Soneva Kiri, Koh Kood, Thailand | HOTEL REVIEW
On Thailand’s fourth largest island, but one of its lesser known and yet among its most idyllic, Soneva Kiri retains the Robinson Crusoe-esque charm of what founders Sonu and Eva Shivdasani, whose portmanteau lends the name to ‘Soneva’, must have first discovered at one of the brand’s original resorts.
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PHOTOS AND VIDEOS by CHINMOYLAD
WHAT WE LOVED
- Arrival. As seen in the video above, the twin propeller Cessnas flying in from Bangkok offer the best views arriving into Koh Ma Si, Soneva Kiri’s private airport on an island just across from Koh Kood, which is then reached by the resort’s speedboat. It’s truly a breathtaking arrival. The process is fairly easy, with a dedicated Soneva counter, lounge access and an airport rep and Soneva rep to guide you throughout the processes including lounge access.
- Location. Koh Kood is an incredible island. As mentioned, despite being one of Thailand’s largest, it’s one of its least well known. Of course, guests staying at Soneva Kiri get easier access to the island courtesy of the airport at Koh Ma Si and the Soneva-branded Cessna planes. For guests not staying at Soneva, it’s a much more arduous journey from Bangkok (up to half a day, involving domestic planes or long car rides to a port followed by even longer ferry rides) – which means that those who are on the island have really made the effort to specifically get here. As a result, there is no mass tourism on the island. Soneva Kiri is the only luxury resort on the island. There are a couple of other nice looking upscale resorts, and a lot of homestays and less deluxe resorts – but all of a boutique nature or family-owned properties. You won’t find many buildings on the island, let alone tall ones (most top out about 3 floors or so, if that – many are even smaller). Thus, the island is kept quite pristine – largely comprising of a large mangrove forest in the centre, and fishing villages dotted along the coastline, often by pristine and remote beaches.
- Villas. Given our dislike for unnecessary ‘rustic luxe’, we were a bit skeptical heading into Soneva Kiri with its signature rustic luxe style. But the villas are beautiful, and very well maintained. Certainly, the interiors are very comfortable and well laid out. That said, there are particular configurations that may suit certain travellers to look out for (e.g. indoor showers, number of toilets etc). We definitely preferred (and loved) the Beachfront Pool Suite we were in, which offered ample light in and out, as well as in the outdoor bathroom. The oversized pools offer lots of lounging area (though perhaps could do with more utility than just mere space in a few cases). The outdoor areas are lovely to spend an afternoon in, but given the mosquito/outdoor situation at times, and the room being called a “Suite”, a proper indoor lounging space would also have been very welcome.
We much preferred these to the Sunset and other one-bedroom villas – however, one key point to note is that although it’s a ‘beachfront’ villa, this isn’t by the main Soneva beach but in a bay of sorts. There’s easy water access, but no proper beach (although some sand that does come up through to near where the villa is) – just to manage expectations accordingly. - Barefoot Guardian, Fern. Every villa gets its own Barefoot Guardian, your personal butler. Ours, Fern, is one we can highly recommend. Always smiling and happy to help, she was excellent in anticipating needs as well as ensuring we got to experience as much of the unique beauty of this island as possible.
- Laundry. Laundry gets unnecessarily complex, and often prohibitively expensive, at most hotels and resorts. Given the remote location, and Soneva’s approach to sustainability, it was good to see it simplified – they charge (a very reasonable) fee per bag, which is donated to help local communities.
- Buggy. Each villa gets a buggy (and cycles) to ride around. As it is a resort with a very large footprint (covering 41 hectares/102 acres, and especially out to the beach), a better mode of transportation other than our own two feet is definitely in need. Most of the resort is on relatively flat or easy to navigate land, so private buggies that guests can drive around themselves are always a fun way to explore the island, and make an activity out of it, and something the (older) kids will also enjoy.
- Kids Club. Which brings us to the Kids Club – this property really is heaven for the young ones. There are two Kids Clubs here, called The Den and Eco Den. The Den is a giant moulded bamboo playground shaped like a manta ray, in itself an astonishing structure, unleashing a child’s creativity with visual arts, music and more, as well as offering a fun space to explore. The property also runs several DIY workshops that teach them about sustainability, upcycling and more.
- Tuk’s Kitchen (Kruua Mae Tuk). Taking over from another famous restaurant that was run by a local chef for many years, Chef Tuk has made this spot her own now, crafting gourmet Thai food with deep roots in traditional Thai cuisine. Located a drive and walk away from Soneva at the edge of a mangrove rainforest (there is also an option to arrive by boat) on a floating deck, Chef Tuk provided by far the highlight of our stay when it came to dining at the resort. The food here offered a wonderful taste of Thailand where the flavours hit just right. The cooking class run here was also enjoyable.
- Treepod dining. Probably one of the most famous images of Soneva Kiri is that of the Treepod dining, which showcases a bamboo structure several metres up in the air backed against the lush foliage, being served food by the waitstaff by zipline. Having experienced it, it was absolutely worth it, because the views are unparalleled, and it offers a completely private experience. That said, we only experienced it for a short time rather than an extended period – and this is also what we would recommend. Given the nature of the location and the difficulties in managing it, it’s understandable more an experience (as destination dining) rather than an actual culinary adventure.
- So Chilled, So Guilty and So Deli-cious. While we weren’t impressed with the overall dining (more about that in the Points to Note below) at Soneva Kiri other than Tuk’s Kitchen, Soneva’s ice cream, chocolate and cheeses and cold cuts parlour is hard to beat (60+ flavours of ice creams and sorbets!), and a great refreshing treat whether it’s just for an in-between meals snack, waiting for an activity, or post-activity.
- Activities. Of course, the main reason guests go to Soneva Kiri is for seclusion, the beaches, the waters. There is plenty of that – they even have an experience called Seven Days, Seven Beaches, taking you to different parts of the island each day for seven days. Snorkeling is primarily done at the nearby islands of Koh Rang (a National Marine Park) and Koh Raet (a man-made reef garden maintained by Soneva) aboard the cruise. There are plenty of non-motorised sports to enjoy just off the beach as well. Given the size of scope of the island, as well as nearby smaller islands, there are plenty of beaches to hop around as well as enjoy private picnics on, in addition to just cruising around on the water.
As we were there during dry season, we did miss out on some of the more land-based activities that would have offered a better glimpse into the local way of life, as well as some of the nature on-land like the jungle and waterfall treks, the hornbills project and rainforest adventure tour and more. We did manage to visit Ao Yai fishing village, and drove through some of the island exploring the mangroves, which definitely excited us to return for more adventures another time.
With Soneva’s telescope, guests can also indulge in exploring the Milky Way every night with the local astronomer. - Sustainability. We’re no eco-experts, but it’s clear that Sonu and Eva’s vision for sustainability at Soneva is maintained – from the large on-site organic garden, to coral restoration projects and more. At times, the price is comfort (as expected from a heavy mangrove system and lush foliage like with Koh Kood, and Soneva’s approach to insecticde-free practices, mosquitos definitely provide a nuisance here) but with better implementation and understanding of practices over the years, hopefully a more elegant solution can be found. At the very least, Soneva isn’t looking to compromise their standards and practices for a little more guest comfort.
- Main pool. Perhaps due to the fact that every villa comes with an oversized private pool, but we rarely saw anyone using the main pool next to So Spirited, and perhaps for this very reason, but it turned out to be one of our favourite spots on property. The pool is also out in the complete open, unlike some of the private pools which are a bit more shaded, so stays warm longer with the sunlight.
POINTS TO NOTE
- Beach. While the resort’s existing beach, ‘South Beach’ or ‘Secret Sunset Beach’ is certainly a nice location, rumours from the past from our clients at Soneva Kiri speak in whispers of ‘North Beach’, which is supposed to be utterly stunning and something to rival the Maldives. As we understand it, this beach was located just off the peninsula from where the resort is, and needed a boat transfer to reach – which made it all the more secluded, with nothing in the vicinity. Unfortunately, North Beach is temporarily (or perhaps permanently) closed with no current plans to reopen as part of Soneva Kiri’s offerings.
- Villas and outdoor bathrooms. Given the mosquito situation, being outdoors at night time can be a bit more difficult, and this is where we wish resorts – especially in tropical areas where heat and humidity play a part in addition the abundance of blood-sucking insects – would do away with outdoor only bath tubs and showers. While certainly nice to have as an option, that’s exactly what it should be – an option. In our villa, for example, there was only one bathtub (outdoor) and two showers (both outdoors, though one was semi-enclosed).
- Service. Our most excellent Barefoot Guardian, Fern, aside, the service at Soneva Kiri left a little to be desired. There were no major issues, but at a property of this calibre and with clients with exacting standards, you do expect a lot more, which at times felt lacking, especially along the beach. As an example, at the beach on one day, we requested for sunscreen and mosquito repellant but staff were unable to locate any (bit strange at a beach…) ,and only suggested we head back to the villa for it. A more proactive team would have gone the extra mile to source it from another location, and also ensured it was replenished for future visits, but instead we were only offered an excuse of sustainability (that the resort doesn’t carry any?).
- Food & Beverage. Sadly, this was undoubtedly the weakest part of the entire stay. The food at Tuk’s Kitchen aside, it was decidedly disappointing (note: stay away from the sushi if you’re a seasoned sushi aficionado – all the more bizarre they insisted we try, coming from Hong Kong). In particular, we did not enjoy The Dining Room, including at breakfast or dinner, where there was a large spread but nothing particularly stood out. There were some highlights of note at The View, like the lamb, which serves a Japanese-Peruvian fusion, and So Spirited was fine for an easy pool-side lunch, but very little across the board that was truly memorable.
GENERAL INFORMATION
Soneva Kiri is located on Koh Kood, a short speedboat ride from Koh Ma Si Airport, itself about a 75-minute airplane ride from Bangkok.
HOTEL FACT SHEET
- LOCATION: Koh Kood, Thailand
- OPENED: 2009
- HOTEL ROOMS: 33 villas ranging from 1-5 bedroom, including private residences
- RATES FROM: USD $1,500/night++
LOCATION
OFFICIAL HOTEL PHOTOS AND VIDEOS
© Soneva Kiri / Soneva
Special thanks to Soneva Kiri for hosting us
For personalised assistance in trip planning, recommendations and enjoying extended VIP perks (upgrades and more), email chinmoy.lad@thesuitelife.com.hk.
Don’t want to enjoy the VIP perks or our personalised assistance? Book it yourself and enjoy regular preferred partner benefits. Click here to book as a Preferred Partner.