phuket

Kate Moss Splashes Out $150,000 on NYE Spree

Filed under: Wealth

Kate Moss splashed out $150,000 on a last-minute New Year's Eve blowout in Thailand with her rock star boyfriend Jamie Hince. Moss has booked in for a week at the luxe Amanpuri resort in Phuket where she has rented a private villa with a full staff as well as a luxury yacht to cruise round the Andaman sea, the UK's Daily Star reports. For New Year's Eve the stunning supermodel spent about $45,000 on a lavish banquet. Moss has spent the last three New Year's Eves at the glamorous resort, situated in a coconut grove on a private beach. The paper reports that she wanted to make other plans this year but left it too late and found everything booked. "She's in a huff because she was desperate for somewhere new, but was turned down by top resorts around the globe who had no room left," a source tells the paper. "Kate's been moaning that's she's not happy going back to the same resort, but to make it exciting she'll do it in style and raise the roof." That's the spirit.

Gallery: Amanpuri Resort, Thailand

Tags: Amanpuri, beach, Kate Moss, New Years Eve, Phuket, resort, supermodel, Thailand, yacht

Amanpuri in Phuket: The Destination for Peace

by Carrie Coolidge (RSS feed) —

Opened in 1988, Amanpuri was the very first Aman resort, named for the Sanskrit word for 'peace'. Located in Phuket, Thailand, this tranquil retreat, which is the flagship property in the Aman family, is a nominee for a Luxist Award for Best Beachside Hotel.

Located in a secluded coconut grove overlooking a sheltered bay, the resort radiates from the private crescent-shaped beach lapped by the Andaman Sea. Private villas grace the peninsula affording guests spectacular views, while other facilities include a Beach Club and lap pool, a hillside gym and spa and a number of restaurants, situated in picturesque locations around the resort. Amanpuri captures the warmth and generosity of spirit so unique to Thai culture.

Gallery: Amanpuri Resort in Phuket, Thailand

Amanpuri's spectacular beach is lined with sun loungers and umbrellas. Guests can enjoy complimentary windsurfing, snorkeling, sea kayaking and body boarding, as well as Hobie cat and Laser sailing, with attendants providing qualified instruction as needed. Searay Bowriders helmed by trained crew are available for waterskiing at a nominal fee. A nearby reef is flush with fish, and complimentary fins, snorkels and masks are provided. Snorkelers can hand feed or swim among the fish. All activities are available between December and April, weather and tide permitting.

Tags: Aman Resorts, Amanpuri, awards-main, Best Beach Hotel, best beaches, best beachside hotel, luxist-awards, Phuket, Thailand

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Westin Opens First Thailand Hotel

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

The first Westin resort in Thailand, the Westin Siray Bay Resort & Spa Phuket recently opened for guests. A Buddhist and Muslim ceremony took place to bless the resort, with both guests and the hotel team taking part. The resort is on Siray Island on the east coast of Phuket and overlooks Siray Bay with beach and ocean views. A bridge connects Siray Island to Phuket Island and the resort is a 45 minute drive from Phuket International Airport and a short boat ride from other nearby islands. There are 261 rooms, suites and villas and all the usual Westin comforts like the Heavenly Bed, flat screen televisions, iPod docking stations and rain showers. Some guestrooms, suites and villas have their own private plunge pools and rooftop relaxation areas overlooking Siray Bay.

Tags: phuket, siray bay, thailand, westin hotel

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Thai Villa, Estate of the Day

by Ann Brenoff (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Estates

I wish there was a way to type the sound of a low whistle of admiration because this beachfront property in Phuket, Thailand, deserves it. It's just not often that we get to see a 65,000-square-foot single-family home with a 5,400-square-foot master suite. It's listed in the high-$20 million range under one of those deals where if you have to ask, you probably can't afford it. But where is it written that we can't drool? Right now, I'm the family dog eying a steak sandwich left unattended on the kitchen counter.

Shall we start with the toys first? Four acres of pristine private beachfront plus an oceanfront infinity pool, a 4,000-square foot full fitness center with 80 different machines, a home theater, a karaoke room, a sauna and health spa that can accommodate a dozen guests, tennis courts, a two-lane bowling alley and a pitch and putt golf course. The master bedroom has its own swimming pool.

The home, known as "Beyond Villa," has every modern convenience and comes with $2 million in luxury furnishings from around the world. The estate, which incorporates the use of glass, steel, granite and marble, was designed by Hong Kong architect Branko Pahor. Three guest suites are detailed with an Asian theme, including a 3,800-square-foot Japanese style bedroom with its own enclosed Zen garden.

The property is located on the famed Natal Beach in Phang Nga Province, just 20 minutes from the Phuket International Airport in an area often referred to as "Thailand's Hamptons." There are views of the Andaman Sea from virtually every room, and high-end shopping is about an hour's drive away. But why would you ever want to leave?

Peter Rabitz of WETAG Consulting's International Division has the listing.

Gallery: Thai Villa

Tags: estate of the day, phuket, thailand

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Supermodels On Vacation In Phuket

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels, Celebrity Shopping

Naomi Campbell and Kate Moss have been bringing sexy back to Phuket. The supermodels have been spotted around the Thai resort island. Campbell visited the Phuket International Boat Show climbing aboard a Pershing 80 and being given a guided tour by Lee Marine Managing Director Joshua Lee.

The Mirror has snaps of Moss and Campbell and their boyfriends (Moss is with musician Jamie Hince, Campbell cozies up with billionaire Vladislav Doronin) lounging on sun chairs by the shore. It looks like the holiday is over though, the latest from the Daily Mail has Moss and Hince at the airport enduring the indignity that is a security screening. Ah, all good things, even vacations, must come to an end.

Tags: KateMoss, naomi cambell, NaomiCambell, phuket, thailand

Golf in a Kingdom: Exploring the Game in Thailand

by Paul Rogers (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels, Sports

We all know Tiger Woods is part-Thai. But what's the golf scene like in Thailand, the lush and beguiling land where his mother, Kultida, was born? To promote the country's finest courses, a group of premier golf properties and hotels has partnered with a tour operator and the Tourist Authority of Thailand. The consortium, called Golf in a Kingdom: The Thai Golf Experience, can help you map out an itinerary stretching from Chiang Mai, in the cool, mountainous region of the north, to the seascapes of Phuket and Koh Samui in the south. And by "experience," they mean not just golf but also cultural immersions like visits to Buddhist temples, ethnic villages and the teeming city of Bangkok.

Long a popular destination for Asian golfers, Thailand has more than 250 courses. Some of them, alas, are "American-style" layouts that could be in Florida or humdrum spots in the Caribbean. But others, such as Santiburi Samui Country Club (above), set into coconut groves at the foot of a mountain, offer a distinctly Thai adventure. The many charms of Thai golf will be on full display when Bill Clinton arrives this week--with clubs in tow, it's expected--to accompany Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton at the ASEAN Foreign Ministers Meeting on the island of Phuket. For a deeper sense of golf in Thailand, check out this story (which I played a hand in) from Travel + Leisure Golf.

Gallery: The Thai Golf Experience

Tags: Chiang Mai, ChiangMai, golf, Koh Samui, KohSamui, Phuket, Thailand

Cape Yamu, Another Ambitious Project In Thailand

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Estates, Luxury Travel & Hotels

Another luxury project that bears the unique stamp of Philippe Starck is Cape Yamu on Phuket's East Coast in Thailand. The project includes both villa residences and a five-star boutique hotel, the Yamu. The project has some serious design clout, both Adrian Zecha of GHM Hotels and Aman Resorts and architect Jean-Michel Gathy are also involved. The Yamu will have 63 hotel rooms as well as a large swimming pool, spa and restaurants. There are also twelve villa estates and 15 club villas for sale. Just two estate lots are left for purchase. The style is Thai-modern, clean, spare and yet tropical. Starck adds his own touch of whimsy but seems to have gone for elegant over wacky in this particular design using a more muted color scheme. The Yuma complex includes a restaurant and five other "glass cubes" around the hotel grounds that are host to a wine room with a wine cave, a cigar lounge, a private kitchen, a chocolate room and a private boutique. There is also a play area with chess, a lounge and a bar. The Yamu is set to open in 2008.

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Tags: cape yamu, CapeYamu, development, phuket, resort, thailand, villas

Serenity Terraces

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Estates

Serenity Terraces, a new beach-front real estate project in Phuket has a new tactic to seduce condo hunters. Every buyer in the project will also get fractional ownership rights on the 89 foot yacht, the Lady Anita.. The Lady Anita will be owned collectively by the unit owners and during the construction phase of the project buyers may start utilizing their yearly rights to use the Lady Anita.

Serenity Terraces faces Chalong Bay and is located near the Six Senses Evason Hotel and the site of the future Four Seasons Hotel. There are 63 units ranging from one bedroom apartments to beach-front duplexes and lofts with their own private swimming pools. Prices start around $205,000. Other amenities will include a beach-front infinity pool, restaurant and sports gym and the units can be part of a managed holiday rental program.

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Tags: phuket, thailand, travel, yachts

Take Your Kids On A Circus Vacation in Thailand

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

The JW Marriott Phuket Resort and Spa in Thailand has a unique way to keep your children entertained. They now have a KidzSole Circus Training program for children. The daily program is three hours of training in the morning and is available for kids from four to 12 years old. The children can learn trapeze, trampoline, juggling, tumbling, clowning and other circus acts. There is also a two to three hour specialty act rehearsal in the afternoon for some of the children. A five-day training period costs $100. A small price to pay for kid-free hours to soak up the sun, sleep or play in the pool.

[via Asia Travel Tips]

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Tags: children, kids, phuket, thailand, travel, vacation

Best Celeb-Spotting Spas

by Nicole Weston (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels, Spas

At CondeNaste Traveler, they have compiled a list of the best celebrity spotting spas - places that offer not only stunning views, but guarantee star treatment to everyone who visits. The full list has the world's top ten star spangled spots and tips on how to dodge the paparazzi who might be lurking near by. Here are a few of the highlights:

The Bathhouse at Calistoga Ranch in Northern California offers complete relaxation in a rustic, romantic setting with natural springs. Keep your eyes peeled for kissing couples like Will and Jada Pinkett Smith. Rooms start a $475 per night.

The Spa at Las Ventanas al Paraíso in Baja California is the perfect tropical getaway - at least, everyone on Hollywood's hot list from Jessica Simpson to Charlize Theron seems to think so. Rooms start at 450 per night.

The Spa at Amanpuri in Phuket, Thailand provides much needed relaxation for celebs who have been on the go for years, like Mick Jagger and Harrison Ford. Pavilions (not rooms) start at $680.

The Rock Spa on Frégate Island, the Seychelles, is as far removed from civilization as you can get; it's on a private island in the Indian Ocean. It's a getaway for the likes of Pierce Brosnan and Paul McCartney. Rooms from $2,300 per night.

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Tags: amanpuri, baja, california, calistoga ranch, celeb, celebrity, las vantanas, phuket, resort, rock spa, seychelles, spa, travel

Barama Bay Island

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Estates, Luxury Travel & Hotels, Yachts & Sailing

The next exclusive place to play may be Barama Bay Island. The tropical paradise is located off the east coast of Phuket, Thailand and will become a new resort that will include a six-star hotel, yacht club and private estates. The island can be reached by water taxi or helicopter. The island has a no-car policy (electric carts only) and will have a deep water marina for mooring larger yachts. The hotel will include multiple pools and a large spa. The entire project is set to be completed in early 2009 and prices start at $3 million for an 8,000 square foot villa set on a one acre plot.

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Tags: barama bay, BaramaBay, developments, hotel, marina, phuket, thailand, yachts

Phuket's Marina Boom

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Yachts & Sailing

The International Herald Tribune has a piece on the Royal Phuket Marina in Phuket, Thailand. The marina is a booming development that offers homes with their own yacht berths. The marina covers nearly 75 acres and the first phase of the development has all but sold out. Despite the tsunami, interest in the area is still strong. The Royal Phuket Marina is just one of three marinas in the area. Boat Lagoon was the first and Yacht Haven is located on the north end of the area where a deeper channel makes for larger yachts. According to the article, the Thai government is doing their best to help growth in this sector along. Thailand used to charge imported yachts a heavy fee if they stayed in Thai waters longer than six months and laws regarding boat ownership and a requirement that any boat must have a Thai captain are under review. Other developments with a marine focus are also planned for the Phuket area including the Paradise Bay Marina Resort at Cape Yamu which will have mooring for 500 yachts. There is some concern that all this building could lead to an oversupply of berths in the area in a few years but if the yacht business in that part of the world continues its rapid growth it shouldn't be a problem.

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Tags: boats, marina, phuket, thailand, yacht berth, yachts