A hop, skip and jump away from Singapore, Phuket has always been one of my favourite weekend getaways. A quick two-hour flight from the red dot takes you directly to paradise. And for once, you don’t have to choose between beaches or mountains, because in Phuket, you can have both.
That, perhaps, is what I liked most about Intercontinental Phuket when I experienced it recently. Ingeniously designed in two sections, beachside and hillside, the resort spreads across both sides of a main arterial road. And the best part? There’s an underground tunnel connecting both sides, plastered with graffiti depicting the island’s life!
My room, a Premium Club Lounge Access Ocean View room, was located on the beachside of course. Spectacular ocean views across a sparkling swimming pool greeted me every morning as I stepped into my private balcony to say hello to this gorgeous island. The beachside section of the resort is intimate and exclusive, with a handful of premium rooms, and the club lounge (with a swimming pool).
A few steps down lead you to delicious dining at Jaras (more about that later), and Pine Beach Bar wrapped around the beachfront pool where I ended up spending most of my day. With tall palms offering intermittent shade, and plenty of sun loungers so you don’t have to worry about grabbing one early, the beachfront pool and bar are the very definition of island bliss. Just gazing at the water changing colours kept me busy, and the thoughtful service by the F&B staff and expertly crafted cocktails made the hours slip by.
As much as kids love the beach, a family vacation means that you need multiple activities to keep everyone happy and occupied. Thankfully, there was plenty to do within the resort itself that we never felt the need to step out, though we were in the heart of Kamala, one of the most action-packed regions of Phuket. My daughter loved joining her dad at the gym each morning, working up an appetite before we hit Pinto, the all-day dining cafe, for an extended breakfast.
Full of healthy and indulgent options, Pinto does local food really well, with me making a beeline for their stir-fried noodles as soon as I had my fruit fix. Their Eggs Benedict was also a huge hit, with a hit of Thai chilli sauce incorporated into the hollandaise.
Post a generous breakfast, we would head to Sati Spa where they would make it their life’s purpose to pamper us silly. Thailand is rightly called the wellness capital of the world. Thai wellness therapies are designed to alleviate physical and mental blocks, leaving you in a blissful world of relaxation. We were offered the option of seven types of massage oils, crafted using only the finest local and natural botanical ingredients.
The spa facilities far surpassed many others I have experienced on the island, with large massage rooms in verdant natural surrounds, a tranquil sanctuary for self-healing. The Signature Sati Awaken massage had me slip into a zone of rejuvenation and pure ecstasy. A must-do when visiting Phuket.
With five swimming pools, a fitness centre and a tennis court on the premises, there was plenty to keep us occupied. Not that we needed much, to be honest. My idea of a perfect beach holiday is a sun lounger, sand, cocktails and delicious food, and Intercontinental Phuket Resort offered these in spades.
Seven dining options ensured that no two meals were the same. This is critical when you’re travelling, lest you feel compelled to leave the hotel and hunt for delicious food elsewhere. At the Intercontinental Phuket, you are spoilt for choice. Should you pick Jaras, the Southern Thai fine dining restaurant justifiably featured multiple times in the Michelin Guide, or opt for the Hom experience, a fermentation-forward world-class gourmet meal? Why choose when you can have both? Jaras is perfect for easy evenings when you want to sit by the beachside and enjoy the flavours of Thailand outside of the regular curries.
But Hom. Hom is a memory that will stay with you forever. The skill of Chef Ricardo Nunes, who originally hails from Portugal but has done his time in Michelin-starred restaurants in Bangkok, is undeniable. He and his team have a fascination, almost reverence for local produce and how the process of fermentation can be used to bring out a unique character in each. 98% of ingredients used in the kitchen are local, forming a multi-course, multi-sensory extravaganza that can captivate you for hours.
Housed in the ethereal temple-shaped Sawan Pavilion, it is almost a temple for food, a place to honour time-tested traditions, local flavours, and contemporary techniques.
For a light bite, you could always go for the High Tea set at Devas Lounge. Served in a royal three-tiered bird cage, the set comes with the option of bubbly or a range of curated tea selections. Suited to those with a sweet tooth, the set can easily fill you up during meal times too.
Though buggy service is available to traverse the two-minute journey between the beachside and hillside sections of the resort, via the colourful underpass, one of our favourite pastimes was to walk this path. It made for great photo opportunities of course, but also helped digest those delicious meals that we would indulge in.
Two days flew by in a blur and before we knew it, it was time to return to Singapore again. The ever-smiling staff at the lounge and our personal butler seemed as sad to see us go as we were to leave, but all good things must come to an end. Until next time, of course. And with Phuket only two hours away, I know that our separation won't be a long one.
Find more information about the hotel and its facilities here.
a. 333, 333/3 Moo 3, Kamala Beach, 3, Kamala, Kathu District, Phuket 83150, Thailand
w. phuket.intercontinental.com
fb. www.facebook.com/intercontinentalphuket
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