‘The setting of Amanpuri is therapy in itself...’

At this flagship resort in Phuket, even the Thai kickboxing brings a sense of inner calm, says Teresa Levonian Cole

ho would have thought that kickboxing could be an aesthetic experience? Yet even the least inclined towards physical exercise would find delight in Amanpuri’s new, professional Muay Thai boxing ring, open to the sounds and smells of nature, where a young blade puts you through the paces of the “Art of Eight Limbs”.

In such a calm setting, you can almost forget how hard it is to catch your breath while fists, elbows, knees and feet are dragooned into combat, grateful only that they are not on the receiving end of retaliation. Should this seem too violent, the other extreme of activity can be found in the new meditation venue: a glass hall suspended above the jungle. And if meditation is too taxing, just hole up in one of the spa’s 12 tranquil treatment pavilions, which float among thick vegetation. I found the darkly fragrant massage with Thai hot herbal compresses the perfect antidote to my kickboxing aches and pains.

It could be argued that the setting of Amanpuri is therapy in itself. Already 31 years old and as sexy as ever, Amanpuri (“place of peace” in

Sanskrit) saw light of day in 1988 – the first in what would become the celebrated Aman stable of (currently) 34 hotels. Like so many success stories, it came about by chance, when the legendary Adrian Zecha discovered an idyllic beach, fringed by coconut groves, on the west coast of Phuket. Plans to create a private home there soon morphed into the creation of an elite, 40-room hotel with spa, whose architect, Ed Tuttle, would continue his collaboration with the brand over the next three decades.

Times have changed, but under Vladislav Doronin, CEO of Aman since 2014, the resorts have been going from strength to strength. Rejuvenated and expanded over the years to include 44 privately owned villas available for rental, Amanpuri remains a firm favourite among Aman junkies. Sitting on a high platform above the white sands and turquoise waters of the Andaman Sea, its compact central buildings are redolent of the architecture of ancient Ayutthaya – all teak and stone and characteristic multilayered roofs – while pavilions (as the rooms are known) and villas cascade down the peninsula’s hillsides, camouflaged amid tropical vegetation and giant pots of bougainvillea. A brand new retail pavilion, more temple than shop in style, is the latest

Already 31 years old, the ‘place of peace’ is as sexy as ever

addition to the resort; its elegant offerings include swimwear and Aman’s exclusive beauty products.

Expanded, also, is Amanpuri’s flagship spa, which reopened last year after a full refurbishment, to pioneer another first for the group. Aman’s renowned holistic treatments, which include traditional Chinese medicine and Ayurveda, have been complemented by a new wing dedicated to Western medicine. Along with herbs and potions, there is now sophisticated equipment and tests to measure body composition, liver function and hormone levels, among