Anantara Mai Khao: Enjoy The Fashion, Sun And Sea, And The Possibility Of A Mojito With Lalisa
Escape to this chic hideaway in Phuket.
Could Anantara Mai Khao be the one time you could share poolside cocktails with Lalisa? The acclaimed Blackpink singer, who’s starring in the third season of The White Lotus, might well be sunning herself in one of the secluded cabanas in this luxurious escape in Phuket between takes.
The critically acclaimed global television hit series will film its third season at the luxurious Anantara Mai Khao Villas in Phuket in April. And if it’s anything like our six glorious days sunning on the pristine beaches of Phuket, Lalisa’s in for a real treat.
For a start, the resort is filled with wealthy Eastern Europeans. Just at breakfast, it was like a runway Cruise show, with svelte young Russian women parading in their finest silk Cavalli caftans, arms adorned with Cartier stacks and manicured feet shod in Hermès tan Oran slippers. I could see more shapes, sizes and varieties of Dior’s Book totes than at their Avenue Montaigne store, and their children and husbands equally decked out in logo tees and bermudas. I felt underdressed in my Under Armour gym gear and didn’t quite know where to place my Asics gym sneakers.
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The private pool villa with the personal plunge pool, outdoor bath tub and separate bathroom and bedroom.
There is a distinct family vibe at Anantara Mai Khao during the holiday season. The resort’s Sala villas are divine—they come with private plunge pools, a separate dressing room, and huge bathrooms with double sinks that overlook an outside spa bath which leads to the pool. There’s also a comfortable cabana with a daybed, two sun lounges, a table and chairs where you can sip a cup of coffee and nibble on Thai delicacies. Or if you must, work quietly on your computer in the shade of the cabana by the pool.
Inside the massive bedroom decked out in dark teak wood is a king-sized bed with an overhead fan, a daybed by one window, and a desk and chair by another. There’s also an enormous cabinet where you will find your Nespresso coffee machine with a selection of Origin coffee capsules, a mini-fridge filled with champagne and top-level spirits.
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The luxurious confines of the Jim Thompson suite.
Resort life in Anantara centres around the main La Sala restaurant surrounded by a lake filled with water lilies, hundreds of hungry fish and, ahem... monitor lizards—all irresistible to kids who squeal with delight as they feverishly feed the fish and lizards with fresh, daily baked bread from the breakfast buffet.
It is also where we had our cooking lesson from Thai chef Kum who taught us how to make chicken satay, Thai style; Tom Yum soup; Phat Thai noodles and the ever-so-sinful mango and sticky rice pudding—all exceptionally tasteful and full of flavour. To mark our newly acquired skills, we were each rewarded with a Spice Spoon apron, a certificate and a wooden chopping board.
Sunsets are dazzling affairs by the beach at Anantara Mai Khao.
Anantara has two other restaurants. There’s the seaside Sea, Fire & Salt where we indulged in a sumptuous seafood buffet of Phuket lobster, seabass, prawns, mussels, oysters, along with Australian lamb chops and beef medallions, leg of ham, salads and a wide selection of amazing-looking desserts. All you have to do is to pick how you would like it cooked or barbecued to perfection.
There’s also the Tree House restaurant serving Omakase cuisine, where you are individually served a sumptuous selection of sashimi, sushi and other delicacies all freshly flown in from Japan and artfully curated by Japanese-trained Thai chef, Thiraphat Bussain. You can also match your food with specially imported sake from Japan. The Omakase meal is a mind-blowing dining experience guaranteed to give you bragging rights.
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At Anantara, you are not short of things to do—there are three all-weather tennis courts available with rackets, tennis balls, iced water and towels provided. There’s a decent gym where I spent many an hour working off the desserts and endless supply of Phat Thai.
There’s the main pool by the seaside restaurant with shaded cabanas and sun lounges. Sunblock lotion is available and you can also order your fresh coconut, iced coffee or G&T from the infinity poolside bar—all served with an iced towel. I loved people watching—and counting the number of Louis Vuitton, Dior, Chanel and Missoni swimwear I could spot. It seems that daytime is for colour and print with the fashion families here, while nights are glamorous affairs with tight black dresses, Prada sparkly heels and matching diamanté mini bags.
You can also go for a cycling tour to a nearby lake, book a lesson in Thai kickboxing, rent a yacht for a cruise, arrange for a romantic private dining for two or simply chill out at the resort’s spa and wellness centre. Or you can do your bit for nature by donating US$1 a room a night to the Mai Khao Marine Turtle Foundation, which protects sea turtles that lay their eggs on the beach.
We paid a quick visit to sister property Layan Residences by Anantara to have cocktails at its cool rooftop bar where a more adult chic set partied—fashion-wise, let’s just say there were ample chests on display with their freshly tanned decolletage sparkling with the latest bauble from Tiffany’s. The music at Zuma was played by a super-cool female DJ from Morocco. Built into the hillside at Layan, there are only 15 two-storey residences, all with sea views and live-in butlers. Steak restaurant, Age, serves the finest Australian beef imported direct from farm to plate.
Come April this year, about 150 White Lotus crew will descend on Anantara Mai Khao for more than a month to film the resort’s exquisite beach front and in the main restaurant, La Sala. But you don’t have to wait for the series to hit your TV screens to find out what it’s like to stay at Anantara Mai Khao Villas in Phuket—you read it here first. And if you spot Lalisa sipping a MaiTai, remember what you read in our collection report, cos it’s likely you will see it all on display. Enjoy the fashion, the sun and sea. And the possibility of a mojito with Lalisa.