Review: The Tubkaak, southwest Thailand's boutique beachside hideaway
This secluded 59-room hotel offers ample opportunity for rest and relaxation
Location: A secluded, boutique five-star resort in southwest Thailand, The Tubkaak offers a picture-perfect escape on the Andaman Sea. Located on a white-sand beach in Krabi, with views of 13 forested islets, the property is 40 minutes from Krabi airport and two hours from Phuket. Impressive limestone cliffs are the draw at nearby Rai Leh peninsula, while a ferry connects Krabi with Koh Phi Phi Leh, the filming location of Danny Boyle’s movie, The Beach.
First impressions: We enter The Tubkaak’s traditional-style lobby from the road, in the shadow of Hang Nak mountain, and sip a cooling juice while our concierge checks us in. The resort’s beauty reveals itself slowly, as we glimpse the pool and villas from the terrace, before descending past a lily-pad-covered pond. Our Seaview Suite comes into view, with emerald-green gardens beckoning beyond the private deck and the ocean shimmering in the distance. Bliss.
The facts: This boutique resort boasts 59 chic rooms, villas and suites. The spacious Thai-style villas overlook a tree-fringed pool, which neighbours L’Escape Spa, where guests can indulge in Thai healing sessions and contemporary wellness treatments. A petal-strewn outdoor bath greets me in my suite, while infinity-edge pools and private Jacuzzis await in many of the romantic hideaways around the property.
Ideal for: The dreamy beach, spectacular sunsets, secluded villas, hammocks and outdoor baths make The Tubkaak perfect for a romantic escape, honeymoon or even a wedding, but there’s fun to be had for families and groups of friends too. The gently sloping and sheltered beach, scuttled by tiny crabs, is perfect for kids, while the state-of-the-art gym, soul-soothing spa and super-slick cocktail list make it a great choice for a sophisticated friends’ getaway.
Explore: There’s plenty to keep guests enthralled, whether it’s swinging in a hammock or paddleboarding in the calm waters of the Andaman Sea. Feeling more energetic? The resort offers Thai boxing classes, kayaking and hiking, plus snorkelling or diving at Koh Phi Phi Marine Park. And don’t miss a tour of Tiger Cave Temple and its giant gilded Buddha.
Wow: Treading lightly is a priority here. During construction, the resort’s design team ensured the mature trees were preserved and the water running from the mountains to the sea was protected. Many ingredients used at the beachfront restaurants – Italian eatery Di Mare and Thai venue The Arundina – are grown in the organic garden. For the ultimate luxury dining experience, book a candlelit dinner on the sand, surrounded by nature and the soothing soundtrack of the sea.
Book it: Rates start from £150 a night, including breakfast.
tubkaakresort.com
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