SANTHIYA RESORT & SPA | Luxury beachfront eco-resort on Koh Yao Yai

Santhiya Resort and Spa Koh Yao Yai is an eco-luxury resort comprising of 39 teak wood Pool Villas and 60 Deluxe rooms–all situated among the trees on the hillside.  The property boasts the best of what Koh Yao Yai has to offer–the long sandy beach front, the lush tropical forest and the panoramic view of the ocean frontage from the hill.

Koh Yao Island region encompasses 44 islands in the Andaman sea.  Within the 140km range, Koh Yao Noi (“little long island”) and Koh Yao Yai (“big long island”) are the most widely known.  In fact, in recent years, both islands have become sister islands of Koh Samui and Koh Phangan.  While Koh Yao Yai is twice as big as Koh Yao Noi, it is known to be more local and “isolated”.  If you are looking for a peaceful escape where you can get away from your daily hectic world (or people you know!), this is your destination.

Now let’s have a little look at the bathroom behind the door on the right.

The bathroom is just fantastic.  The massive outdoor shower area was definitely our favourite, though the indoor one on “the other end” of the bathroom was a nice option to have.  There are two wash basins which are perfect for couples who tend to fight for the the tap when they rinse their faces.  All the bathroom amenities were nicely presented.  There also is an outdoor hot tub area which we will be shown in later on this blog post, but now let’s go back into the suite.

And this was where we rest our heads very comfortably for two nights.

Most of the bedroom walls was occupied by large sliding doors with windows.  Whether we chose to have all the doors closed when I got too hot or all opened for some evening sea breeze, we could still see the breath-taking view of the majestic ocean (as well as the hot tub).

However, pool villa weren’t made for people who only wanted to stay indoors.  Let’s have a good look at the pool and its view throughout the day–this is the real deal!

The moment we stepped outside the bedroom, we were in awe.  The panoramic view of the ocean was endless, serene and breath-taking.  Our favourite time was definitely at sunset, as we could see both the sky changing colours and the reflections on the water.

It was beautiful even when the sky darkened up a little so “the more photogenic one” was told to jump in the pool for some classic pool shots.

We had a good time playing around with our cameras taken the class silhouette at sunset shots.

We didn’t get enough of the pool even after the sun has set, so bring on the night-time pool function!

And just when we started to feel the water in the pool got a little too chilly, we moved to the hot jacuzzi.

We were totally pampered and felt so relaxed, but it was also getting late.  We had a rinse in the shower, got dressed for dinner and had a last look at our room…for now…

Not only did we immensely enjoy the breath-taking view of the sunset that evening, we also drooled over their dinner buffet.  Room service was available, but we worked out the “Thai and Italian” themed buffet would a better option for the same amount of damage.

There are 5 restaurants at the resort, and daily dinner buffet is available for a very reasonable price at Chantara restaurant.  There is always a large variety of meat, poultry, seafood and vegetarian options cooked in different ways.  We both enjoyed their gourmet pasta in particular.  There were a few seating sections: indoor, outdoor by the beach and outdoor in the main area where a talented gentleman with a soulful voice and his acoustic guitar serenaded us throughout the entire evening.

And while we dined at Chantara which was at the bottom of the resort, the next morning we breakfasted at Saaitara, a restaurant with an incredible view at the very top of the resort.   And oh, next to it there also were massage beds and an insane infinity pool.

The restaurant by the pool villa also does Sushi (we didn’t try).  Also, Santhiya offers a smaller dining area option on its pier.  We did not find out about this until the day we left, but it looked quite perfect for couples who seek for a peaceful and a little more private evening.

We were lucky to have our own private little infinity pool at our villa, but I hope that the images above prove that guests at Santhiya can still make the most out of their time there in communal pool.  The resort also has another big pool at the bottom with cascading man-made waterfalls and individual floating cushioned seats in small wooden boats.  Snorkelling trips are arranged a few times a week by the hotel; bicycles, motor bikes and cares and be rented from the resort.  More over, the resort also offers a range of complimentary activities: Yoga, Thai Boxing, Kayaking and paddle boarding.

And of course, there is a spa & massage centre.

In summary, Santhiya Ocean Pool Villa Suite was fantastic, and it had everything we needed.  Despite the fact that it was located quite close to other villas, it felt very secluded and private.  It is situated up on the hill, but we had no problem with the resort’s shuttle service which ran very frequently.

Koh Yao Yai is such a peaceful hideaway surrounded by beautiful nature, and Santhiya definitely didn’t let us down.  The resort has all the facilitates you would expect–gym, library, spa, souvenir shop, etc., and the service was excellent.  We wished we had more time to discover more about the island as well as the resort.  Nevertheless, there is another Santhiya Resort and Spa on Koh Phangan island in the Gulf of Thailand and I am sure we can find an excuse to visit in the near future.  For now, here are some official photos of Santhiya Resort and Spa on Koh Yao Yai I have put up together:

Photo Credit: www.santhiya.com