Pimalai Resort & Spa
This is tropical Thailand as you’ve imagined it – a forest cloaked limestone hill (complete with cheeky macaques) tumbling down to a picture-postcard beach that’s bookended by a handful of rustic local restaurants and bars. In the middle of this glorious bay is Pimalai Resort & Spa, a hideaway where wellness and sustainability share top billing. The style blends perfectly with the natural environment and there’s a real sense of place thanks to the gabled and thatched roofs and landscaping that includes koi ponds and waterfalls.
The spa is a stand-out spot and is so highly regarded it has won awards from the likes of Conde Nast. Alongside the traditional and more modern treatments carried out in oh-so-tranquil rooms tucked away like a village in the forest, there’s the chance to make that relaxed holiday feeling last a lifetime thanks to a trio of spa classes. There’s the Art of Traditional Thai Massage, an hour-long session teaching you the pressure points and techniques to relieve tension, and the Art of the Neck and Shoulder Massage – a great way to release the tensions of our 21st-Century lifestyles. You can also learn how to create an aromatic herbal pouch and how Thai herbs can be used in everyday life. Aerial yoga, Muay Thai sessions, exceptional underwater adventures and a selection of water and beach sports also add to the health and wellbeing element at Pimalai.
The resort is split into two areas – the Resort Estate, which is set between a road and the beach, and the hillside Villa Estate. The Deluxe Rooms and Andaman-sea-view Bayfront Deluxe Rooms, which are situated in the Resort Estate, are perfect for couples but we highly recommend upgrading to one of the pavilion suites, which are wonderfully spacious and have a garden view or are a short walk from the sand, or the oversized villas, a favourite option for groups whether family or friends. If you’re going for a villa, there’s the choice between sleeping to the sounds of the forest up in the Hillside Villas or to the sound of the waves down in the Beachside Villas.
Twin Lotus Resort & Spa
Pimalai Resort & Spa
