I never imagined myself traveling to Thailand. Sure it interested me, but it wasn’t one of those “bucket list” places for me to go in my life. So when my (now) husband Franco suggested Thailand for our honeymoon, I really didn’t know what to expect. Now to be honest, since we stayed on one island for an entire week, I know we didn’t get the TRUE Thai experience, but that just gives us more of an excuse to go back again some day!
If you ever end up going to Thailand, you MUST go to Santhiya Koh Yao Yai resort. The ultimate honeymooner’s paradise, this resort is on an island approximately 30-45 minutes away from Phuket airport. You need to plan your trip properly though because the speed boat that takes you to Koh Yao Yai island only runs 5 times a day (we learned this the hard way!).
Santhiya (the name of the resort) does an excellent job of hosting to all of your needs. From the minute the speed boat docked on the pier at the resort, we were greeted and escorted to the check-in area. Once seated, we were brought cold towels and a special resort drink while the staff members quietly and quickly rushed around getting our room information for us. It was the most relaxing check-in I have ever experienced!
At the beginning of our trip, we opted for the least expensive room. All I can say is WOW. This did not feel like an “economy” type room at all! A large four-poster bed with a large balcony that included an outdoor bathtub overlooking the ocean? I was in heaven!!! Definitely not what you would expect from picking the cheapest room option. We spent our first night enjoying the outdoor bath and view. Don’t make our mistake though! Falling asleep on the balcony led to one leg being completely covered in mosquito bites…oops!
The room is equipped with everything you need and more – flips flops for the beach and slippers for your room, bathrobes, bottled water (new ones added daily), TV, free WiFi (with a good connection I might add) and bathrooms stocked with shampoo, conditioner and soaps!
Another thing to note – the food was awesome! Unlike all-inclusive resorts that sometimes need to skimp on quality in order to deliver quantity, Santhiya’s food options were superb. Breakfast was included for free every morning and they had everything you could be looking for from real bacon (we had tried some “bacon” in Thailand at another hotel and it was NOT the same!!), omelettes, pancakes, waffles, assorted fruits and cheeses and even Nutella! For lunch, we would usually opt for something light and cheaper by eating at the restaurants near the beach, namely the Titan Grill. Unfortunately we only realized on our last day that we had missed out on one of the best “cheap eats” on the resort! Right next to the Titan grill, and right next to the main buffet area was a little restaurant called “By The Sea”. We always thought it was part of another restaurant as we usually just walked through it to get to the lobby. Big oops on our part but we’ll know for next time! For dinners, we had plenty of options from the large main buffet to the traditional Thai restaurant. We often found ourselves at the Saaitara Restaurant nestled in one of the room complexes as it was usually less busy and more intimate. All I have to say is their lamb chops were DELICIOUS!!!
Half way through our week at the Santhiya resort, we decided to upgrade our room to a villa. The rooms are so reasonably affordable that we thought, why not? We’re never going to have an opportunity like this again! So we went all in, and went for a villa with it’s own private pool. We were living the life…wake up, jump in the pool. Have breakfast, jump in the pool. Go for a massage, jump in the pool. And on and on!
Speaking of massages, as many people know, Thailand is known for their great Thai techniques. Although they were a bit pricier on the island (as opposed to other smaller massage locations in Thailand), they were absolutely phenomenal! I thought I would feel weird having someone massage me by literally standing/kneeling/elbowing me, but they definitely know what they’re doing and put you right at ease. We tried the “fancier” spa couples massage as well as the massages given right by the pool or beach. They were all fantastic and definitely a great way to spend some of our rainier days.
Santhiya Koh Yao Yai resort and spa is the ultimate indulgence – a must-see for any trip to Thailand! Their beautiful rooms, delicious food and amazingly detailed staff members earn their 5-star status!
Have you ever been to Thailand? Any suggestions on what we should check out if ever we go back?? Comment below!
Jewels says
Wow! Sounds like paradise island!
Thanks for sharing your experience. Great pics!
Dee says
Thank you!!! <3