From urban jungles to tropical paradises, Thailand has so much to offer in heightening your senses in an array of special experiences. With the government incentivizing travel through crazy hotel promotions, we took a dive into splurging on all sorts of unique destinations in the country. At the same time, maximizing our memories through spending precious time with family. This year, we ventured into one of the most exclusive and remote hard to reach hotels ― Soneva Kiri in Koh Kood Thailand
How to get there
1. The easiest way (and most expensive) is by the hotel’s private plane. There is currently no airline that flies to this island. No status. No First Class. No Business. No mileage redemption options. Nada. Zero. Anyways, you get the point.
That’s how remote this place is. The flight time is around 70 minutes from BKK and cost per passenger can retail up to $500+ USD per passenger.
The planes are also very small. It can only fit 8 passengers! So with our group of 12, we would have to book two planes to get there just to fit one family.
2. The local (and most cost-saving) way to get there is by car and boat. With our SUV and van, we drove 5 hours southeast towards the Soneva island.
We made a road-trip out of it and ate at local Thai seafood restaurants along the way.
After lunch, we took a ferry and arrived at the Soneva island. In order for this route to be successful, you MUST need a Thai local to guide you the way! If you want the details of this method, DM us and Miki will personally message you the information.
Soneva Kiri Koh Kood Island
Hidden in almost what feels like an untamed jungle, the hotel can barely be seen besides its immaculate wooden pathway towards the main lobby.
Chloe and her brothers/sisters run to the main pool while the family checks in to our villas.
The hotel themes on “Barefoot Luxury”. It asks all hotel guests to have no shoes throughout the entire resort. All wooden indoor/outdoor floors, pools, cement and rooms are so spotless that it’s possible to not even wear shoes!
Every villa has its own personal buggy and butler. After check-in, we got driven to our beachfront one bedroom villa.
At over 4000 square feet, this villa was MASSIVE.
notice the two birds in the aerial shot?
Our favorite part of this villa is the outdoor themed bathroom. The way it is designed makes you feel like you’re one with nature in a luxurious comfortable way. It even has a lounge bed in the bathroom suite!
which Paul took full advantage of
There is not only one…
but two rain showers in this massive bathroom suite
Of course, the bedroom with views of your private pool and beach felt like a tropical dream to wake up to every morning.
Private Boat Amenities
You can request a private boat transfer to other nearby islands. Just call your butler and they’ll prepare the boat for you.
The boat ride is an experience in itself. It feels like we’re in a reality show straight out of Below Deck or Bachelor in Paradise.
The boat is massive and can easily fit the whole family. In fact, Chloe’s brother and sister each had a row to themselves on the stern of the boat.
After the boat docks at the pier, we walk to our private beach.
And got a personal guided kayak and paddle board tour around the island.
Dining Options
1. At anytime during the stay, you can request your butler to setup room service for your family in your villa. When that happens, our buggy golf cart parking situation (for a family of 12) looks like this outside 😀
On Miki dad’s birthday, we had a special wine and dine celebration in their 2 bedroom villa.
2. A must-do is their dining experience….
on top of a tree!
It’s a one-of-a-kind experience where they hoist you up in a bamboo pod to dine on a tree that’s hanging over a cliff overlooking nearby islands.
3. This is important… because it’s complimentary! Everyday, remember to wake up early to take advantage of their gourmet a la carte breakfast
Pro tip
Eat a reallllllllllly big brunch so you can save some money not eating lunch! Private island dining can really hike up your travel expenses… right Chloe?!
4. Dessert lovers rejoice. Another complimentary option is their ice cream
and chocolate bar
5. On Miki mom’s birthday, we splurged and had an omakase meal at “The View”. It was also our last night at Soneva… it was a fantastic family bonding night.
Simply put, Soneva Kiri is what everyone needs this year. The hotel magically takes you out of our chaotic 2020 lives and transports you into a realm of untouched paradise.
At the same time, making sure that every step (literally) is “Barefoot Luxury” by successfully surrounding you with the most comfortable modern amenities.
If you can pocket it, this is a definite bucket list… careful though, it’s extremely hard to get to! But I guess that’s the point 😉
Chai Bear World 