Santhiya Resort and Spa - Koh Phagnon

I have stayed at many exquisite hotels during my thirty seven years of living: a converted remodeled monastery in Italy, a five star Sheraton in Gambia (West Africa), a lakeside cabin in Minnesota... Nothing however, can beat the place we just stayed in. Nestled in the north eastern jungle hillside of the island, this resort can boast it's own beach and superb privacy. Don't get me wrong, Long Bay was great. It was, however, right on the beach, and people passed by. At the Santhiya, we had our own bungalow with an outdoor shower, a reading room, a sunbathing deck, and a soaking tub. Birds that were caged at the other resort were flying freely here and the sounds of cicadas could lull you asleep. Hardwood was the dominate building material throughout the lodge and detailed, hand carved embellishments were not used sparingly. It was amazingly beautiful and quiet. Traveling here was a bit rough. Usually guests fly directly to an island named Ko Samui and from there the hotel picks you up by speed boat and whisks you away to the hotel. Since we were already on the island, we had to take the less traveled dirt backroad by taxi. The taxi was a truck and we sat on bench seats bolted to the bed. By the time we arrived we were dusty and rattled. Everything changed once the hotel wooden gates were opened. We were greeted by men wearing traditional garb and our baggage was handled by the staff from there on. Before checking in, we were given clean wet white towels for our face and hands and a refreshing glass of watermelon juice. My eyes lit up as the women helping us check in gave us a tour of our bungalow. You name it, we got it: a view of the ocean, cable, aromatherapy, an infinity pool with two waterfalls, a turn down service that included at least six orchids scattered in a row on our bed, and an outstanding morning buffet. To top it off, the service was what one expects on vacation, but rarely gets - genuine ass kissing and smiles to go with it. God, I love that place. Our daily activities included SCUBA diving, snorkeling, eating yummy food, swimming, reading, and napping. We loved it and plan on going back. Hopefully next time we can drag some family with us. Tonight we are in Bangkok again and fly home to Portland tomorrow. We have had a blast, met some cool people, and made the best out of every day. We didn't even fight or bicker once, which is pretty good for a couple that has been together for ten years, traveling in a developing country. We have eaten well, shopped, been massaged almost daily, are skin is a bit darker, and we are relaxed. I even burned through three books and am starting my fourth tonight. What else can I say?