Dominated by mountain ranges and lush rainforests, flanked by golden beaches and the blue ocean, Phuket is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful places on earth. With an almost unmatched range of outdoor activities, high-end dining, friendly, hospitable people, and the subtle charm of an essentially rustic lifestyle all combine to make this fabulous island of Thailand one of the world’s top tropical destinations.

Being my first trip to Thailand and I was very excited to be exploring a foreign culture for the first time. I’ll never forget the unfamiliar surroundings as we bathed in awe-inspiring golden beaches, indulged in delectable meals prepared with strong aromatic components, while always taking a jab at my poor Thai. Our first stop during our Southeast Asia trip was Phuket and we could not have picked a better place to start our Phuket adventure than atop one of the island’s highest points, perched high above Layan Beach. The Pavilions Phuket — Asia’s most romantic adults-only resort offering a private and peaceful home for those looking for luxurious, eco-friendly accommodation.

Each of its 49 pool villas is utterly private and lavishly spacious. You can choose from Ocean View Pool Villas offering azure vistas or Spa & Pool Pavilions with attached couple’s treatment and steam room, each with a private pool for sybaritic skinny dipping. All villas have stunning views over the pine-fringed bays of Bang Tao and Layan to the Andaman Ocean. These are two of Phuket’s loveliest beaches, with soft sands, exotic birds, fine coral, a lagoon and few tourists.

The Pavilions Phuket makes you fall in love with it the moment you arrive. It lures you with its tropical gardens, paths, a rooftop bar with spectacular views, and elegant bespoke furniture throughout the property.

The hotel’s location is ideal for those keen on staying at an extremely romantic villa, with in-villa spa treatments, a private pool, and private dining under the stars. It’s also conveniently located away from Phuket’s throng.

Our Spa & Pool villa was enormous, with was a beautiful mix of dark hardwoods, cool grey concrete, rich earth tones, splashes of color and richly textured fabrics, all staggered up the hillside. Every villa has a private and secluded pool which guarantees maximum privacy and romance.

The living room has a great relaxing couch facing a large flat screen TV. Asian flare and soft lightning decorates the bedroom.

The king bed is perfectly comfortable and has quality cotton sheets and the softest pillows I’ve ever laid my head on.

A free-form porcelain tub mid room with a shoulder-to-shoulder rain spray shower is the perfect way for beginning or ending your day.

The large sliding doors and windows could be opened to allow a refreshing breeze to flow through the villa. If spending time soaking the sun by the pool is your preference then the large deck off the master suite is just what you’re looking for. It overlooks the pool and has plenty of lounge seating.

One of the special features of the villa was our private spa room with two massage tables, sauna, steam shower, and glass doors leading out to a zen garden. It has a separate entrance so that the massage therapist could enter and get everything ready without disturbing us. The villa provided everything we really needed and wanted without ever having to leave the room.

If you’re interested in indulging in sublime self-care book yourself a restful and relaxing spa treatment in your own villa. The therapist team offers beauty and wellness treatments thoughtfully designed to purify, nourish and rejuvenate. We enjoyed the chocolate indulgence, one of their signature pleasures. For a thorough body exfoliation they used their own blend of crushed raw cocoa beans and almond oil.

The properties of the cocoa plant hydrate skin and restore its natural glow.  A body masque of nourishing chocolate is applied, before cocooning you in a wrap to keep all the goodness close to your skin. Whilst we relaxed and allowed the cocoa beans to work their magic, we were treated to an Ayurvedic head massage. After we showered off the chocolate body masque, they massage therapists finished off our treatment with a cocoa massage using relaxing and sensual strokes.

The Pavilions Phuket’s guests who have a penchant for lazy days spent on the beach are seriously spoiled for choices. The resort is only 6 km from Bang Tao Beach and 9 km from the picturesque Ton Sai Waterfall. There’s no need to worry about transportation since they also provide a free shuttle to that can take you to Layan Beach, Bang Tao beach, each offering a unique experience depending on what you fancy. If you love exotic wildlife head to Ton Sai Waterfall, if you’re keen to wet your toes visit Laguna Beach, beginner swimmers head to Layan beach for its soft sand and gentle tide.

Always the beach bum, I opted to spend my beach day at Layan Beach, a gorgeous swimmer’s beach renowned for its very tranquil area, where you can lie and relax under the shade of the tall pine trees bordering the beach. Most people who visit this superb beach are Thai and expats and it all looks the same as it used to 20 years ago. The sea is pretty calm here due to the beach being sheltered by Koh Kala, a small island in its northern part.

There’s a restaurant and a few beach chairs at the beginning of the beach. The restaurant serves good and fair-priced Thai and Western basic food and is a nice place to enjoy lunch or a sundowner. Behind the beach you find a small pier with long-tail and fishing boats along a small river leading to a lagoon situated north of Koh Kala. Here, you can rent a sea kayak at the restaurant and go around Koh Kala and the lagoon. The pier also has a Sea Rescue centre and a few small shops where you can find some Thai snacks, fruits and drinks. Besides the pier, on the road flanking the beach there’s a shower booth in which you can clean up before the shuttle drive back to The Pavilions Phuket.

When it comes to food the Pavilions Phuket features two award-winning restaurants with gourmet cuisine prepared by an exceptionally skilled culinary team. I should also add that Hong Kong designer Rene Ozorio turned his finely tuned eye to the Plantation Club and created a pared-back, stylish take on Chinoiserie. The elegant dining room, with its ever-so-slightly distressed tables, high-backed chairs and charcoal colour palette, has floor-to-ceiling windows that fold back so you can enjoy the breeze and views.

Chef Belinda Tuckwell’s signature dishes include yam makua yoaw (roast eggplant salad with Thai herbs and poached jumbo prawns) and keang massaman gai (cinnamon- and anise-scented curry).

There is absolutely no doubt in my mind that the Pavilions Phuket is the perfect getaway to celebrate romance, adventure, culture and the arts, together with all the comforts one desires when travelling. For me, this slice of paradise will always be place for reflecting, relaxing and reconnecting anytime I visit Phuket.

Your time is precious; spend it at The Pavilions Phuket.

Special thanks to the team at The Pavilions Phuket for the accommodation during my stay. As always, all reviews and opinions are entirely my own.