SUITE LIFE - Pimalai Resort & Spa

THAI ISLAND GETAWAY WITH PRIVATE POOL VILLAS

For a deluxe Thailand escape off the beaten path, look no further than Pimalai Resort & Spa. A one-hour ride by speedboat from Krabi town deposits you at the boutique resort on Koh Lanta, an unspoiled island in karst-studded Phang Nga Bay (discovered so far mainly by the Swedes). A member of the Small Luxury Hotels of the World, Pimalai has 121 rooms, suites and villas. Splurge on one of the new, Thai-style villas, built into the lush hillside. Each boasts a private, sunset-facing infinity pool with stunning views of longtail boats bobbing in the bay below. A sleeping pavilion, with gleaming teak floors and rattan blinds sits on one side of the pool, along with a huge bathroom (we love the ginger-scented products); the living pavilion, with a small kitchen, is on the other. It all adds up to more than 185 square metres of indoor and outdoor space to luxuriate in. Best of all, chances are you’ll see monkeys at dawn, swinging in the trees or scampering along the pathways. If you prefer to be close to the powdery white beach, deluxe rooms are housed within clusters of villas, spread out among tropical gardens. Wooden walkways meandering past lotus ponds and small waterfalls connect accommodations with two gorgeous infinity pools – one fronts the sea, while the other (complete with fountains and jaw-dropping views of the bay) perches high on the hillside and offers 50 long
meters for swimming.

Dining options include the Rak Talay beach restaurant. Sit under the stars at a table and chairs made from gnarled tree roots, with your toes in the sand, and enjoy fresh grilled rock lobster. Or wander down the beach, and sample red duck curry and other spicy specialties at cute inexpensive Thai restaurants outside the resort. Bikes are free to explore the island (or you can hail a tuk-tuk), if you want to venture further afar.

—GEORGE AND JANICEMUCALOV