THE Prime Minister may have his critics, but he knows how to choose a holiday hideaway for a relaxing weekend.
Sri panwa, perched on a headland at Cape Panwa, certainly has some competitors, but it ranks among the finest secluded retreats on the island.
If it's possible, that is, to have a secluded retreat among skyscapes and panoramas across Phang Nga Bay that probably have no equal on Phuket.
So we asked Sri panwa to let us look at the villa where the PM stayed. ''No,'' they said very quickly, if politely.
The villa he chose is always in demand from VIPs and there's one there now.
What did the PM do at Sri panwa? Well, not a lot, it turns out. ''Swimming, sleeping, reading books'' was as much as our informants would tell us.
Another source said that while the PM was on Phuket at the weekend, he did make time to go to the Hilton Arcadia Phuket in Karon, just to see for himself where the Asean Plus Six Summit will be held on June 13-14, all being well.
Sri panwa promised to give us some of their own photos of the establishment so we went for a drive down the winding road to Cape Panwa, which is fairly close to Phuket City and rapidly changing from the days when it was just a series of small Muslim villages.
Sprouting as competition for Sri panwa and the much more traditional Cape Panwa Hotel are the Four Points by Sheraton, where the piles are just going in, the Radisson, with 400 rooms and an opening due before high season, the Regent (once the Conrad) coming on next door, and the Bel Air, which has recently changed management teams.
And at the deep sea port nearby, a cruise ship had recently docked, unloading about 2000 passengers and their wallets onto an expectant Phuket.
In the past, we've toured Sri panwa and visited the Baba restaurant, and the place is certainly up to PM standard.
We've never found it less than extraordinary. The staff are thoroughly professional.
We did raise a quizzical eyebrow, though, at some of the resort's own literature, especially one paragraph: ''Set 80 metres above sea level on a secluded headland of the legendary Cape Panwa, it is one of the very few locations in Phuket which commands both panoramic views from the top of the cape and access to an exclusive private beach.''
Nature has certainly been very kind to Sri panwa because, as their photos show, villas are on the very top of the headland.
A brochure than may be a more recent document says: ''Hidden in more than 80 rai of undisturbed rainforest and overlooking the Andaman ocean from more than 60 metres above sea level, our residential villas are truly spectacular creations.''
Many of the villas, the brochure says, boast sunrise and sunset views: ''With us, you are literally up with the hawks.''
However, even the latest brochure refers to ''our private beach,'' something we thought did not exist in Thailand.
Seaplanes, apparently, can access the private pier on the ''private beach''.
Here's some advice to guests that the brochure gives: ''Wake up to your companion, open the glass slider doors and dive into the pool for a short swim, maybe to the outdoor sala where breakfast awaits.
''In the mood for a romantic evening?
''Order dinner in the villa, cozy up to your partner on your sprawling sofa-bed and let our state of the art entertainment system take over.''
We wonder if the PM took that advice.
Some other Phuket resorts obtained excellent media space this week in Britain:
telegraph.co.uk: In just the kind of splurge Phuket needs, writer Sasha Bates visited three Phuket resorts and handed out favorable reviews. The chosen three: Phuket Pavilions, Mom Tri's Villa Royale and The Vichitt. ''The bathroom alone is bigger than most British flats,'' she says of PP. Scuba diving, kayaking and sailing are plugged, along with the gibbon sanctuary and the always impressive Big Buddha. She offers small criticisms, too: ''Our suite was directly below the restaurant,'' ''It's almost impossible to walk anywhere'' and ''at low tide [the water] recedes so far it is impossible to swim.'' See which fits which for yourself.
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Sri panwa, perched on a headland at Cape Panwa, certainly has some competitors, but it ranks among the finest secluded retreats on the island.
If it's possible, that is, to have a secluded retreat among skyscapes and panoramas across Phang Nga Bay that probably have no equal on Phuket.
So we asked Sri panwa to let us look at the villa where the PM stayed. ''No,'' they said very quickly, if politely.
The villa he chose is always in demand from VIPs and there's one there now.
What did the PM do at Sri panwa? Well, not a lot, it turns out. ''Swimming, sleeping, reading books'' was as much as our informants would tell us.
Another source said that while the PM was on Phuket at the weekend, he did make time to go to the Hilton Arcadia Phuket in Karon, just to see for himself where the Asean Plus Six Summit will be held on June 13-14, all being well.
Sri panwa promised to give us some of their own photos of the establishment so we went for a drive down the winding road to Cape Panwa, which is fairly close to Phuket City and rapidly changing from the days when it was just a series of small Muslim villages.
Sprouting as competition for Sri panwa and the much more traditional Cape Panwa Hotel are the Four Points by Sheraton, where the piles are just going in, the Radisson, with 400 rooms and an opening due before high season, the Regent (once the Conrad) coming on next door, and the Bel Air, which has recently changed management teams.
And at the deep sea port nearby, a cruise ship had recently docked, unloading about 2000 passengers and their wallets onto an expectant Phuket.
In the past, we've toured Sri panwa and visited the Baba restaurant, and the place is certainly up to PM standard.
We've never found it less than extraordinary. The staff are thoroughly professional.
We did raise a quizzical eyebrow, though, at some of the resort's own literature, especially one paragraph: ''Set 80 metres above sea level on a secluded headland of the legendary Cape Panwa, it is one of the very few locations in Phuket which commands both panoramic views from the top of the cape and access to an exclusive private beach.''
Nature has certainly been very kind to Sri panwa because, as their photos show, villas are on the very top of the headland.
A brochure than may be a more recent document says: ''Hidden in more than 80 rai of undisturbed rainforest and overlooking the Andaman ocean from more than 60 metres above sea level, our residential villas are truly spectacular creations.''
Many of the villas, the brochure says, boast sunrise and sunset views: ''With us, you are literally up with the hawks.''
However, even the latest brochure refers to ''our private beach,'' something we thought did not exist in Thailand.
Seaplanes, apparently, can access the private pier on the ''private beach''.
Here's some advice to guests that the brochure gives: ''Wake up to your companion, open the glass slider doors and dive into the pool for a short swim, maybe to the outdoor sala where breakfast awaits.
''In the mood for a romantic evening?
''Order dinner in the villa, cozy up to your partner on your sprawling sofa-bed and let our state of the art entertainment system take over.''
We wonder if the PM took that advice.
Some other Phuket resorts obtained excellent media space this week in Britain:
telegraph.co.uk: In just the kind of splurge Phuket needs, writer Sasha Bates visited three Phuket resorts and handed out favorable reviews. The chosen three: Phuket Pavilions, Mom Tri's Villa Royale and The Vichitt. ''The bathroom alone is bigger than most British flats,'' she says of PP. Scuba diving, kayaking and sailing are plugged, along with the gibbon sanctuary and the always impressive Big Buddha. She offers small criticisms, too: ''Our suite was directly below the restaurant,'' ''It's almost impossible to walk anywhere'' and ''at low tide [the water] recedes so far it is impossible to swim.'' See which fits which for yourself.
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