Centra Coconut Village Resort & Spa is for you if you really enjoy precious private moments – and some great value.
The road to Centra Coconut Villa Resort & Spa — one of the latest additions to the Centara group’s new value brand, Centra — seems to lead to nowhere, if you’re coming from the Samui airport area and not familiar with Koh Samui’s new road network. The 55-room resort, which consists of just seven stand-alone villas and 48 deluxe rooms, is located at Thong Tanote Beach at the southwestern tip of the island.
Even though we’ve been visiting the island for years now, it still took us a lot of effort to find the resort, which just started operating under the Centra brand last July 1. If you’re not using the resort’s van transfer from the airport and driving your own wheels without an accurate map, you might even get lost. It was easy to just give up and maybe look for another similar property somewhere near your other interests in the island. It was that kind of place, or so you would think, until you reach the resort.
Once there, you will realize that the secluded resort – formerly known as Coconut Villa Resort & Spa – has its own captivating, albeit low-key, charm. The low-rise, intimately scaled property has a cool, modern tropical character that is easy to like, right from its humble lobby to the beautiful beachfront area where you can enjoy endless views of two islands noted for snorkeling and diving: Koh Tan and Koh Mutsum.
We settled on one of the 24 Deluxe Pool access guestrooms, and realized early that the resort is definitely perfect for couples, although families could certainly fit in the rooms too. These rooms are on the lower level of a twin (two-storey) building facing each other separated by the pool running like a canal in between them. The upper level has a balcony to match the patio on the lower level, where two sun decks in each room make for great relaxing time – as we discovered later – during the early mornings and late at night before bedtime. The 37sqm-rooms were well-appointed and still look new, considering that the property, says the receptionist, was already four-years-old – and certainly great value for the introductory price that the resort offered after its Centra rebranding. Wi-Fi Internet is free as well (for us at least).
But as we said earlier, the resort is not for those who crave the Chaweng nightlife. While the resort is said to be 15 minutes only from Nathon and Lamai, and maybe less than 40 minutes to the Fisherman’s Village in Bophut, I wouldn’t waste my time going there and anyway, if you’re in Samui for some peace and utter relaxation, this place is perfect. Even from our room’s patio alone, I just sat on the sundeck, looked up through the palm fronds through the white cirrus one early morning – and I was whispering to myself already: “What quiet…what bliss…” There was nothing to break the surrounding silence except maybe the humming of the open air-con in nearby villas, and a chirpy singsong of an occasional sparrow.
In the evening, when we went to the lone restaurant (an all-day dining restaurant) by the beach, we were again to experience such a feeling. While waiting for our food to arrive, we just sat there gazing directly to the open darkness of the sea, feeling the soft breeze kiss our cheeks, listening to the occasional lapping of the waves on the shore, and just saying…ahhhh. Talk about breaking away from a noisy urban center, and choosing a secluded, exclusive place where nothing disturbs you. Oh by the way, we were pleasantly surprised by the food we ate that night: Thai food with a very distinct southern taste: fresh, rich and flavorful, aromatic, and just delicious – a true sensorial treat.
On the way to the restaurant, you pass by the Sea View Villas, each about 44sqm in size and with a furnished terrace and Jacuzzi in the bathroom, except the lone Beachfront villa, which is 50sqm. There’s another swimming pool, beach bar and pool bar, near the restaurant, close to the beachfront, which is also great to hangout even if you’re alone, with maybe a cocktail in hand. We also saw a spa, which if we remember right, will be rebranded as Cense by Spa Cenvaree soon, but at the moment, they are by appointment only.
Oh, another thing that made our short stay enjoyable was the staff. From the lobby receptionist to the restaurant staff to the pool cleaner, we received only gracious polite treatment, and smiles that melt the heart.
We also learned later that the resort can arrange snorkeling, boating, and kayaking at Koh Tan and Koh Mutsum before or during your arrival, but we were there only for the weekend.
As we were checking-out that Monday, we were thinking how great it would be if we did cap our privacy outing with a jaunt to maybe the idyllic Koh Tan, a small one-village island with no roads or cars and surrounded by a coral reef and with serene and sandy beaches or Koh Mutsum with its long and sandy beach that is ideal for picnics and barbeques.
But ah, there’s always a next time.
Contact Details:
Centra Coconut Villa resort & Spa
114.1 Moo 4, Tambon Taling Ngam, Koh Samui
Tel: 077 334-069/70
E-mail: cbs@chr.co.th
www.centarahotelsresorts.com/cbs/cbs_default.asp
