New Banyan Tree Chef Presents the Art of Kaiseki to Koh Samui

After 25 years in Japanese restaurants, a Thai chef finally gets the chance to inaugurate his own rendition of Japan’s most regal meal

Inspired by the unique skill set of executive sous chef Warit Jadpratum, Banyan Tree Samui resort has launched a new “Samurai Dinner Set”, bringing the ancient Japanese culinary art of kaiseki to the beaches of Thailand.

One of the best places to honeymoon? Kuoni says Thailand.

Banyan Tree Koh Samui - a perfect honeymoon hideaway

 The word honeymoon itself is enough to bring sighs and gushes to the lips of young maidens, and fleeting clouds of twinkling stars to their eyes. The stuff of fairy tales since they were little princesses ...

So no pressure then when it comes to choosing the best honeymoon destination.

Especially if it's only a once-in-a-lifetime experience (which we all sincerely hope it is when going into it.)

Let's narrow it down for you. The good folks at Kuoni have just released their 2013 Travel Trends report and Amazing Thailand ranks number 3 in terms of the most desirable and best places to go for a honeymoon this year.

A couple I know were both working in a resort in the Maldives when they got married. So, if you already live and work in the Maldives -- another shitty day in Paradise! -- where do you go for your honeymoon?

In their case, Bangkok. Jing Jing!

Andrew wanted to play golf with his mates, and Liz was happy to trawl the shopping emporiums of the City of Angels.

Personally I might look further afield to some of the smaller islands. Ko Samui comes immediately to mind. (For your info, the word koh in Thai means island, so need need to repeat Koh Samui island.) I have blogged about Samui a fair bit, so have a little search around my blog archive.

Beautiful sunsets and romantic beach walks

Then there's Yao Noi, a really unspoilt little island in the Krabi area (so you could combine a few spots, some lively, some quieter and more secluded in your trip). If you really want to indulge in the most wonderful spot, choose the Six Senses Yao Noi. 

Ko Lanta is another that comes to mind in the Krabi area, in the Andaman Sea, with endless stretches of white sandy beaches. As does Khao Lak, just north of Phuket.

All those places will give you idyllic beaches, sunshine, diving and snorkelling. 

Do I actually recommend Phuket? Frankly I am over it as I've been travelling there since 1988 (!) and I can see how it's really popular with the beach and beer crowd -- not really how you want to spend your honeymoon is it? (Or if so, good thing you are not married to me!) Although there is the Millionaire's Mile of Anantara, Indigo Pearl, JW Marriot, etc up the very top north west of the island.

But if you prefer mountains and quieter bucolic times, choose Chiang Mai or Chiang Rai which also have a lifetime's worth of cozy and secluded resorts, with languid vistas of rice fields and beautiful valleys.

Gardens at Doi Tung, Chiang Rai province.

So that's almost a top 10 destinations for honeymoon in Thailand. Hope it's been a useful starting point for you? Let me know.

Of course, if you'd like to go to the Maldives for honeymoon anyway, it's easy to access from Bangkok too. So you can have the best of both worlds, and, like Liz and Andrew, claim you spent your honeymoon in Bangkok.

Sexy Time in Southern Samui ...

The very first time I went to Samui (circa 1997) I stayed at a place called the Butterfly Garden, a modest establishment which was in Laem Sett ... way, way, way away from anything, accessed through screeds of coconut plantations where collared monkeys darted up trees to pick the choicest coconuts one by one. And that's what drove Samui's economy. Then.

Fast forward a decade, and here I am tootling toward Laem Sett on a scooter past the glittering IT malls and shopping arcades of Lamai, and further to the Laem Sett turnoff. Signs everywhere pointing to a hundred different offerings herald that this steep and sleepy hollow has been discovered. Indeed, although there is still plenty of greenery around, no sign of those monkeys anymore. Soon I see the Butterfly Garden, almost unnoticeable compared to its new neighbour, the massively sprawling flash new Centara.

Then it's down to first gear as my scooter smokes it way up another hill, round the bend, down, up and around, affording beautiful glimpses through the trees at the lovely blue waters beyond. Finally, a series of smart flag/signs signal Shasa Resort and Residences. Over another crest and ...

WowweeEEE! The 32-suite ShaSa looms out of the foliage. A surprisingly ambitious development for a one-off hotel with no sister properties. The resort cascades down the hill towards the bay.

The welcome is slick yet warm and down to earth. The resident manager is the charming Sam, who used to work at one of my favourite Bangkok hotels, the Dream. A good start. And then it just gets better ...

Our suite is cavernous. A full kitchen here, a dining area, a comfortable living area with a kinky recliner. Massive balcony which affords an overview of the property: pool, pool, pool, lagoon, all visually blended. But while everything feels big, it smacks of a romantic getaway for couples.

Take the door sign, for example. I don't mean literally take it. I mean, the door sign instead of saying Do Not Disturb reads Romantic Time. Practical. Realistic. Reminds me of that cheesy movie Borat and his expression: ''Sexy time."

The bedroom and bathroom are certainly geared for that. Make sure you stay for at least three nights here. Not that you need that long to unwind, but that's how long it takes to fill the world's largest bathtubs here.

A good bathtub is my measure of a great hotel room, and on that scale it scores ... well, off the scale completely. The US Navy's 7th Pacific fleet could hold war-game exercises in this tub and almost go unnoticed. It's that big, jing jing.

And if you want your privacy and seclusion to continue, just call the spa and get them to come and do you both on the balcony. (Er, that doesn't sound right.) Massage you both on your balcony, I mean, where a massive daybed is laid out. What a treat, as your body soaks up the morning sun, to be rubbed and stroked with perfect pressure. And you never have to leave your room.

But eventually you'll need to surface for sustenance. And Z Restaurant does the trick with a contemporary air and flair, fusing Thai with Mediterranean and seafood.

It's from Z that I spot the hydrotherapy pool with its jets and bubbles and sprinklers and other weapons of delight. An invigorating session in there, and a lounge on the bean bags around. Aah! Bloody magic.

While I might have initially lamented Laem Sett's loss of innocence I am now feeling To Hell With The Monkeys. It's called evolution.


Footnote: Stu Lloyd travelled to Koh Samui with assistance from Bangkok Airways www.bangkokair.com

Koh Samui -- Turning the blue waters, er, green.

Sands Restaurant, in a sheltered cove near Lamai that is home to the new Banyan Tree on Koh Samui, is a very pleasant spot, with all the usual ingredients of paradise: calm blue water, coconut trees (in the millions as this was till recently a coconut plantation) and four colourful wooden fishing boats riding at anchor just off the golden beach.

Cliches abound, so where am I possibly going to dredge up an interesting travel story here?

Then the hotel's Khun Marsh introduces me to Halik (pictured), an Indonesian from Sulawesi. Has he been shipwrecked and washed up on shore here? No, the marine biologist is Banyan Tree's CSR Manager and resident marine researcher, here to help the new property establish their well-known CSR program in which guests donate US$2 per night, which is matched by the hotel. 'We would like to do conservation by ourselves, and hope to establish a lab here,' the affable chap says.

His priorities are to release giant clams and turtles into the waters here.

Giant clams are considered a delicacy and thus are an endangered species in Asia. 'They filter water, eat plankton and make the water clear,' says Halik. Clearly there are already some in the water here, then, as the water sparkles beautifully.

Five turtles were released last month already. Their homing instincts have always intrigued me in that they can always return to the same beach where they were released, even if they've swum across thousands of kilometres of ocean to another continent. 'They record all the magnetic field and sand texture and water temperature ... that's how they know where they are.' Oh, I see. No I don't -- that's bloody incredible, jing jing!

Once the hatchlings reach 55-60 days, they are ready to launch, and guests at this Banyan Tree can join Halik in releasing them.

'My job is my passion,' beams Halik. And why not. He's got a great little office overlooking this golden cove and is able to put into practice all the things he wished he could do when he was working for an NGO previously.

'Since primary school I used to watch movies about coral reef -- my brother was a scuba diver.' Now here he is on Samui where 300 coral species thrive. 'The Coral Triangle is the centre of worldwide marine diversity, and Thailand is just outside it,' he says.

Guests are able to borrow flippers, mask and snorkel for free, and wade into the waters here. 'This is quite fantastic,' enthuses Halik. 'Barracuda, even a 1-metre long grouper ... I don't want to tell my colleagues otherwise my grouper will go missing,' he laughs. There's also a school of rabbit fish -- delicious!'

Speaking of delicious, all this talk is making me hungry. Let's order ...

'Would you like to try the giant clams?' asks Khun Marsh. He and Halik dissolve into good-hearted laughter.



Stu travelled to Koh Samui with assistance from Bangkok Airways www.bangkokair.com

What's coming up in November ...

Amazing Thailand has a one of its most spectacular festivals coming up in November, namely the Loy Krathong festival where all the rivers and waterways fill with well-wishing rafts of flowers, and all the skies fill with glowing lanterns that spirit away the bad luck and bring the good luck in. That happens November 21 this year.

This month, check in with Thailand Jing Jing for the following as well:

+ Samui round-up: some exciting new developments such as the new Banyan Tree Resort and Hansar Hotel, plus some established favourites such as ShaSa Resort and Verinda

+ Samui's charming Fisherman's Village

+ Koh Panghan's legendary full moon festival

+ Bangkok Airways' tasteful business class lounges in Bangkok and Samui (where the free shrimp wanton noodle soup alone is worth the airfare, jing jing!)

+ An off-road motorcycle adventure on the Thai-Burma border

+ And some hillside hide-outs in the entrancing north-west of Thailand ...

Well, you get the idea. Just another exciting month in Amazing Thailand.