedroom and is open plan with windows all the way round. A marble his and hers sink is along one window and each day four bottles of water are provided as it is not advisable to use the tap water for drinking. The granite bath is massive and two people could quite easily sit in it. A rain forest shower room is fantastic the pressure of the water is super and consistent. There is a separate toilet is next to the shower room. There is a private spa area and enough room in here for the masseur to set up their massage couches and they will come to your villa to offer various treatments.

Off the lounge there is a small kitchenette which has a kettle, fridge freezer for you to store you drinks to keep them cool along with a mini bar. Coffee and tea is provided and can be made in this small room but there are no cooking facilities. Two litres of bottled water are provided daily for drinking.

The patio doors lead out to the swimming pool and there are two sun loungers on the sun deck and a small bistro type table and chairs to partake breakfast in the bungalow should you wish to eat there also you can arrange for a private barbeque and the cook will come to the bungalow and cook your dinner there for you. 24 hours notice is required to book a cook although breakfast can be ordered and they will bring coffee, tea, a selection of pastries, croissants pain au raisin, pain au chocolate, a selection of breads, preserves and fruit juices.

The infinity pool is about 15m by 9m and is absolutely inviting and a major feature of the bungalow. The pool can be lit up at night. In the corner there is a shaded lanai area next to the pool where you can relax on the beds overlooking the jungle and the beach.

It is advertised that this resort is so private and no one can see into your villa that you can if you wish obtain an all over tan. You are not overlooked by any of the neighbouring bungalows and there is a slipping sign to indicate if you wish for room service to clean the bungalow or provide privacy.

The resort.

Down at the base of the hill is the reception area where you initially arrive. It is manned 24 hours a day and you are able to book hire cars, taxi’s and trips out and around Phuket. They also provide a shuttle bus which takes you down to the nearby Layan beach several times a day. During the check in process you are offered an iced towel and a nice cold drink to cool you down and freshen up while they fill in your details from your passport and tell you what the resort has to offer and if you have any special requests.

They tell you who is going to be responsible for you during your stay to ensure your visit is of the highest standard and they will be responsible for cleaning your villa and arranging any other things you request such as meals cooked in your villa and breakfast orders which can either be taken in the restaurant or delivered to your villa to eat beside the pool.

After checking in a small buggy transfers you right up to the door of your villa so there is no humping suitcases around. The resort is on the side of the hill and at points on the hills they are extremely steep at least 35 degrees in places. You have to hold on for dear life as you feel as if you are going to fall off the buggy. We always walked down to the restaurant or reception area but always took the buggy up. It is too much to walk up the steep hills in the humidity and heat.

There is a selection of places to eat drink and unwind.

The main house was the rubber plantations main building and they have created the LIVING ROOM. Here you can unwind in a peaceful and tranquil setting and have a coffee and read the newspapers. It has a very high ceiling with fans blowing down. It is tastefully furnished and you can have afternoon tea here with a selection of sandwiches and cakes. There is also a bar and a veranda where you can have drinks it overlooks dense jungle.

The STUDY is next to the living room and contains a small library of reading materials and a good selection of DVD’s to borrow. You can make use of two computers which are available free of charge.

Just to the left of the Living room area is the veranda restaurant where they serve breakfast and evening dinner if you wish. It is a covered open veranda overlooking the hills and down towards the sea. You can sit and have your breakfast here early in the morning from six thirty up to 11Am and watch the mist rising from the hills. The buffet selection is vast with all kinds of fruits fresh and dry different cereals beautiful selection of breads my favourite being the walnut bread. From the main menu you could literally have anything you wanted from Pad Thai to eggs Benedict. Every weekend they did a Thai selection of cooked delicacies which we tried once but to me it just seemed so wrong having these savoury bits for breakfast.

It is very tastefully decorated with a beautiful mix of Asian and European influences. Nice crockery, orchids or little flower arrangements at every table and Venetian glass to drink from. The evening menu is a mix of locally produced Thai dishes

and also a western menu although we only ate here on two occasions in the evening and found it a bit of a disappointment.

The 360 bar.

At the top of the hill is a fantastic bar cum restaurant and is a magnificent view point. Many celebrities, business men and VIPs are usually brought here to impress them with the standard of the resort, the restaurant and more specifically the wonderful sunsets and the views out over the Andaman Sea.

The 360 Degree bar gives you uninterrupted views across the jungle and towards the sea. You can watch the sun go down from the bar and watch the amazing sunsets. There is an outdoor living room with wicker furniture and a waterfall which helps to create a cool area prior to having dinner in the Terrace restaurant which also has superb views. Between half past five and half past seven they have a happy hour where you can order two drinks for the price of one. The prices are similar to that in the UK at 300 + baht each. We tried all the cocktails as you do but they all contained lime which in the end I could not bear. Lime seems to find its way into all aspects of eating and drinking to the point that I ended up asking for them not to put lime in my drinks.

The staff.

The staff are extremely friendly, welcoming, and will do absolutely anything for you. They all great you with big smiles and wave if they pass you on the buggies. The used to be quite horrified that we would walk down to the reception area or restaurant or up to the bar but had we not we would literally have not exercised at all that week apart from the swimming in the pool. The buggy drivers would stop and ask us to have a ride or if they saw us walking down the hill they would instantly drive up to offer us a lift.

The staff appear happy in their jobs although I got quite annoyed and disgusted one morning at breakfast with some of the guests by the way they treated the staff snapping at them and being incredibly demanding. Being civil costs nothing and anything the staff do for you will be done with a good heart and not resented. On our departure several members of staff came to wave us off and as we got in the car they were playing time to say good bye which was quite choking.

Next year they are going to open some new penthouse apartments which all will have their own pool and offer the same amount of privacy. Personally I would not wish to stay in one of those as although the view is over the valley below and the lakes I prefer the seclusion of the bungalows with the wonderful views over the jungle and out towards the beach.

It is an absolutely fantastic place to stay and I would definitely come back here. If you wanted a fantastic relaxing and peaceful holiday this certainly is the place for you.
This would be a fantastic and ideal place for honeymooners of which there were quite a few when we were there. There were a high number of Middle Eastern and Japanese guests while we were there. They offer short stay and long stays and special deals.

You can view the pavilions at their own web site they also have private bungalows in Krabi and in Bali.

http://www.pavilions-resorts.com/

They are affiliated with the Relais and Chateaux Group of luxury properties throughout the world.

http://www.relaischateaux.com/en/