LLM travel editor Natasha Heard heads to southern Thailand for a stay at the iconic hilltop retreat, Sri Panwa.
From spicy seafood dishes to bustling night markets and Buddhist temples to wonderful wildlife, you come to Thailand to rest, let your hair down and immerse yourself in the local culture, and Phuket is a great place to get in a little of everything, whatever type of holiday you’re after.
An epic location on the hills of a peninsula, five-star hotel and residential estate Sri Panwa excels at offering its guests luxurious accommodations, endless experiences and great food in the most serene of surrounds, making for the ideal place to reset in between enjoying all the island has to offer.
Hotel
The layout has been carefully considered so you can not only enjoy the best of the views, but also feel like you’re sitting floating in the water that surrounds you
Established in 2005, Sri Panwa is a luxurious resort on the Panwa peninsula in south east Phuket, encompassing 40 acres of super luxe villas, restaurants, endless entertainment and blissful seclusion, all topped off with an incredible selection of lofty views from its position on the hills.
A design led hotel, everything from the décor to the layout has been carefully considered so you can not only enjoy the best of the views, but also feel like you’re sitting floating in the water that surrounds you, whether that’s on the breakfast terraces with the dipped tables surrounded by water features, or in your sumptuous villa.
Refined, and with a focus on privacy for guests, Sri Panwa’s design is elegant with pops of personality and colour within the décor, and this is showcased the moment you set foot on the property for the first time.
The reception, which can be found through the secure gates and up a steep hill, is a light-filled space with high ceilings and a wall of either windows or blue and white tiles to reflect the seaside location.
Turquoise and peach tones and low curved seating make this space feel young and vibrant while the inviting views make for a great introduction for what’s to come.
Room
The luxury pool villas at Sri Panwa add the wow factor to your stay
If you want to stay somewhere in Phuket with the wow factor, you really can’t go wrong with one of the luxury pool villas at Sri Panwa.
From the moment I was dropped off at the front gates of Luxury Villa 22 – also known as Eagle – via a complimentary hotel tuk tuk, and stepped through to witness the first glimpse of the incredible view bestowed upon this accommodation, I knew I was in for a real treat here.
Jaw-dropping scenes awaited: an endless stretch of blue, the signature tree covered islands popping up below, a birds eye view of the hotel’s section of soft sand beach below – and a wrap-around infinity pool in which to soak it all in.
Inside, there’s a spacious lounge area with day beds to recline and soak up the views from the floor to ceiling patio doors, a full kitchen with everything you would need to whip up meals during longer stays, alongside a dedicated dressing room.
The piece de resistance has to be the bedroom – jutting out with the pool running along three sides and floor to ceiling windows mirroring this, you wake up in your huge bed, look out and feel like you’re floating.
It’s truly mesmerising, and it’s hard to leave such a comfortable spot.
The piece de resistance has to be the bedroom – jutting out with the pool running along three sides
Decorated with dark wood and deep grey tiled floors, traditional features abound with wooden decorative doors, and many elements of the villa are designed with wellness in mind. A carefully configurated vanity area is flanked by two sinks and leads to a toilet to one side and a shower on the other, which also turns into a steam room for that extra touch.
Doors from here lead to an outside patio where a spa ritual can be enjoyed in a double sized Jacuzzi bath looking out to sea, while sunbathing on the loungers can be broken up by lying in the pool with massage jets easing any tired muscles, before rinsing off under the spacious outdoor shower.
Outside, the pool is the star of the show and the spacious covered seating area is perfect for al fresco dinners. Perhaps you’ll make use of the hotel’s in villa barbecue service and while away the night under the stars – I could think of far worse ways to spend my time, that’s for sure.
Food
Baba Soul Food offers an inviting atmosphere and delightful Thai cuisine
There are a great selection of different restaurants to try out at Sri Panwa, so you’re sure to find something to suit your palate, whether you fancy a relaxing dinner in the privacy of your suite or to sample a selection of Thai dishes in style.
I enjoyed a dinner at Baba Soul Food, which firmly falls into the latter. The choices from the menu were so appetising, my dining partner and I decided to share a few items so that we could try a range of different dishes, and out came a fantastic array of plates.
The crispy duck and cashew nut salad was a winner with its abundance of flavourful lemongrass, alongside the prawns wrapped in crispy noodles, while the rich and moreish egg fried rice with a crispy fried egg on top was the best either of us had tasted.
The marinated lemongrass and chilli chicken wings were full of flavour, and we loved the minced duck salad, which came with sticky wild rice and lettuce cups to fill with the duck and rice. It was lovely, with great flavours and the crisp lettuce added the perfect amount of freshness and a little crunch.
The traditional Thai décor in Baba Soul Food, the lofty location and the very friendly and accommodating waiting staff made for a lovely atmosphere for a dinner here.
Tu Rooftop bar offers a relaxing spot to soak up the views
During the day, the restaurant houses Baba Soul Café for casual daytime dining, while Baba IKI is the place to head to for Japanese cuisine, and Baba Chino for authentic Chinese cuisine.
For drinks with THE view, be sure to check out Baba Nest, which bills itself as the world’s most stylish and exclusive rooftop bar – it’s certainly worth finding out for yourself.
Breakfast at Baba Pool Club is a feast fit for royalty and includes an enormous selection of foods to try. There’s a dedicated batter station with crepes, waffles, American pancakes and French toast, which come with jams, maple syrup, flambéed banana, chocolate sauce and more.
There’s also an omelette station and you can also pick up a fresh Eggs Benedict – try the Baba Benedict which comes with bacon and white truffle sauce in addition to a poached egg and brioche bread.
You’ll also find a great selection of pastries to pick from as well as juices like the detox blend, in addition to cheeses, breads, a salad bar and varying Asian dishes including curries, rices, noodles, chicken broth, roti with chicken massaman curry, seafood in a coconut milk soup, crispy chicken wings, dumplings, and seaweed rolls.
Sri Panwa certainly doesn’t do breakfast by halves.
Spa and wellness
Enjoy a traditional Thai massage at Cool Spa
Cool Spa is the resident spot for complete and utter relaxation and boasts a range of luxurious treatments to indulge in. First off, the treatment rooms are all equipped with a large terrace, a luxurious shower and bathroom, and an iPod playlist which invites relaxation from the moment you arrive.
The massages themselves only serve to soothe you even more with many allowing you to indulge for 90 minutes or even two hours. Choose from traditional Thai and Indian massages, Swedish, Balinese or full body wraps to give your tired muscles the treat they deserve.
You can also participate in sound healing here or a yoga class if you want some gentle movement, and if you want to delve into your wellness a little more, be sure to head to the wellness clinic, which is a collaborative venture with BDMS Wellness Clinic offering wellness programmes, regenerative medicine and more to address things like hormone health, anti-ageing, and weight management.
To do
Enjoy the surrounding waters with a boat trip
There are so many ways to spend your time here, if you can bear to peel yourself away from your villa that is. Whether its kayaking, snorkelling or taking a boat trip, heading to the games room to play foosball, air hockey, table tennis, or something more sporty, you can always be busy, if you want to be that is.
During my stay, I headed to the gym, past the tennis courts and yoga pavilion, and into the gym for a Muai Thai lesson with instructor Toon.
After some all-important stretching, Toon taught me some basic Thai boxing moves – and I learned of a brief history of the popular Thai sport – before I could put them to the test in the ring.
The lesson was a fun and enjoyable way to not only work up a sweat on a Sunday morning, but also to learn a little more about what makes up some of Thailand’s culture.
Toon was a fantastic teacher – patient, friendly and he made the lesson that much more enjoyable, so much so that my beetroot face at the end was beaming and the hour felt like it had sped by. I loved it, it was a fantastic way to spend an hour and I left in a great mood.
Why not take at Muai Thai lesson for a fun and invigorating way to start the day?
If you want to head out of the resort, by the entrance you’ll find Phuket Aquarium and there are a few shops, restaurants and bars at the bottom of the hill.
Head a little further afield and you’ll find Wat Chalong (a 30 minute-drive), a little further to The Big Buddha, which has recently reopened, and Phuket town about 25 minutes away.
In a nutshell
In a peaceful spot, Sri Panwa offers another side to Phuket, spread across 40 acres of detached buildings set within a lush landscape with some truly gobsmacking views.
This five-star haven with a private beach, luxury pool villas and amenities galore embodies both seclusion and luxury. Book in at Sri Panwa for that dose of luxury you’ve been seeking in serene surrounds, you won’t regret it.
Factbox
Address: 88 หมู่ที่ 8 ถนน ศักดิเดช, Wichit, Mueang Phuket District, Phuket 83000, Thailand
Tel: +66(0)76 371 000
Email: chill@sripanwa.com
Website: sripanwa.com
See snippets of my travels on Instagram @tashheard_food_travel
Image credit: Sri Panwa Phuket
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