Soneva Kiri

Not many resorts can boast of such a dramatic arrival. To reach Soneva Kiri, you’re flown in the resort’s private plane from Bangkok’s international airport to its private airstrip, from which point you are taken to the resort via speedboat, and then driven to your bungalow in an eco-buggy. Patong Beach this is not.

Soneva Kiri is proof that Thailand will never get old. The resort doesn’t reinvent the wheel in terms of luxe beach bungalows, but its pale timber salas, personal infinity pools and open air bathrooms create an effortless and organic type of luxury that seems to just grow up out of the ground.

Where the resort sets itself apart is with its common spaces. Dining pods are perched in the trees above the mangroves like nests, giving diners a bird’s-eye view of white sands and sunsets. Then there’s the Den, a hut-like structure where younger guests are entertained and supervised while their parents enjoy some adult time.

The crowning achievement of Soneva Kiri, however, is not its observatory, nor its chocolate room, nor its bewildering choice of spa therapies; it’s the Eco Villa. The entire resort aims to keep its environmental impact at a minimum, but the Eco Villa is specially engineered to have zero carbon footprint. A hobbit house of clay and rubber plants, its approach to renewable energy is so advanced it’s on display to visiting guests and locals as a model of sustainable living.

How to get there:

Upon arrival at Bangkok's airport, the hotel will meet and transfer guests to Soneva Kiri via the resort's own airplane. The flight is approximately one hour long. The roundtrip transfer price is $400 (plus applicable taxes & fees) per person.