Jonathan Tan visits Ani Villas Thailand, a private 10-room resort on Koh Yao Noi island near Phuket. The resort aims to provide an exclusive experience where guests have the entire property to themselves and bonding with family and friends is the focus. Amenities include a pool, beach, spa and activities customized for each group. The chef prepares local Thai cuisine with fusion elements from his travels around Thailand. The personalized service and seclusion allow guests to relax and make memories together in luxury.

1. Jonathan Tan finds out
that pleasure is best
enjoyed in the company
of friends and family at
Ani Villas Thailand
#BetterTogether
Words Jonathan Tan PHOTOS Ani Villas
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2. “We’re never as comfortable as we are
when we’re in our own home…
It’s the same thing at Ani.”
wo hours. That may be all the
flight time needed to skip away
from bustling Singapore and land
where the Tom Yam is deliciously
spicy, the beaches expansive and
the views spectacular, thanks to the limestone
karsts that seemingly rise up from the sea like
totems to the gods.
But while the idyllic Southern Thai resort island
of Phuket is lovely place, having to share in that
experience can be a strain on the senses as you’re
constantly aware of a stranger’s presence in your
indulgences. The numbers don’t lie: Thailand
attracted nearly 32 million visitors in 2016, with
nearly a fifth of them making their way to Phuket.
The alternative would be to pack friends and family
away on a ‘Togethering’ experience at Ani Villas
Thailand, an elegant 10 room private resort tucked
away on Koh Yao Noi, or little long island, just a
30 minute speedboat ride from Phuket. Designed
with the collective experience in mind, the time
is all yours as everyone in your party gets to enjoy
an exclusive time together amidst stunning views
of surrounding Phang Nga Bay while soaking
in Southern Thailand’s rustic charm and taking
walks down unspoilt beaches where the only
impressions on the sand are yours.
The concept, according to Ani Villas CEO Ira
Bloom, is all about travelling and enjoying the
moment with friends and family. “People want to
travel. They want to be with family and friends.
They like the amenities of a resort but want to
have their own space. With a private resort, you
can have it all. You can do almost as much at a
traditional resort, of course. But when you have
the whole place to yourselves, the experience
is more personalised, deeper, richer and more
memorable,” he says.
It’s All Yours
With that exclusive experience in mind, the five-
start Ani Villas Thailand, one of four in the world,
only hosts one group at any one time, with an
entire team of staff dedicated to facilitating that
entire holiday. The other Ani Villas properties are
on Anguilla in the Carribean, Sri Lanka and the
Dominican Republic.
From the stunning pictures here, time spent at
Ani Villas is akin to visiting your very own private
seafront estate on the eastern coast of the Koh
Yao Noi with food, drinks and on-site activities
dedicated just for guests.
There, you’d find life dialled down a couple of
notches, with views of the Phang Nga Bay and
its characteristic limestone karsts dotting the
horizon. You could while away your days doing
absolutely nothing by the pool and then spend
your evenings strolling down the serene beaches.
Alternatively, one could take to the sea for some
kayaking or paddle boarding, and then relax your
muscles with massages by the trained in-house
therapists at the spa – the choice is entirely yours.
Mealtimes, though, is when everyone comes
together as the resort’s Chef Yao whips up
scrumptious meals that includes local Thai, Asian
and international favourites with unique touches
of local flavours. Where possible, the ingredients
are all sourced locally from the island. Depending
on the weather, the resort’s staff will also organise
Instagram-worthy beachfront seafood BBQ dinner
parties styled beautifully with fresh cut flowers
and fairy lights.
Elaborating on the ‘togethering’ concept, Ira says:
“The entire grounds belong to a single party. ‘It’s
all yours,’ as we like to say. That waterslide, it’s
all yours, same with the yoga studio and fitness
T
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3. centre. The spa, only you and your people use it.
The bar, likewise, it’s your bar. Not many people are
accustomed to this. All of our guests have been to
other resorts, and they’ve all experienced what it’s
like to sit at a resort bar or go to the spa and have a
treatment, but there is this whole other dimension
of experience that comes from a place being entirely
at your disposal. They tell me it’s a liberating kind of
feeling. We’re never as comfortable as we are when
we’re in our own home… It’s the same thing at Ani.”
Freedom and the sense that you’re right at home with
your loved ones is exactly what Ani Villas feels like.
Fashioned in the Northern Thai Lanna-style
architecture, Ani Villas comprises a total of 10 villas.
These include pool suites, ocean front master suites
and family suites – each of them spacious, cosy and
tastefully sumptuous with king-sized beds and
ensuite bathrooms.
Opened officially in October 2016, the 8,000sqm
property offers everything one would expect to see in
a luxury beach resort, complete with 42m beachfront
infinity pool, private dining sala, beach bar and even
a two-story waterslide all tastefully integrated into
the space.
The trappings may be amongst the best that money can
buy, but Ani feels more like a home as the staff smile
and greet you like family. Be it cocktails shaken to your
liking, fruits selected to whet your palette or meals
cooked to suit individual tastes, every little detail is
noted for every single guest. Exclusivity here is all
Dining together and sharing in the simple pleasures of eating,
drinking and communication is what makes a stay at Ani Villas so
special. We catch up with the man behind the culinary magic every
guest will remember fondly, 39-year-old Kanawat Iadnuch, or Chef
Yao as everyone knows him by.
The first thing is giving people a chance to experience and enjoy
local Thai food. The ingredients used are the same as those used in
traditional Thai recipes which I’ve learnt from my teacher and from
my family. When I serve the guests, it’s more of a fusion, with Thai
tastes but presented in a contemporary modern style.
I used to teach home economics in university and I use what I learnt
in floral arrangement to my food, to see how different elements
can come together in harmony. I’ve had the good fortune to have
been able to travel around Thailand, and taste different types of
food from the different regions. This experience allows me to set
up a taste balance which can be altered to suit different people.
Experimentation and seeing the reactions from my guests allow me
to better refine my recipes.
I want guests to be able to discover something that they love, a
dish that they would love to have every day. Preparing a variety of
different dishes every day lets me give them that opportunity.
What kind of culinary experience do
you hope to share with your guests?
Where does your inspiration for
creating these dishes come from?
How would you like people
to remember your food?
down to the details, which each stay customised and
personalised down to individual details like dietary
preferences to specific activities to be experienced.
Highly recommended activities to build shared
experiences include exploring Koh Yao Noi on scooter
or bicycle to soak in views of the islands mangrove
forests, padi fields and fruit plantations. There will
even be an opportunity to visit the Ani Art Academy,
an independently run art school which gives talented
artists a platform to develop and gain recognition
with full art scholarships.
Those inclined for more adventurous pursuits
can consider Muay Thai classes on the island, and
exploring the many little islands that dot the bay on a
Longtail boat. Instead of outsourcing such tours, the
same staff from the villa lead the tours which shape
your experiences by taking you to secret lagoons,
hidden sea caves and the most scenic beaches only the
local know about. The end result? An unforgettable
holiday experiences that have everyone remembers
for a long time to come.
The Last Word
Luxury could mean the finest things in life, perfection
in the every day and supreme comfort. But nothing
beats being able to share in those experiences and
build common memories with those closest to you.
With that in mind, Ani Villas Thailand has created a
perfect oasis for bonding with a’ togethering’ concept
in a fantastic location supported by a team of staff
that takes care of your physical needs so guests can
focus on what’s most important – bonding.
A Culinary
Treat
Like a home away from home,
experiences are curated and customised
to suit the needs of everyone. And
ranges from activities at the property,
excursions and meals
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