Any destination that can only be reached by private speedboat or helicopter bodes well. And when that destination is a private island, 500 metres offshore from one of the world’s most idyllic vacation spots, it can’t get much better.
At Jumeirah Private Island Phuket, scheduled to open in 2011, your expectations will be surpassed time and time again. Koh Raet, Thailand, is an untouched tropical island just off the shored of Phuket, close to Ao Po Bay.
To keep the island as close to its natural state as possible, only electric cars can be used as transport. And in addition to being environmentally friendly, every luxury is catered for in the island’s 72 suites and pool villas.
A 70-metre freshwater infinity pool and the resort’s saltwater pool beckon guests to their edges. But for those really wanting to experience the feeling of a private island, head to Koh Raet’s 500 metre, white, sandy beach. From the island’s shores you can take in spectacular views of the limestone caves of Phang Nga Bay, as well as the beaches of Ao Po Bay.
Jumeirah Private Island Phuket’s opportunities for uninterrupted tranquillity are endless, but for those in search of a little more action, a 115-berth marina and private yacht club will accommodate those with a taste for life on the ocean waves. The marina is situated on the east coast of the island, in a protected lagoon with a natural rock breakwater and direct access to the Andaman Sea. The yacht club will be home to invitation-only events, regattas and black tie functions, as well as featuring a deli, wine cellar, bar and captain’s lounge.
For those preferring dry land, a tennis court, boutiques, a business centre and even a library are available. Four restaurants and three bars and lounges offer a wide variety of taste and atmospheres to while away the afternoons and evenings. But the on-shore gem of the island has to be Talise, Jumeirah’s spacious signature spa, with 10 treatment rooms and a sense of calm unlike any other.
The ecology of the island of Koh Raet has been painstakingly preserved, with a minimum of 75 per cent of the island’s surface area to remain untouched. Much is also being done to conserve energy and reduce consumption on the island, including an integrated rainwater collection scheme, thermal installation to minimize air conditioning use and double block cavity walls and double glazing in all windows and patio doors.
Jumeirah Private Island Phuket offers a great variety of rooms, ranging from Spa Villas with their own private treatment rooms and tropical rainforest view to two-bedroom Beach Villas leading directly onto the soft white sands. Each villa has its own private 25-metre lap pool, and Ocean View Pool Villas and Marina View Pool Villas offer their own special sights each day when the curtains are flung back. Two Presidential Pool Villas offer three-bedroomed luxury, and the four-bedroom Royal Pool Villa is the jewel in Jumeirah Private Island Phuket’s crown.
For information on the private residences, please contact Matt Millen, tel +66 8 1968 5357 or email matt.millen@tgr-asia.com
JUMEIRAH PRIVATE ISLAND PHUKET OFFERS A GREAT VARIETY OF ROOMS, RANGING FROM SPA VILLAS WITH THEIR OWN PRIVATE TREATMENT ROOMS AND TROPICAL RAINFOREST VIEWS TO TWO-BEDROOM BEACH VILLAS LEADING DIRECTLY ONTO THE SOFT WHITE SANDS
