Lost in time

Like many things at Soneva Kiri, time is reinvented on the island of Koh Kood. As I disembark from the small private Cessna aircraft that has just made a perfect landing on the hotel’s own strip, my butler is already telling me about Soneva time.

“We’re one hour ahead of the rest of Thailand,” says Taeko, as she whisks me off to my villa. It’s not clear why time flies a little faster here. Perhaps they want to make sure nobody will miss the sunset over the Gulf of Thailand. Whatever the reason, the moment I slip into my villa I start to lose my sense of time.

Standing on the plank deck, gazing out at the thick wall of lush rainforest, I spot the orange, ultra-chic, retro-styled Espresso machine sitting on top of the poolside counter. It adds a colourful touch to the traditional thatch villa and its private pool that will be my home for the next few days.

Soneva Kiri, in some ways, is made for the Robinson Crusoes of this world. The island itself is the fourth largest in Thailand yet the least inhabited and the accommodation is rustic yet opulent. Practical too with its chic Espresso machine and high-speed Internet connectivity. It’s the perfect place not just for Daniel Defoe’s classic protagonist but also stressed-out CEOs, city slickers and trend setters. 

Tucked away on the quiet side of Koh Kood, part of the eastern province of Trat, Soneva Kiri enjoys 400 rai (around 160 acres) of forest, mountain and beaches. The most accessible way to the resort is the hour-long flight on a private light aircraft from Don Mueang International Airport. Once you’ve landed, you feel completely cut off from the world and people you just left behind.

“What can you do here?” I ask myself quietly. “It’s very quiet and I’m hardly a celebrity (not even close) trying to travel unobtrusively”

On the other hand, I tell myself, I am a journalist trying to escape a hectic newsroom and a tight deadline.

Surrounded by lush tropical forest, Soneva Kiri is luxury in the middle of jungle with 24 pool villas fitted out with rustic chic and more than a nod to Mother Nature.

Based on the Permaculture design principle, every single detail has been carefully thought through, from the wooden table chess and backgammon sets to the floor-to-ceiling windows in the bedroom overlooking the sea. Even the guest directory is printed on recycled paper.

All villas have large wrap-around pools and generous grounds for reading, relaxing, sunbathing or simply gazing out to sea. The resort claims that it offers the most space in all of Southeast Asia and proves it by offering electric buggies for the guests to drive around the beach, villa and restaurants. 

But as I discover the first morning, the best mode of travel is walking. 

Soneva Kiri is beautiful landscaped with the paths winding between the wood and vegetation making it seem much bigger than its 160 acres. Lanes and paths cross through a marvellous maze of scented undergrowth, tall trees, ferns and moss. A peaceful stroll through the woods is the best place to start if you want to rediscover nature and make a complete break with the stressful life you have left behind.

Time might fly a bit faster in Soneva than the rest of Thailand, but the resort in many ways promotes a slow-life retreat. 

You can walk with a Michelin-star awarded chef through Soneva’s organic farm, pick up your fresh rocket salad and have it for breakfast on the sandbank. If picnicking on the beach is not your cup of tea, you can tuck in while sitting atop the trees. Up there, one morning, I enjoy cheese, croissant, egg and ham in a lofty woven Tree Pod perched more than 3 metres off the ground. The ocean is, of course, splendid, but it is outshone by the “food ninja”. When I need more coffee, the waiter “flies” in via a zip line.

More gastronomic treats await at Benz’s restaurant. This Thai restaurant is tucked away at the side of the resort. It’s quite an experience and the 15-minute ride on the speedboat from the pier to restaurant is worth writing home about.

One rainy evening just as the sky is getting dark, the speedboat sweeps from down to upstream before negotiating a small mosquito-infested canal edged by a thick wall of mangrove. I keep looking for the restaurant, but there is no hint of it in sight. 

“This is a James Bond movie set,” says Mark, a British guest who is sharing the boat. “All that’s missing are the villains chasing our boat with machine guns.”

“Well, I believe the general manager could arrange for the local fishermen to hunt you down after dessert,” I tell him. 

I’m not altogether joking either. Soneva Kiri is good at creating unique experiences in the middle of nowhere – a feat they call “intelligent luxury” – so getting together a few fishermen should be well within their means!

Soon we see the illuminated glow of Benz’s Restaurant. Right in the middle of the jungle, it’s inspired by the local fisherman’s shacks, which are roughly pieced together with planks of wood. Owner Benz, who is also the chef, cooks with herbs and spices grown on the island. We order spicy banana flower salad and fish soup, and they’re fantastic.

I only start to have a sense of time as I’m about to leave Soneva Kiri the next day. I have been on the island for three days yet haven’t managed to do so much as dip my toes into the seawater. The planned snorkelling session in Koh Rang is called off because of a storm.

At the very last minute, the sun comes out and I plunge into the sea with Soneva Kiri’s diving guide to explore its coral restoration project. 

 “Snapper, batfish, rabbit fish,” she says, pointing to the creatures that have settled in the coral. 

I spit into the goggles to clear the foggy mask and focus on searching for the mullet I enjoyed for dinner at Benz’s Restaurant.