Soneva Kiri – Thailand’s Exclusive Luxury Resort
In Thailand’s north-east corner that borders with Cambodia, there is a Thai virgin island that I never heard of until our last visit in Asia. Koh Kood is the fourth largest island in all of Thailand, though it is off the radar of most tourist trails and you will probably not come across it in most of Thailand travel guides. This is one of the main reasons why it has remained rural and quite undeveloped, causing it to be especially desirable for those looking for undiscovered pieces of paradise.
Against the backdrop of these virgin island landscapes that combine tropical rain forests and white sandy beaches with the clearest of emerald tomed waters and dotted with palm trees , is the most special and magical place I’ve ever seen – Soneva Kiri.
{I know, that’s a pretty big statement, especially due to the amazing places I’ve visited over the past few years…}
There is not one particular aspects that can be singled out, that made me fall over the top in love with the experience presented by the Soneva Kiri hotel – not the breathtaking scenery, nor the meticulous service, fine dining, or the design that provides a sense so close to nature. All of these components are wonderful in themselves, but if I have to sum up the exceptional Soneva Kiri hotel, or rather, the reason why I felt like I was in heaven during my entire stay at the resort, is basically due to the fact that Soneva Kiri is not a hotel at all , not in the usual sense of the word anyway.
Click here to watch the short video I created during our stay 
But let’s get back to the beginning of our love story…
The journey to Soneva Kiri began early morning at Bangkok’s airport. As soon as we arrived at the baggage claim, we were greeted by a Soneva Kiri representative who took care of checking us in, took our trolleys, and walked us to the lounge. After a short wait in the lounge, another hotel employee came and guided us to the hotel’s private jet. Yes, you got that right – a private plane!
It was Daniel and mine’s first experience of such kind, and I must admit our excitement level was level to that of children! Needless to say, the excitement was so great it made the hour and a half flight from Bangkok’s airport to the small airport near the hotel feel more like a minute and a half 
The moment we landed at Soneva Kiri's private airport, which is actually a beautiful jungle with one tiny pavilion and runway, we were greeted by a sweet woman with a huge smile on her face who, from the first moment, had met us with our first names, as if she had known us our entire lives.
Of course, we were a bit taken aback from the whole surreal experience at such an early hour, making us feel as if we never woke up and this is all part of an extremely sweet dream. The kind woman immediately introduced herself as Pim, our Mrs. Friday during our stay at Soneva Kiri.
Which leads me to one of the elements that greatly affected our stay at Soneva Kiri – Mr. or Mrs. Friday! “Mr. Friday” is one of the main characters of the famous novel Robinson Crusoe, who is a companion and loyal friend. Every guest at the Soneva Kiri is linked to a Mr. or Mrs. Friday, someone who is way beyond a butler or a conventional personal assistant. Pim, our very own Mrs. Friday, was basically the ultimate hostess throughout our vacation at the resort. She gave us a tour, answered all of our questions, made sure to meet all of our needs and requests, and bottom-line – made sure we feel most at home {assuming our home is paradise, probably 
}.
Back to the small airport… We quickly joined Pim on a little buggy that took us to the dock, where a private speed boat waited for us. Cool, refreshing towels were given to us on board and each guest was handed a small bag with the words “ No News – No Shoes” printed on it. Soneva’s ecological philosophy emphasizes the importance of quality time and connection with nature by letting go of everyday life, so when we arrived at the resort we were invited to remove our shoes and walk freely with bare feet – barefoot luxury at its best.
The five-minute ride took us to the hotel dock, where we were warmly welcomed by a large group of the hotel staff. All of the meeting points with Soneva Kiri, from Bangkok airport, through the small airport and meeting with Mrs. Friday, to our arrival at the hotel – were characterized by a service experience I had never encountered anywhere else in the world.
When we arrived at the hotel we were not taken to the reception area to check-in to the hotel – because there is simply no such thing I really meant what I said about Soneva Kiri being no ordinary hotel. It feels like a home away from home in every way. Instead of checking in, Pim escorted us straight to the breakfast of the hotel {which I will, of course, elaborate on later}, followed by a tour of the facilities that ended in our very own private villa!
Soneva Kiri has a large variety of villas ranging from one-bedroom villas to luxurious six-bedroom mansions, some located on the beach and others on secluded cliffs. We stayed in a stunning Beach Pool Villa Suite villa, with a private pool and direct access to a completely private beach. The villa we stayed in had one bedroom, but being that its size exceeds 400 square meters, it is difficult to treat this insane villa as a hotel room.
This villa’s charm, as well as the others in the hotel, begins with its seclusion from the rest. If I had stayed in our villa during our entire visit, I would feel as if I am alone on a secluded tropical island. Another thing about the villas, and the resort’s overall design, is the strong connection to nature. Soneva Kiri is not an attempt to chase away alternating trends, but rather sanctify the values of sustainability and connection to nature, and the concept of “Robinson Crusoe”; a man on an isolated virgin island. All the villas are made of local and non-toxic materials like bamboo and natural wood, combined with huge glass windows that let nature in. Designed in an effortless bohemian style, with a suitcase motif that appears repeatedly in the closets and other accessories in the villa.
In the middle of the bedroom is a luxurious four-poster bed, in front of which is a stack of antique luggage, though it isn’t really luggage – it’s a TV, DVD player and a sophisticated sound system that is carefully put away until they are used. The room also has a luxurious sitting area {like all the hotel seating areas – these are the most comfortable mattresses and pillows known to mankind!}, table chess, a work area, and an indoor bathroom. A few steps away from the bed, large glass doors open to an outdoor seating area that leads directly down to the private pool and towards the back room where there is a spacious closet room and vanity. The closet room has a door that leads to an outdoor bathroom which is under a huge tent, where there is a double vanity, recliner sofa {again, over the top luxury}, a bathtub, two showers, and a toilet. As a hotel that advocates an eco-friendly approach, in Soneva you won't find disposable plastic products – all products and beverages are made of multi-use materials such as glass or porcelain.
The wide-spread outdoor area has a large dining corner and a large L-shaped seating area – both of which overlook the beautiful pool, tanning beds, and a path that leads directly to the private beach. In short – I wasn’t joking when I said you could stay in the villa for the entire vacation
Still, it’s hard to believe that anyone could arrive at this hotel and not make use of the excellent facilities and attractions it has to offer!…
The hotel takes up a huge part of the island, and since the island is hilly and not ideal for getting around by bicycle, each villa has a private electric buggy for guests to ride during their stay.
I’ll start with the hotel’s sweetest attraction – the chocolate and ice cream rooms! Yep, that’s right! In paradise called Soneva Kiri there is a divine experience for anyone with a sweet tooth. The “So Chilled” ice cream parlour has more than 60 flavors of ice creams and sorbets, and the “So Guilty” chocolate parlour has an amazing selection of chocolates, truffles, and chocolate-based drinks. All the sweets are prepared by the hotel's pastry chefs right on the island!
And if I've already started talking about food, you know it does not end here, right?
The overall food experience at Soneva Kiri is – very much like the hotel – out of this world! With an amazing variety and food that is organic and locally grown, you can’t help but fantasize about your next meal…
Starting with Breakfast, served at the hotel’s main restaurant, on a cliff overlooking the island's intoxicating tropical landscape. Breakfast is served a la carte, and the menu includes a variety of dishes, with eggs, sweets, and freshly squeezed beverages and hot drinks, aside from an unconventional breakfast buffet…
For starters – in the center of the restaurant is a huge stand with a very large selection of organic fruit and vegetables, where you can personally choose your components for a salad or fruit plate you’d like to start your day with, and the chef will take care of perfectly cutting it up just for you! There are also plenty of naturally flavored water jugs, grains, cereals, and dried fruit. In a small cabin located right next to the restaurant is the most appealing array of cheeses and cold cuts, bread, pastries, and desserts. There are a number of chef’s stations, each offers a different dish made by the chef on the spot – from noodle soup to churros. And if that’s not enough, an entire counter is dedicated to local Asian dishes! I’ve had many a great breakfast around the world, but I must say that it is hard to compete with breakfast at Soneva Kiri.
The hotel's main restaurant also serves buffet-style lunches and dinners, but those looking for a bit of a variety will find a few more special options –
The Beach A restaurant that serves lunch a la carte or buffet, with a variety of Western and Thai dishes.
So Spirited Pool Bar An alternative choice for a light lunch or a cocktail by the pool.
Benz’s On our second night at the hotel we dined at Benz’s, a ten-minute boat ride from the hotel. We left for dinner at sunset, and the ride through the mangroves on both sides of the river was an amazing part of the dinner. The restaurant is in a small cabin on the river and serves an authentic, family-style Thai dinner composed of the freshest seasonal ingredients.
The View On our third and final night we dined at the hotel’s resto-bar. The restaurant is perfectly located to enjoy the sunset from the cliff overlooking the bay, and serves modern European dishes with an Asian twist.
And the cherry on top… the most unique experience the hotel {or anywhere, actually 
} has to offer is the Treepod Dining meal. On our third morning at the hotel, we tried this extraordinary breakfast experience, and it was absolutely breathtaking! The road to the meal goes through a long route in the hotel’s tropical jungle, at the end of which you reach a bamboo pod that looks like a huge bird’s nest. As soon as Daniel and I sat down inside the pod, our waiter, who was harnessed from the top of the tree, activated the button that raised the pod all the way up to the treetop. In just a few moments we were at the top of the trees, and the waiter began serving us the first courses we had ordered in advance the night before. The food was excellent, of course, but the main experience here was certainly the view of the open sea. One of the coolest parts of this experience is the waiter who serves the various dishes of the meals using a zip-line!
The North Shore White sand, palm trees, turquoise waters, and utter silence… The hotel's private beach is by far the dictionary definition of the perfect beach. The north shore is a few minutes boat ride from the hotel, and besides a couple of super comfortable tanning beds and the fun “The Beach” restaurant, there is also a water sports pavilion with kayaks, saps, snorkeling equipment, and children’s toys, for no extra charge. I admit that although we had a private beach just outside the villa, we enjoyed taking the hotel's speed boat every day and hanging out on the north shore 
Six Senses Spa The luxury Six Senses chain was founded by Sonu and Eva, owner of the exclusive Soneva chain, and while the ownership has been passed down since then, the famous Six Senses spa can still be found in each of the Soneva hotels. The Soneva Kiri spa complex is as zen as it gets, with upscale private log cabins in the midst of the tropical jungle which is seen through the windows. The hotel's spa menu is very diverse with various types of massage treatments, facials and even detox diets under the care and supervision of the hotel's specialist.
Tour of the Organic Garden and Ecological Center As you may have already realized, Soneva is not your ordinary luxury hotel. Besides providing the most luxurious and unique experience there is, Soneva's philosophy is based on a natural and ecological approach. Environmental and social responsibility is the scarlet thread that appears not only above the surface {for example, using paper drinking straws and reusable care products}, but actually delves deep into the ‘backstage' of the hotel. We began one of our mornings at Soneva Kiri with a fascinating tour of the hotel’s organic garden and ecological center, both located on the resort grounds. We learned about the processes that Soneva does to preserve the environment of the virgin island where the hotel is found, including cooking oils and turning them into fuel, recycling plastic, and more.
Cinema Paradiso One of the most magical experiences at Soneva Kiri is watching vintage films on a giant outdoor screen. The hotel's open-air cinema is located at the lagoon in the middle of the jungle, with comfy beds equipped with pillows and blankets. Oh – and there's fresh popcorn, too, of course
Observatory The nighttime experience is not over with the dreamy Cinema Paradiso… The hotel has a private observatory! Yes, I'm serious! After dinner at the hotel, you can go up to the observatory, gaze at the stars that fill the night’s sky, and even hear an explanation about the different stars.
The Children's Den Exclusive luxury hotels and children are two things that usually don’t go together, but Soneva Kiri has managed to crack the formula. Soneva Kiri is not only a hotel for couples of all ages to enjoy a romantic getaway with the utmost privacy and other treats, but it is also heaven on earth for parents and children. On the first day at the hotel, we took a tour and passed a giant bamboo structure in the shape of a manta ray, and Pim {our Mrs. Friday} explained to us that it was actually the hotel's children’s den. I've never seen a kids club that looked so cool so I had to go in and see for myself what it was all about … In short, the Children's Den is absolutely the coolest playground I've ever seen! It has a music room, game room, art room, library, and a variety of daily activities, all under the supervision of the hotel's staff of teachers and caregivers {free of charge for children above the age of 5}. Let's just say it feels like a place that kids don't want to leave, which also guarantees parents more romantic quality time during their family vacation
Apart from all the activities I mentioned that we experienced during our stay, the hotel offers many other cool activities such as Thai cooking classes, scuba diving, and a day trip to the island's waterfall and small fishing village. So even if you’re not the type that sits out in the sun all day, I can assure you, you will not be bored on this virgin paradise island.
I hope that by now you’re able to understand a little bit more about why I fell in love with Soneva Kiri. It really is not just a beautiful and well-designed luxury hotel, it has a great deal more – especially when it comes to the accommodations and unique values that are hard to find elsewhere.
Thank you very much to Soneva Kiri for an unforgettable experience. All opinions in the post are mine.
