| By Marie Moon The beach is deserted at 6:00am.
The sand, stiff and cold from the receding tide, shimmers with the pinkish luminescence
of the approaching dawn. The sea is calm, almost sluggish in sending waves to
the shore. I can see them building on the horizon, moving rapidly but effortlessly
into shallow waters where they seem to stop mid-stride, dip their heads and bow
gracefully before sinking back down and gliding up the sand. The day's first beams
of light creep over the steep headland behind me, warming my face as I turn to
welcome the dawn. The streaks of sunlight reach far out to sea, immediately altering
the colour of the ocean where they fall, from the deep blue of night to the aquamarine
of another perfect Phuket day. I scramble up the rocky headland that encloses
the southern end of the bay, find a semi-flat place to perch and turn back to
face the beach. The Chedi's nightlights are still twinkling, for the resort will
not be roused by the sun for another hour or so, such is the niche that it occupies
on the steep slopes of Pansea Beach. I could easily have stayed in bed; many of
the cottages face directly out to sea, I'd have needed only to lift my head for
this same view, but I woke up feeling so energized, that I just had to get moving.
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| Last night was memorable, my partner and I indulged
in what establishments like The
Chedi Phuket are famous for serving: pure, unadulterated relaxation. Mr. Daniel
Meury, General Manager of The Chedi was candid in his comment, "In a resort
like this you don't have an enormous choice of activities, of course we offer
day-trips etc but sometimes when you have all these activities at your disposal,
they make you feel like you want to do them, even wrong to ignore them, when really
you just want to relax on the beach." The Chedi finds nothing wrong with
spending hours lazing on the beach, in fact admits Mr. Meury, "that is exactly
the kind of environment we try to foster." We arrived on a hot Friday
afternoon. The traffic driving north on the island was quite heavy and by the
time we reached the Chedi, we were both tired and a little cranky. Quintessential
Thai hospitality simmered our frazzled tempers with beaming smiles, an icy cold
towel and a long glass of fruit juice. The reception area and adjacent lounge
does not dazzle the eye with glittering silks or shiny statues, rather the muted
colour scheme and clean lines of sand stone and granite, act to guide attention
to a single focal point; the sparkling Andaman Sea. The reception occupies the
top level of a three-story polygonal pavillion that sits boldly on towering columns
rising from the swimming pool on the beach level. This striking building also
houses a library, giftshops, the Lomtalay Restaurant and the Sunset Cafe.
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After a speedy registration, we were led to our deluxe cottage. The
108 one and two bedroom cottages at the
Chedi Phuket are dotted along the hillside in small clusters; their simple
thatched roofs imposing an air of modesty that the interiors defy. Mr. Meury explained,
"Like all GHM hotels, The Chedi has a strong sense of place, this is why
our architecture and design has a very low impact on the surrounding environment
for it is this scenery that people come for." The resort was originally designed
some 21 years ago by Edmond Tuttle, the distinguished architect of the Amanpuri
Resort, which resides on the northern side of Pansea Beach. His design capitalized
on the natural beauty of the location. The interiors were decorated with subtle
earthy hues so that colour was drawn from the natural environment. While the resort
has recently undergone a complete refurbishment, today the rich earthen tones
of teak, hardwood and slate blend subtly with crisp white cotton bedding and mosquito
nets, retaining that original subdued elegance. About the room, tresses
of tropical orchids and Asian artifacts donate other touches of the exotic. Everything,
from the tea and coffee making facilities right down to the cue tips in the bathroom,
was beautifully presented. These small touches in the cottages exemplify the resort's
overall attention to detail, a service principle that ensures that visitors always
receive a little more than they expect. "Attention to detail is something
we always try to highlight. We have only 108 rooms, so we can take the extra steps
to make guests' stays more personal."
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| After a thorough inspection of every nook and cranny
of the cottage, my partner and I quick-changed into swimming apparel and headed
out to explore the resort and beach. The cottages are connected by an intricate
system of staircases that rise and fall with the natural topography of the area,
leading one through an aerobic tour of the coconut canopy. The The
Chedi Phuket staff joke that they are the fittest group of hotel employees
on Phuket Island but the steps preserve more than the physiques of the staff as
Mr. Meury illustrated, "Yes, there are a lot of steps but they protect the
natural environment, to take away the steps would have meant that half of the
headland would have to have been cleared. Sometimes it is hard work and a hot
walk, but the viewpoints from the summits are worth the effort. And remember that
people here are on holiday and they needn't rush for anything." We
climbed to the highest level of the resort and peeked through palm fronds to the
vivid blue sea below. At the southern-most extremity of the resort, we found the
Spa Cottage and gushed at the menu of massage, skin and facial therapies available.
The spa has only four treatment rooms including one deluxe spa suite which features
picture windows and an outdoor terrazzo bath, perfect for couples' treatments.
The limited capacity and immense popularity of the spa makes reservations important,
thus my spa appointment was set for 9:00am the next morning. We headed down to the pool, a unique feature unlike any resort pool
I have ever seen. The hexagonal pool is laid with indigo-coloured tiles giving
it a dramatic appearance against the backdrop of a turquoise sea. The shape conforms
to the striking polygonal pavillion soaring above and the overall effect is architecturally
inspiring. Unfortunately, the mystique of this dark pool lost out to the lure
of a calm sea and we headed to the beach. Padded deckchairs lounged under
thatched umbrellas awaiting the opportunity to comfort both weary and well-rested
travellers. The Boathouse is located centrally on the beach and offers equipment
for a number of water activities including catamarans, surfboards, water-skies,
scuba-diving and snorkelling supplies. As Mr. Meury had predicted, few people
were engaged in these activities, rather most were sprawled on the deckchairs,
reading, sipping cocktails or sleeping, content and unbothered. After a
lazy swim, floating on the salty tropical water, we walked up to the Amanpuri
end of the beach past the Chedi's Beach Restaurant where we would later dine on
Phuket lobster and US grain-fed beef. We dawdled along the short beach for almost
an hour and this proved to be perfect timing as the sun was rapidly descending
toward the horizon and two front-row deckchairs had recently been vacated. We
ordered some drinks, assumed the relaxation position and watched the show. The sun had finished setting even before we finished
our drinks and though we marvelled at the speed we were not influenced by it at
all. We lingered, wrapped in each other and our idyllic environ until the sky
blackened and stars twinkled above. This beach scene was so perfect, that we returned
after dinner. A divine combination of a very satisfying meal, fresh air, moonlight
and romantic music wafting over from the restaurant soothed our every sense and
opened our hearts. Now that the sun has returned to light the Phuket sky,
some very tempting smells bring my attention to breakfast. I can see a familiar
shape walking toward me on the beach and immediately know that my partner has
succumbed to the same breakfast aromas. After breakfast, I will skip off to the
spa for two hours of bliss before having the remainder of the morning at leisure
until we check out at lunchtime. The Chedi's promise of complete relaxation has
been fulfilled; No part of this experience has been rushed or hectic in the slightest
way, in fact the attention to detail and excellent service displayed throughout
the resort, limits any potential hassles. This driving service ethic was well
described by Mr. Meury, "When people come to the Chedi they expect to be
able to relax of course, they like a little recognition from the staff and they
expect good service. However, we do not take the service aspect to extremes for
this is not what people want from a beach holiday. They want to relax, so we give
them everything they need to do this."
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