I’m back in my Phuket happy place at the Anantara Mai Khao Villas, for this our 102nd and 116th Thailand staycation.

OUR STORY

For the past eighteen months whilst pandemic grounded within Thailand, we have chosen a different hotel to staycation each weekend.  Forty of which have now been completed within Phuket. I know, just call me the lucky one. Every night I thank my lucky stars for Phuket. We only came for Christmas…

So when I say I love, love, LOVE these villas, well I’ve seen a few! When combined with the Anantara hospitality, amazing food, brilliant activities program, fabulous pool area, it’s a winner of a Thai holiday weekend for us.

For many of you unable to travel I hope this will inspire you for the bright days ahead. The Phuket Sandbox is a start, a precursor to reopening elsewhere in Thailand. So why not join me, as I show you around the sala pool villas starting with Mr. Wren’s first-ever drone footage of the wondrous Mai Khao beach.

ANANTARA MAI KHAO VILLAS YOUTUBE:

He might be learning to use a drone, me? I’m learning YouTube. So if you want to give me a boost, and make my day, I’d love you to hit Like and Subscribe. 

MY VERDICT

Location: 9/10

Found on the north-western tip of Phuket, quite close to the airport, this property offers private villas, hidden amongst the gardens, the resort itself is beachfront at Mai Khao. I would suggest some wheels to explore the island, but many people I chatted with were not planning to venture out at all. Mai Khao area is quiet but things are opening up and you have the choice of walking to other hotels for dining. Find more at Phuket’s Top Delightful Beach Destinations.

Resort Design: 10/10

I’ve always been a massive Anantara fan. I love the way that each ???????? manages to blend the ???????? ???????? of the site and the ???????? ?????????? ?? ???????? with the ??????? ?????? of the destination.⁣ Stunning wooden villas in a huge tropical garden setting on the beach – what could be better? Oh, and anything that has a Bill Bensley touch, as these gardens have, has me smiling with approval.

view of our private lagoon sala

Pool: 9/10

Check out the stylish beachfront pool area, I loved the sunloungers in the water. there is plenty of seating and well spread out. Lovely swim-up infinity bar. A perfect area for happy hour to watch the sunset.

Beach: 8/10

A huge rustic beach in the National Park, the sand is deep powdery and golden so a good workout for runners. We have only stayed in the rainy season when it is not suitable for swimming. Whilst it may miss a wow of a private secluded bay, you can wander easily in both directions. Further down the beach is the M Beach Club. As natural and unspoiled a beach as any, you will find. 

Villas: 10/10

One of my all-time favourite villas!  It’s huge at 206 sq ms. What appealed to us, in the Sala Pool Villa was the different relaxation areas. I love a good room “wow” and they are here at every turn, including the over-water picturesque sala.  But my personal favourite was a night-time bath, set within the swimming pool under the stars. Just leave yourself plenty of time to fill the bath, it’s huge. Oh, and that turtle tap on the outdoor shower! It’s all in the details here at Anantara.

Food: 9/10

We enjoyed all our meals at La Sala restaurant where you have the option of inside with air conditioning, or lagoon facing outside.  We can recommend the Afternoon Tea and the Thai Set lunch. Breakfast is an extensive spread and currently includes guests from their sister resort Avani + across the way. It was the most impressive breakfast buffet I have seen in this Covid era.

We ended our days with Happy Hour sundowner cocktails at Sea. Fire. Salt. I don’t mind sharing that Sapparod G&T is rather special, with the local Saneha gin.

Destination Discovery Program: 9/10

The activities program has a good range of fitness activities. We enjoyed cycling, yoga, a roller stretch class, and a bodyweight workout. In fact one day I did three hours of workouts. There are plenty of people in the Phuket Sandbox who are using their stay to get fit. The rollers are pictured below, in case you had visions of me rollerskating into the splits!

Service: 9/10

The staff in my experience are always a highlight at Anantara.  They are always super lovely and helpful, full of smiles, and chatty in the restaurant and the Guest Relations and reception team are highly professional. Whilst the activities team literally bend over backward to ensure you are having a good class!

It was interesting seeing the difference between stays in April and July with the resort fuller with Sandbox guests. The response time is slow for a buggy pickup but I could see how everyone is adjusting to fluctuating guest booking numbers, and how tricky staffing would be in this new era.

All in all, Anantara are doing a great job of keeping everyone happy.

The staff literally bend over backward for you!

Grounds: 10/10

The grounds and internal tropical lagoon are exquisitely maintained. I love the wildlife, ducks, geese and birdsong, butterflies, and monitor lizards that paddle serenely past to impress the breakfast guests.

Overall experience: exceptional

We always book using our Anantara Discovery membership. And the great news, the more you stay at Anantara the more you benefit through their loyalty Discovery program, they are offering some great promotional prices at the moment – just sayin’

What’s found around:

Turtle village next door has a 7-11 Convenience store, a Coffee Club, and the Bill Bentley Pub showing sports. We enjoyed a Seafood Buffet at the nearby Anantara Vacation Club, which also offers a water park.

Top tips for an incredible stay:

Ask for the complimentary bikes delivered to your door, the grounds are huge with over 90 villas, but nothing is more than a short peddle away. You can always request a golf cart buggy ride, but we always prefer our own wheels.

If you like a turndown – it’s on request at the moment. I love a turndown, so don’t forget to let housekeeping know if you’re the same. I think there is something so uplifting to find your slippers beside the bed – or is that just me?

Join in the fitness classes. Mr. Wren came to the early morning roller stretch class to find we had two other blokes in the class and it was just the four of us. Poolside early morning what a great way to start the day. He always thought classes were for the girls – wrong!

Don’t forget to cycle around Pru Jeh Son lake at dusk. It’s a 3.5km ride around the lake and lovely to be amongst the green of Phuket.

Final thoughts

Thank you, Anantara for another wondrous stay. I can wholeheartedly recommend this resort and these delightful villas for families, couples, and solo travellers.

For those considering a Phuket Sandbox entry into Thailand further reading is available at the following:

• Little Wandering Wren: Phuket Sandbox would you, should you, could you?
• Little Wandering Wren: Choosing a SHA Plus Hotel you will love
• Little Wandering Wren: Phuket’s top delightful beaches