A splash of luxury in Krabi
Krabi’s escalating popularity as a holiday destination might have brought the tourist hordes to its movie set-worthy beaches. But at Phulay Bay – part of a tiny coterie of Ritz-Carlton Reserves around the world – an exquisite slice of paradise is preserved for travellers who like to get away from it all, replete with the five-star touches.
The property’s 54 private villas, designed by Thai architect Lek Bunnag, are based on the five elements of wood, fire, metal, earth and water. These villas fan out onto a stretch of beach facing the Andaman Sea. Each villa has an assigned and often very intuitive butler who will happily arrange transport around the resort, dinner reservations, run a flower bath or surprise with a birthday cake.
Espa resort destination spa – a sleek venue that has provided inspiration for many a magazine photo shoot – is composed of 11 private treatment rooms, a wellness studio, spa vitality pool and relaxation spaces.
The resort’s relatively secluded location provides guests with ample opportunities to sample southern Thai cuisine from Sri Trang, which has an elevated dining terrace. Meanwhile, the beach lounge Chomtawan provides the best seats to catch breathtaking sunsets, accompanied with cocktails made from fresh local fruits and herbs. (The bar’s creative riff on the classic mojito makes for a pretty commendable sundown aperitif.)
As with all Ritz-Carlton properties, Phulay Bay captures its location’s essence while keeping its international guests happy. The breakfast offerings at Jampoon are designed to satiate both the health-conscious and the gourmand, often simultaneously. Take for instance the pancakes with toffee baby bananas and kafir lime; the spicy egg white frittata with mushroom, ginger and coriander; the poached egg with hummus, crispy chorizo, wild rocket and pita bread; as well as the waffles with mango-vanilla cream, Thai basil and mango salad, all of which speak to travellers with a world palate.
