Luxury Resort Review: Sri Panwa, Phuket, Thailand

• Location: On the southeastern tip of the island of Phuket, Thailand, around 90 minutes from the airport and 15 minutes from Phuket City.
• Accommodations: 52, including pool suites, pool villas, penthouses and private residences.
• Dining options: 7 venues including Baba Soul Food offering home-cooked Thai cuisine, and Baba IKI, a Japanese dining experience serving sushi, sashimi, yakitori and teppanyaki. 
• What else is there: There are 3 guest swimming pools and a private beach, a gym, tennis courts, a game room, steam room, water sports, yacht mooring, yoga classes, a spa, and cooking classes.
• What’s nearby: The immediate area is pretty quiet, but guests can take boat trips to outlying islands, go horse riding or mountain biking, and golf fans have a lineup of nearby courses to choose from including Red Mountain and Phuket Country Club.
• Why go: The villas complete with private pools, the privacy, the rock star glamour.

The Space 

Perched high on Cape Panwa, sprawling across a jungle-covered peninsula, Sri panwa is undoubtedly a rock star of a resort. Dotted across its lush grounds are three pools, a private beach, a boho spa, and one of the most gorgeous rooftop bars in Asia. Its villas sit 40-60 meters above sea level along the eastern and western ridges at the very tip of the cape, offering breathtaking views of the surrounding islands and Andaman Sea, as well as the ultimate in privacy. They're styled to embrace the essence of the contemporary tropics, integrating a natural jungle and ocean environment with the modern creature comforts, and designed to feel like private homes. On offer are the finest bed linens, customised toiletries, gourmet mini-bars and traditional handcrafted furnishings, as well as sound entertainment systems and iPods preloaded with music to suit any vibe. Sri Panwa screams glamour while at the same time exudes a fun, anything goes, kind of vibe, drawing an international, hip and happening crowd; British, French, Italian, Korean, Japanese, and Russian. And whether they’re mixing your favourite cocktail or booking a private yacht to whisk you off to Phi Phi, the staff aim to please.

UltimateTravelMagazine.com Loves 

• The rooftop bar Baba Nest is a show stopper, appearing to float above the hills with 360-degree views of the craggy coastline. 
• The seclusion of the resort, and the privacy of the villas.
• Rates include breakfast, Wi-Fi and soft drinks, plus beers and snacks from the in-room mini-bars. 
• It’s an ideal resort for snorkellers and divers.