They often say that the best is saved until last and when it came to our Thailand trip, this was rather fitting.
I wasn’t expecting to like Koh Samui as much as I did. I’m not sure why. Maybe I didn’t give it the benefit of the doubt after hearing about its party fuelled reputation.
Although really, it’s just an absolutely breath-taking place that I honestly didn’t want to leave. I think the place we made our home for the duration of our stay made it all the more special though.
Introducing, the Amari Koh Samui…
Nestled on Chaweng beach, this gorgeous resort is the most idyllic place for those on a romantic break. We stayed at the hotel for two nights under their Wanderlust package, which includes airport transfers, macaroons and toasted marshmallow welcome treats, a private car for the day with a treasure island map sight seeing expedition and (best of all) a private Thai dinner for two on the beach. It’s the ultimate treat for a couple who deserve some time together!
I can’t express enough what an absolutely incredible time we had, but I suppose I ought to start at the beginning.
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The Hotel
Just 5km from Samui airport, the Amari is conveniently located next to all the action – but far enough away to enjoy a more relaxed, secluded atmosphere throughout.
A five minute walk to the right of the hotel will take you into the town centre, where you can enjoy a range of nightclubs, bars, shops and shows – while a stroll down the left of the beach will take you to more luxurious restaurants and beach huts. It really does enjoy the best of both worlds, offering guests everything they could possibly wish for in their stay.
I personally love the calm, romantic and peaceful haven of the hotel during the day – before venturing out to somewhere more lively at night, so here, we could do that without having to bother with taxis. Which was ideal!
The resort has a total of two huge swimming pools, as well as its own private beach access – so whether you want a dip in the sea, a cocktail on your sun lounger or a walk with the sand between your toes, you’re fully catered for here.
There’s free wifi throughout and an assortment of friendly locals during the day offering unique services – such as our new friend Kritthananat who creates the most amazing drawings from your favourite photographs. They make for incredible gifts and he’s even offered to make more beautiful art for us in the future, posting it to us from Thailand! When I say friendly locals – they’re not the pestering type who are trying to sell you something, but they sit drawing away contently and wait for you to approach them.
The Spa
All of the Thai spas we’d been to by this point had been very impressive but the Breeze Spa in the resort was even more peaceful and relaxing than we could have imagined. Rather than booking in for a specific treatment, you to fill out a little form which asks how you’d like to feel when you leave, what stresses you have at the moment and what pressure you’d like, then they make a tailor made massage for you.
David and I had a couples massage in the same room, which was a first for us and one I just knew I’d get the giggles at.
When I’m alone, I don’t have to think about anyone else but 10 minutes in, David started snoring (really loudly) and I couldn’t stifle the laughter. However, before long – I fell asleep too, which must have been testament to just how good it was.
Eventually, I woke myself up by snort laughing. But I did leave feeling relaxed. Especially as we had herbal teas and macaroons to finish.
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The Rooms
The bedrooms at the Amari are modern, comfortable and luxurious – which is a difficult mix to master. Our room was on the ground floor and stepped straight out into the garden adjacent to the pool, so we had fantastic access to every amenity in the resort.
The bathrooms were another London hotel room in itself, with a ginormous bath, a double sink, a walk in shower and an entire rail with soft white fluffy towels in every single size.
I wasn’t a huge fan of the toiletries because some of them made the shower smell a bit funny (if I’m being super picky), but this wasn’t a problem in the slightest as I’d brought a fully stocked wash kit of my own.
When we arrived, there were flower garlands on the bed, a kind welcome note and an assortment of snacks for us to try. The toasted coconut addition played on the fact that Koh Samui is the island of the coconuts (if you head to the more southern parts, it’s less touristy and has a lot of working coconut farms) and the macaroons were apparently very delicious, according to my reliable source.
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The Food
The food throughout our trip to Thailand was great but there was something at the Amari that made it extra special. Breakfast was a rather extravagant affair, with an entire air conditioned glass room filled with everything you could possibly want for breakfast – and more.
Then there was another kitchen area with local breakfast dishes and Thai food, then there was another counter where you could order tailor made breakfast requests. I opted for the latter and had a very delicious soy milk porridge bowl, sweetened with maple syrup on both of the two mornings.
During the day, there are a number of options in the resort of your choosing – including the snack bar by the pool and the stylish Italian Prego restaurant, which is situated just opposite the hotel. Here, you can enjoy freshly made wood-fired pizzas in an al-fresco dining setting – or perhaps a more bikini friendly salad. We chose to try out both – and I was pleasantly surprised to see that the spiralised veg trend has carried over to Thailand too!
But of course, the highlight food-wise (and holiday-wise) for me was the ultimate treat, a private dining experience for two on Chaweng beach. It’s no surprise that we were told this experience was commonly booked by men going to propose, because it was the most beautiful set-up I’ve ever seen.
After spending an hour trying to tame my unruly hair, we made our way across the hotel and down onto the sprawling white sandy beach. It was then that we saw our beautiful table, laden with fruits and glittering lights, surrounded on all sides by fire torches. As the sun slowly set, our table illuminated and we were quite the talk of the beach.
Before long, the food started to arrive – and I don’t think we quite knew until then just how much of a feast we were in for.
The table soon filled up with the most incredible looking Thai dishes, green curry, tom yum soup, sweet and sour sea bass, marinated spicy chicken wings, coconut rice, prawn curry, spicy tofu and squid salad.
We dipped into everything, for once in a state of silence other than appreciative noises and gestures for the other to day a certain dish. Just when we thought we couldn’t possibly eat anymore, dessert arrived and for once dairy-free me could eat everything, so of course – I couldn’t miss out.
Mango sticky rice (which is possibly now my favourite thing ever) and steamed banana in coconut milk were my favourite dishes (so much so, I ate the lot) however the fruits we were given were also the most amazing colourful varieties we’d ever seen.
We stayed at the table far longer than we probably usually would have, partly because we couldn’t move due to all the food but also because it was the most beautiful situation I’ve ever experienced and I didn’t want the dinner to end.
I know it sounds like a ridiculous cliche but it’s not every day you get to spend the entire evening watching the sunset, with the person you love by your side, with the most incredible food (and dessert) and the sand between your toes.
We delayed leaving for as long as possible, just long enough in fact to watch a table across the beach light up their very own fire lantern before setting it free. It floated high above the ocean and we watched holding hands until all that was left was a tiny orange dot in the vast black starry sky.
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The Wanderlust Package
So as I mentioned previously, the Amari Koh Samui Wanderlust package was the one we opted for, which offers 4 days and 3 nights for 18,566 THB (which works out at around £400). Plus if you wanted to stay for an additional night, you get a 10% discount.
Alongside your accommodation, in a superior garden wing king room, you also get breakfast, airport transfers, welcome treats, car hire for the day to explore the island and the most special private dinner on the beach.
It’s really great value for money, especially considering we paid just over £250 for three nights in a very average hotel on Phi Phi island which wasn’t anywhere near as beautiful and didn’t come with any additional extras. I’d return to the Amari without a second thought!
What do you think of the Amari hotel? Have you ever been to Koh Samui before?
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