Phulay Bay

Thailand has been on my bucket list for as long as I can remember, and when I found out we would be moving to Asia last Fall, it was the first place I wanted to visit.

 After learning that Ryan and I were expecting our second baby, I was unsure if traveling to Southeast Asia this year would be possible. Naturally, I have heard all the horror stories of chaotic cities, insect borne diseases, and contaminated food and water, so instead of passing on a perfect opportunity to travel to this exotic locale, we opted to stay at a resort where we knew we would be safe and sound. This was, after all, our last opportunity to travel for a few months until after #2 arrives this fall.

After weeks of research, we decided to splurge on staying at Phulay Bay – a Ritz-Carlton Reserve, one of the top-rated resorts in all of Krabi. It was amazing. Not only were the resort grounds breathtaking, but the staff could not have worked harder to make sure we stayed happy!

Let me share my experience staying at Phulay Bay with you…

· The Reserve ·

Located in Krabi, Thailand, Phulay Bay is a hidden luxury resort overlooking the Andaman Sea, surrounded by dense rainforests, beautiful beaches, and limestone mountains. This incredible combination of vistas inspires the resort’s name, Phulay Bay, which in Thai means a meeting of mountains and sea.

· The Spa ·

During our stay in Thailand, Ryan ventured out for a day-long diving adventure which, unfortunately, was something that I was unable to participate in while pregnant. But rather than sitting in the hotel room, we organized childcare for Summer and I headed straight to the Spa. After treating myself to a much needed facial and simultaneous mani and pedi, I spent the rest of the the day relaxing in the different tranquil areas of the Spa.

Beyond the endless catalog of treatments, the resort spa features a vitality pool, aromatherapy steam rooms, saunas, spacious relaxation lounges, private treatment rooms for couple massages, a spa cafe, and a wellness studio offering fitness classes and meditation. On days that rain threatens other outdoor plans, the spa offers reduced rates, complimentary services and classes.

The Phulay Bay Spa is not to be missed!

· The Restaurants ·

The resort offers daily dining options at five different restaurants, as well as a few additional options for ‘dining beyond’ the traditional restaurant setting. Featuring Seafood, Thai, and International menus, we thoroughly enjoyed the restaurants during our stay at the Reserve, and even took advantage of a few of their dining beyond options, including a picnic on the beach and a private outdoor BBQ during sunset.

One of our favorite restaurants was the Chomtawan Sunset Lounge, a spot we frequented throughout our stay in Thailand. There was just something about enjoying a tropical cocktail {or mocktail, in my case} while lounging on the beach watching the sunset that drew us to this floating beach bar almost every evening.

· The Beach ·

Perched on the edge of the Andaman Sea, Phulay Bay is in an ideal location which lends itself to breathtaking views and an expanse of ocean-front property. It has its own private beaches where guests can board traditional long-tail boats to surrounding islands, rent kayaks, picnic in private huts, swing from palm trees while watching the sun set, or catch nighttime fire dancing shows.

· The Pool ·

The Resort pool was where we spent most of our vacation. Modeled after a local natural wonder, this infinity edge emerald pool overlooking the Andaman Sea is at the heart of the resort and at the center of what seemed to be all of the activity. Complete with a swim-up bar and restaurant featuring traditional pizza oven, homemade ice cream, comfortable sunning beds, and island music, what more could you ask for? There were even daily fitness and craft classes on the lawn located next to the pool.

The pool is, without a doubt, where some of my favorite memories of hanging out with the fam were made during this incredible trip.

· The Villas ·

We were fortunate to experience two different villas at this amazing resort during our stay.

We began our visit to Phulay Bay in an Oceanfront Villa, but were later upgraded to the nicest villa on the entire property, the Royal Villa.

The Oceanfront Villa is lovely. We spent three wonderful nights in this villa and thought we had really hit it big. We had a private pool overlooking the ocean, a large deck with sun loungers, a bathtub in a private courtyard off the bathroom, his and hers closets, and a separate room set up for baby Summer when we arrived.

Then, one night as Ryan and I were getting ready for bed, the most amazing thing happened… a bird flew in to our room from a small hole in the ceiling and scared us half to death. Ryan called our butler, Sabai, and she had us moved to a new, more luxurious villa the next morning.

Upon entering our new suite, we were greeted by a large outdoor terrace and huge lap pool. Our old villa had a pool, but as it turns out, it was more like a soaking tub in comparison. As Sabai continued showing us around our Royal Villa {pictured below left}, I couldn’t help feeling the urge to pinch myself. I imagine this is where celebrities and dignitaries stay when they come to Thailand.

Naturally, there was a gigantic bed in the center of the suite… so big that we could have fit our entire family and extended family in bed with us, an insane bathroom with his and her wings, a walk-in rain steam shower, as well as a private courtyard with an outdoor shower.

My absolute favorite part of this villa was the bathtub… it was in it’s own room surrounded by a pool of water. I am, without a doubt, a bath person, so I made sure to take full advantage of this tub while I could. Each evening, I looked forward to returning to our villa for the night because, as a part of the turn-down service, the resort staff would fill our tub with flowers and bubbles and would place lit candles around the room.

It was magical and I could have stayed forever.

· Activities ·

In addition to the regularly scheduled events and classes at the resort, the hotel staff planned daily outings for us, complete with childcare whenever we needed it. More about the activities offered at the resort, as well as a sample itinerary, coming soon!

· · ·

I could go on and on about Phulay Bay’s beautiful grounds, luxurious villas, delicious food, breathtaking location, and incredible experiences, but the most unforgettable thing about our stay was the friendships we made. I cannot say enough about our butler, Sabai. She helped us with so much that I could never thank her enough for making our vacation the trip of a lifetime. Meeting Som O was also a blessing. In addition to taking such great care of Summer, she went out of her way to help me find batic painted sarongs at a local night market to bring back home.

It isn’t always easy being so far away from home, especially when you’re pregnant, but Sabai and Som O were familiar faces in an unknown place and quickly became life-long friends. I really enjoyed getting to know these two ladies and can’t wait to visit them again soon!

· More Information ·

Phulay Bay, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve 
★★★★★

111 Moo 3 Nongthalay, Muang
Krabi 81180 Thailand

+66 (0) 75.628.111

reservations.phulaybay@ritzcarlton.com

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