Explore Asia's next big thing, Kata Noi in Thailand

SLIP into a private infinity pool, gaze over unblemished beaches and marvel at how this city's resorts have changed over the past 20 years.

escape shore

SLIPPING into the private infinity pool with uninterrupted views of Phuket's unblemished Kata Noi beach and gazing at the human ants below, it's easy to see how Thailand's resort island has changed over the past 20 years.

Luxury accommodation, something lacking a few decades back, is booming, particularly at the southern end of Phuket, where we were privileged to be staying at The Shore, a new villa and hotel complex built two months ago by Thai businessman Khun Sombat Atiset.

The Shore is pure indulgence. The complex has 43 luxury pool villas, which sleep two adults, complete with your own private pool, sunken lounge, bath, rain shower and your very own bright orange Guzzini coffee machine, all with stunning views of the beach.

For a larger party or family, there are also five two-bedroom, split-level villas, which sleep four.

The Shore is 20 minutes by tuk-tuk from the heaving night-life of Patong beach and 50 minutes from Phuket International Airport, the new destination that Brisbane-based Strategic Airlines now has on its radar.

The smaller luxury resort borders the larger Katathani Beach Resort, which is owned by the same businessman and has six swimming pools, three jacuzzis, six restaurants, six bars and 479 rooms (75 per cent with ocean views), ranging from large suites of 110sq m through to standard rooms of 30sq m.

As customer-relations manager Mathias Kick puts it, The Shore is an experiment by the Thai owner in the luxury market and judging by the occupancy rate of 94 per cent or more, it is working.

Kick is a student of the globe. He grew up in Argentina, was educated in the Dominican Republic and Germany and has worked at several resorts around the planet.

"Welcome A Shore," he jokes on check-in.

"We want to give guests something special and unique," he says as we gaze down at the 850m of white sand at Kata Noi beach below.

Times have changed
It is a far cry from the Phuket this writer last visited in the late 1980s, travelling around Thailand as a student backpacker on a budget of about $20 a day.

The exquisite cuisine of Thailand has not changed, but the size and scope of the accommodation market has, particularly at the top end.

A wander down to the beach and you soon stumble upon On the Rocks restaurant, where the chef whips up traditional fare, such as tom yum gong soup (a seafood soup), followed by chilli pork, rice and pad thai or, for the more adventurous, khao phad tha (fried rice with very spicy pork, chicken or prawns).

If you throw in two large Singha beers, with two soups and one or two curries, it will set the tourist back a mere $20 at best (that's 640 Thai baht) for lunch.

Some of the more upmarket restaurants at Patong beach offer huge seafood banquets, where large prawns, mud crabs and lobster are on offer, usually for about $50 a head, which includes a decent bottle of Italian white wine.

You can easily obtain a break from the huge array of Thai food on offer by retreating to one of three restaurants at The Shore that offer temptations including grape soup as an entree, followed by the more traditional Western meals such as steak, duck or chicken.

The prices do not carry a 5-star tag like the resort. In fact, the mini bar prices at The Shore are remarkably cheap. Unlike other Asian destinations, such as Hong Kong, Thailand still has high taxes on wine, which is expensive, but the local beer is cheap as water.

A thirst-quenching can of Singha beer will set you back just 60 baht ($2) in the hotel mini bar and for the more luxury minded, a bottle of Moet & Chandon Brut Imperial is 7800 baht, with Laurent-Perrier Brut champagne on offer for 9000 baht.

Your standard room service cheeseburger is 375 baht, with reasonably priced wine on offer, including a bottle of South African Stony Cape chenin blanc at 1900 baht, the 2007 South African Pinotage Culemborg at 1700 baht or the more expensive 2004 Italian Ruffino Fonte Al Sole Toscana ICT at 2400 baht.

Things to do
The Shore offers cooking classes and a relaxing spa for those sick of wining and dining their way around the island.

It's also only a 50-minute car ride to view the giant Buddha, the largest Buddha in Thailand, or you can embark on an invigorating elephant safari for between 30 minutes and a full day. (Prices between $40 an adult and $78, depending on the length of the tour).

The hotel also has a tidy 10m-long cruiser available for guests keen to cruise around the island and enjoy a picnic or spot of fishing. The boat is ideal for four people and gives a completely different view of the topography of the island.

As Kick puts it: "This place is an undiscovered jewel at Phuket. A lot of people travel to Patong beach but here it is a lot more relaxing and luxurious."

The writer was a guest of The Shore and Revolve Communications and travelled to Phuket as a guest of Strategic Airlines.

More: www.theshore.katathani.com

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Holiday Ideas: Luxury escapes