1. 19EXPLORETHEPHUKETNEWS.COM FRIDAY, JULY 15, 2016
@thephuketnews
Jason Beaven
gm@classactmedia.co.th
On the second day we had our Asian
cooking class, hosted by visiting Chef
Ken, who took us on a step-by-step
journey into the making of sushi and
the techniques of two types – tradi-
tional Japanese-style and the popular
California roll. Can you pick which one
was my attempt?
W
ouldn’t it be great to have
a whole luxury resort to
ourselves? Right on the
beach, on a tropical island
with stunning views? We
have all dreamed about
it, recently it has become
a reality and right at our
doorstep!
By doorstep, I mean on nearby Koh
Yao Noi Island, a pleasant 30-minute
speed­boat trip away from Bang Rong
Pier in Phuket. Koh Yao Noi feels like
Phuket of years ago, just a few bikes and
even fewer cars, a true tropical island
paradise, the perfect home to Ani Villas.
Opened in December 2015, Ani Villas
offers their 10-suite resort on an exclu-
sive basis. That’s right, it’s all yours.
A perfect venue for friends and family
who want to spend quality time together
or for a special celebration, wedding or
corporate retreat. Everything is inclu-
sive, from the full gourmet breakfast,
lunch, and dinner menus, premier top-
shelf drinks and mixes, and juices, to all-
day snacks, Asian cooking classes with
the executive chef, children’s activities,
laundry, international phone calls, the
list just goes on and on… Does it get any
Dreams become a reality
better than this?
“Suites” just barely manages to de-
scribe the accommodation at Ani Villas.
Inspired by the temples of Northern
Thailand, they range from Ocean Front
Master Suites, directly facing the beach,
to the ocean view Master Pool Suites
with a private pool in the middle of the
suite, to the two-bedroom Family Suites,
separated by a private living room.
You almost feel like you can stay in-
doors the whole time, especially when
you have complimentary high-speed
Wi-Fi and unlimited movie streaming
via Apple TV and Netflix, but one look
at the 42-metre beachfront swimming
pool overlooking Phang Nga Bay, that all
changes in a heartbeat.
Need some pampering? Then head to
the Spa, which hosts a luxurious couple’s
treatment room, steam room and relax-
ing double Spa Tub with amazing sea
views. Two dedicated therapists are on
standby full-time to ease all your tension
and stress away and again, all treat-
ments are complimentary.
Ani Villas’ first “Villa Resort” opened
on the idyllic Caribbean Island of An-
guilla in 2010. Last year, the estates in
Thailand and Sri Lanka were added to
the collection, with a fourth in the Do-
minican Republic to be launched early
next year. The first South American
property is slated for Pana-
ma in 2018.
When we stayed, we
were treated to a meal
from their visiting Execu-
tive Chef from the Anguil-
la property, Chef Sweets,
who prepared a Caribbean-
style menu on the first
night, using local ingredi-
ents. The sea bass was a
hit with everyone – even
the kids – as was the pork
rib. The big winner was
the Prawn and Crab ball –
an explosion of flavours.
Not to be out done, resi-
dent Executive Chef Yao
whipped up a seemingly
endless dinner of freshly
caught seafood, barbecued
to perfection. Lobsters,
crab, fish, prawns... the
food seemed to never stop
coming out of the kitchen.
And that was only to start!
Followed was a just as im-
pressive selection of beef,
pork and chicken. We were
so full we didn’t think we had room for
breakfast or even lunch the next day.
Of course we did find our appetites
again, and Chef Yao showed the skill of
his team by impressing even our Thai
friends with the selection of traditional
Thai dishes at lunch, even changing the
menu for some special requests.
Ani Villas Thailand are setting the
bar when it comes to the new class of
travel, the private luxury travel experi-
ence. As they say on the website – Ani
Villas Thailand: it’s all yours.
Ani Villas Thailand, Koh Yao Noi Island,
Phang Nga. www.anivillas.com + 66 (0)
96 973 7621 anivillas.com/destinations/
thailand
Executive Chef Yao hard at work.
Chef Sweets’ pork rib.
Caribbean-style sea bass.
Extravagance reaches new heights at Ani Villas with exclusive privacy