At the reception, I was served with welcome drink, which is my favourite, a Thai coconut, and a cold,wet towel. It was indeed refreshing. After all registration, hotel payment was made, my husband and I were then brought to our villa.
Our villa had the most unique entrance, a 2-panel wooden door covered with a wooden roof. On each wooden door, a carving of an attractive lady clad in traditional clothing was etched on. They seemed to welcome us with open arms. After pushing the door, we walked across a short wooden bridge that led to the door to the villa.
When we opened the door to the villa, I drew in a deep deep breath. The villa is humongous. It is made up of 5 sections or rooms. The first room is the actual bedroom with a king size bed in the middle, facing the magnificent sea. Thin, semi transparent, flowy white cloth falls casually from the ceiling all around the bed, instantly adding a romantic touch to the traditional yet classic villa. Between the bedroom and the living room is a corridor flanked by a long stretch of full height window covered with simple-designed curtains. The living room is equipped with a very traditional, comfortable wooden day bed and a wooden coffee table with intricate carvings all over it. One can enjoy a lazy afternoon gazing at the calm sea by sitting on the day bed that overlooks the vast ocean.
Any villa will not be complete without a balcony. Pushing the sliding door apart, I came across one of the biggest balconies that I have ever come across. It extended from the door to the villa to the living room. The resort has provided 2 lazy man chairs, one table with 2 chairs, just perfect for sun bathing or to catch up with your reading. Of course, not to forget, the awesome scenery that you can take in from the villa.
Back into the villa, the toilet is just amazing! It is almost like a standalone room all by itself. The moment I opened the door, I was greeted by a 2-person bathtub. The designers are creative enough to have a wall with beautiful carvings of animals and items that depict the traditional lifestyle of the local Thai right beside the bathtub. What a simple yet effective way to introduce the culture of Thailand to all holiday-makers. Moving a little deeper into the bathroom, I was astonished by the size of the bathroom. The designers try to induce some traditional flavour to the bathroom too without eliminating comfort and style from it. From afar, the bathroom looks like a little shack with its worn out roof top and wooden cabinet. On a closer look, you'd realize all the intricacies of the design, the strength and the beauty of the furniture or appliances provided.
Venturing out from the villa, we headed towards the restaurant. It's time to cure our tummies. The restaurant is perched at the perfect spot, high above sea level, overlooking the vast ocean, not missing a single section. Alfresco dining is a favourite among all the patrons but unfortunately, we were advised against it as they were expecting it to rain. We reluctantly sat indoor, near a window so as to be able to peek out of it to steal glances of the beautiful scenery. We were pleasantly surprised though as there were programmes lined up for diners that night. First, there would be a duo belting out wonderful songs, only with the accompaniment of a acoustic guitar. The duo was just dynamic! She has the voice of a nightingale, strong, powerful and melodious. He had his fingers running all over the guitar, not to forget his sweet voice too. They took on songs like Besame Mucho, Country Road, etc. You get the genre. :) They sang non stop for 1 hour! She certainly has the prowess and stamina. Her voice did not crack even after singing for 1 hour. I was totally awe-stricken. After 1 hour of nostalgic songs that tugged my heart strings, we were then entertained by Thai traditional dancers for another hour.
Some views and scenery from the restaurant, called Chantara Restaurant.
Ahh....It's just paradise, facing this magnificent view, with a perfect book in your hand, leaning your back against sturdy, woody chair.
Clouds are still hovering around, not releasing its grip on this monsoon-stricken island. The clouds actually added some serenity and gloom to the otherwise cheerful, sunny sea.
One thing that we would never miss is the spa. How can you leave out spa when you're in thailand? Thailand is famed for its ubiquitous and booming spa industry. I did not manage to capture the spa menu at Santhiya but it ranges from facial treatment to body scrub, bath, steam and massage. We ended up choosing the traditional thai massage and the milk bath+aromatherapy oil massage. I picked jasmine flavor as my choice of oil whereas my husband picked lavender oil. The masseurs were very sensitive towards our needs and requirements. We could highlight areas that we want them to focus on, also areas that we want them to avoid. Not only that, we could specify if we have undergone any operation, whether we've injured any part of our body etc. The traditional Thai massage was done "outdoors", facing the sea. We were almost buoyed and lullabied to sleep by the rhythmic crashes of the waves on the rocks. The masseurs were professional and strong. I could hear all my joints and bones cracking under her forceful arms. It was like releasing all the locks clamped on all the joints over my whole body. Of course, the process was not exactly very relaxing as I chose the strong option. But, it was good to relax all my tensed muscle.
The aromatherapy oil massage was totally different. This is purely for relaxation purpose. The presses done by the masseurs were not too strong. The aromatic scent of the jasmine oil still lingers in my senses till today. It was fresh, fragrant, sweet and light, just tingles your senses without weighing down on you. In fact, it was so attractive till all bugs started swarming towards me after I was done with the massage! They must have find the scent very very drawing. The soft melody that was played served very well in putting us to sleep, coupled with the soft touch of the masseurs, really paradise! I instantly felt rejuvenated after the massage. There were 5 types of oil to choose from, jasmine, lavender, rice, lemongrass and coconut. Each has different benefits on your skin. All in all, the spa was really a treat and splurge for me.
Othr than the activities above, we practically did nothing else except for walking along the beach. It is not one of the most beautiful beaches that I have encountered but it was acceptable, albeit a little dirty, with coconut husks, dog poop (what a turn-off), and gunny sacks. Some breathtaking scenery to share:
Visiting an island during monsoon season gave me a whole new concept and view. Usually beaches and island would be humid, sunny, with rowdy crowd, happening events and late night parties. However, a monsoon island is actually serene, peaceful, with a touch of melancholy but still mournfully beautiful. There was thick, heavy clouds hovering around at times. Some other time, the Sun actually showcased itself, wiping out all the glum and providing some cheer and smile. All in all, rain or shine, Santhiya certainly provides you to the maximum, meeting your every need without fail.
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