asiaSpa India January-February 2018 87watch classics under the stars and enjoy
a private dinner. Then there’s the Eco
Den for the kids (and adults) to get their
creative juices flowing with music and
arts and crafts lessons. If you’re really
into star gazing, the state-of-the-art
Observatory is a fantastic place to get
your geek on. Believe me, away from
harsh city lights, the night sky looks
breathtaking out here. And if you’ve
still got energy and time left, Soneva
also offers a day trip to Angkor Wat in
Cambodia, which is only a 60-minute
flight away! Basically, there are enough
activities to keep one occupied for
several days, especially if you’re someone
who doesn’t always enjoy lazing on the
beach sipping a cocktail, like yours truly.
I spent the rest of my time exploring
the village and areas around Soneva,
and then returned for high tea to the
popular Treepod. What’s the Treepod you
ask? It’s a delightful dining experience
where you’re seated in a bamboo pod
and hoisted high up into the tropical
foliage of Koh Kood’s ancient rainforest.
Gourmet delights and beverages are
delivered by your personal waiter on a zip
line. It’s a novel concept, and certainly an
entertaining and exciting one.
My top two favourite dining
memories from the trip have to be the
sunset dinners enjoyed at Benz and The
Wine Cellar. Benz is located outside
the property on a classic wooden Thai
structure among mangroves and the
Klong Yai Yee waterfall. It’s a no-menu
restaurant and Chef Benz decides what
you eat depending on the inspiration
and local ingredients available on the
day. The Wine Cellar is a uniquely
designed space featuring a subterranean
vault with 350 labels of organic and
biodynamic wines. You’re seated on a
glass dining table that looks down into
the exquisite wine vault – a fascinating
experience indeed.
SPA-LICIOUS
The restorative e ects of
Soneva Kiri’s environment
along with Six Senses
Spa’s facilities and holistic
treatments are the key to
a rejuvenating stay. An
innovative approach to
wellness allows Soneva’s
in-house experts to
measure and analyse key
physiological biomarkers
and provide guests with
lifestyle and nutritional
advice. Then they design a
personalised programme
of treatments, tness
and wellness activities
based on the preventative
principles of Eastern
medicine and the result-
oriented in uences of
Western medicines.From top right: a wide variety of wellness rituals
await you at Six Senses Spa; gourmet delights
are delivered on a zip line to Treepod; Soneva
Kiri’s private plane plies guests to and from
Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport