The Stay for Good programme aims to offer vacationers with genuine and immersive experiences that inspire a greater association with the destination while glorifying the legacy and ethnicities and contributing to generating more prospects for local communities.
Once an uninhabited tin mine, the place was bought by Ho Kwon Ping in 1984 when he was looking for a dwelling to build a vacation home. The group capitalised deeply in uplifting the natural milieu, and today, the renewed lagoons are homes for marine flora and fauna. Situated on the peripheries of Bangtao Beach, the setting is about as benign as you can get. A navy of golf buggies knot guests between the villas, beach and restaurants, while hotel jeepneys can whiz you to the adjoining town, Cherngtalay, for a tariff.
This expansive jasmine-scented complex is trimmed within an edge of its life, and lift music plays from every corner. The wing-tipped open-air foyer watches a sizeable saltwater lagoon and is sprinkled with teak sofas, Thai artworks and beautiful reflective pools. From here, solid paths pass through stunning tropical gardens to a succession of Floridian-style buildings and Thai-style gazebos. Visitors can partake in the resort’s sustainable creativities, such as a trip to the Phuket Elephant Sanctuary, a stroll to contribute in sustainable beach clean-up, or the old-style tradition of almsgiving.
MINI KINGDOMS
This is one of Phuket’s lengthiest reputable extravagance hotels; the utmost elementary room is still a reserved villa with tall stone walls and its generously sized private plunge pools; slotted in between lush tropical gardens and indoor/outdoor bathrooms, which are atmospheric for an after-dark soak while gazing at moon and stars. The style is conventional Thai and aesthetic; think pointed roofs, teak wood floors, bands of silk and hand-painted murals above the platform beds. The most striking are the Double Pool Villas, which have a pool of water encompassing a glass-encased bedroom, as well as a self-contained swimming pool. Wellness explorers can unite one of the Banyan Tree’s new health and contentment programmes and cradle down in the sanctuary-like Spa Village. Speaking of which, the hotel has one of the finest spa facilities in Thailand, with its own coaching school, profoundly instinctive therapists and a volume of magnificent treatments. The experienced workforce is earnest and specialized. During my Signature Purposeful Massage, the brand’s famed therapists work their mystic to calm and revitalise my stressed muscles. A safe bet for families and couples alike in search of unobtrusive environs, outstanding facilities and relaxed access to one of the best beaches on the island. There are seven restaurants, counting a Thai restaurant, an international buffet and a beachside shack serving beers and snacks.
THE VEYA EXPERIENCE
As I brawl to keep my equilibrium, I speedily notice that my feel of touch has been intensified and I can feel each blade of wet grass and the gritty fineness of the soil below my feet. I am undertaking ‘conscious grounding’ at Veya Phuket, the novel brand addition of Banyan Tree resorts. This 12-villa property is the foremost wellness-centred resort by the native hospitality group. While it is located in a peaceful reserve within the resort grounds, visitors at Veya have undivided admission to further facilities counting a well-being centre and an old-style herb farm-pharmacy where workshops are steered. They also have a detached gym and swimming pool for a more cherished experience. Back to my ten minutes grounding walk, I am amazed to notice that my ‘running mind’ has blocked wandering with frivolous thoughts, at least provisionally. Our practitioner enlightens that the line-up of activities – which comprise yoga and circuit exercise classes, meditation sessions, aromatherapy room spray, nutrition discussions and massage oil workshops are shepherded at an amicable basic level. In this set-up, guests who are new to the notion of self-care and health can sample a selection of nourishing exercises that they can continue to apply even after they check out. The model seals a gap in the mushrooming wellness travel market, where sanctuaries often focus on guests who are more familiarised to well-being practices. At Veya, the smoother slant means lodgers may pick and select unreservedly from the variety of activities so they can be as labyrinthine – or comfortable – as they desire. That is a suitable thing because you will want to assign adequate time to enjoy the newly erected Veya villas. The spacious digs arouse a comparable tropical resort vibe that Banyan Tree founded in the early 1990s but in a more up-to-date style presenting austere furnishing and a shade outline of sprightly oak and perfect green. In an affirmation to the wellness melody, the villas are fortified with a Tibetan melodic bowl, exercise stretch bands and a yoga mat for guests. The on-the-spot all-day Veya eatery makes it informal to eat well without feeling destitute with a plant-forward, seafood slanting menu. That said, not one person will be made to feel remorseful for pampering – on offer are Kombucha and organic wine and one is free to dine at other eateries, including Banyan Tree’s excellent Thai restaurant ‘Saffron’, which is a minute’s walk away.
Led by certified multidisciplinary wellbeing hosts around a three-step decorum of Mindfulness, Finding, and Nourishment, the Veya Experience is formed in unswerving reaction to the Covid-19 pandemic, aiming to address a world with a vital need for rewiring the body and mind.
REGENERATIVE TOURISM
Pledge to sustainability and communal accountability is at the heart of everything the resort does. The approach echoes in the assortment of sustainability-related activities on offer to the guests. To entirely appreciate the calmness of the lagoons, hop onto a free ferry service for a ride around Laguna Phuket, which has halts at several locations, plus the beach bar Xana. For those looking to explore further afield, the city of Phuket is a thirty-minute ride away via a shuttle bus service available at the foyer of Cassia. In my present state of newly discovered zen, I choose to make my way to Bang Tao beach instead. This 3 km stretch of white sandy shores is hardly a ten-minute walk from Veya, this is possibly as close to unscathed paradise as one might hope to get in these contemporary times. That evening, as I stare at the infinite horizon, the setting sun setting the sky on fire, I am very sure I finally get a taste of that intangible sense of internal peace that many people have been seeking by signing up for this retreat. All in all, via travel and tourism, there is prospective to make an optimistic impression on the communities and the
environment.
Awarded the “Best food writer in the country” by the Indian culinary forum, WACS and the ministry of Tourism, Rupali Dean writes on food and travel.