Our editor-in-chief heard I wanted to try something new this year, so she packed me off to Thailand—an ambitious undertaking, given that I don’t swim, avoid the sun, and prefer my exercise structured. A wellness vacation at the freshly renovated SAii Laguna Phuket sounded like a great idea.
The resort, which sits on the ivory sands of Bangtao Beach and stretches towards the cerulean waves of the Andaman Sea, offers 255 rooms ranging between 43 and 152 sq m. My 54-sq-m Club Lagoon View room, with an outsized indoor daybed and private balcony, was the kind I’d never leave. And if I had to head outside, I could easily schedule activities such as mat pilates and spa rituals through the SAii app.
As it turned out, wellness required a delicate balance of optimism and performance—not exactly my thing, as I discovered during the SAii Social Run. At 6am on Sunday, I found myself in front of the Meetings & Events Centre, among around 70 enthusiastic runners dressed in their workout best and cheerfully chatting through warm-ups in the dark.
We set off as the sky brightened. The streets were quiet, the air fresh, and Bangtao Beach, ridiculously clean and powdery. I’d opted for 3km (most braved 5km), walking, so I could take it all in without tripping over a crab. Even more exhilarating: to know that I could be last and not care a hoot.
As I strolled past the Laguna Phuket pool’s “I Love SAii” sign, the sun had fully risen, turning Bangtao Beach a soft gold. To reward myself for surviving this early-morning challenge, I dug into a pudding. And then, I heard my name above the 1980s hits blaring from the speakers: I’d won a ticket to the Phuket Marathon in June. Oh dear.
SLOW DOWN, CHILL OUT
Peace of Mind is a wellness philosophy SAii Hotels & Resorts rolled out in March across its properties in Phuket, Phi Phi, Koh Samui, and the Maldives. It is built around five pillars: Eat Well, Sleep Well, Move Well, Explore Well, and Stay Well. And here was what I found most enlightening: wellness, apparently, is a way of living rather than a set of rules.
Mornings kicked off with meditation and breathwork at 7.30am. Seated cross-legged on the mat, eyes closed, I tried to relax. Inhale, hold—darn that Asian koel’s insistent “koooo” mating call—exhale. Inhale, hold, exhale—oh, we must have breakfast at The Club Lounge because its view of the lagoon is so good. If I achieved any clarity, it was realising how my breath zips from 0 to 100km/h: one, two, three, off we go! Slowing down is hard work. Ugh.
My favourite hideaway in Phuket was the SAii Spa. My tense, tired muscles surrendered to an hour-long Deep Restore massage, delivered with firm, precise strokes. I might (or not) have dozed off halfway through, but I wasn’t thrilled when the therapist gently tapped my shoulder to signal the end of all this pleasure—what a very rude return to reality.
performance, arguably easier in one of SAii Laguna Phuket’s Ocean View Suites.Photo: SAii Hotels & Resorts
INTO THE DEEP
Lulled into blissful contentment, I didn’t want to leave Phuket! But SAii Phi Phi Island Village, where bamboo sharks, mangrove forests, and stargazing lay in store, was too good to pass up. “Take it off the ground, I ain’t never gettin’ cold feet,” I sang to myself.
Slightly over an hour by speedboat from Royal Phuket Marina Pier, Phi Phi Island Village is a sprawling 67-ha retreat with 201 bungalows, villas, and suites set along the gorgeous Loh Ba Gao Bay on Koh Phi Phi Don. Here, my sun, sand and sea adventure would continue.
The highlight of the trip, I was told, was a dive to release bamboo sharks rescued by the resort’s Marine Discovery Centre (MDC). Meaningful, but mildly alarming for this non-swimmer. So I was promptly fitted with a tank (and its labyrinth of masks, tubes, and regulators), suited up, and ushered into the pool for an introductory lesson.
Alas, breathing underwater was clearly not my superpower; I floundered with pressure and buoyancy. My instructor was adamant that I “stick with snorkelling”. Meanwhile, a toddler and her dad looked on with wide-eyed amusement.
When the instructor said to “stay near the boat”, heat—or maybe stubbornness—rose within me. “No,” I shot back.
So the next morning, I plunged into the salty green swirl near Dog Island (about 20 minutes away by boat) for my first ocean snorkel… and panicked, of course! But when the instructor said to “stay near the boat”, heat—or maybe stubbornness—rose within me. “No,” I shot back, “bring me to see the fishes.” So, with my wrist in his grip and my face determinedly looking down, we glided forward.
My mini drama seemed to have little effect on the residents. Fish, either loners or in cliques, drifted past, while sea urchins, with spines wiggling, perched themselves proudly on the reefs. I wondered if I’d ever spot the seven bamboo sharks released on this trip. As I surfaced for air, the instructor sighed, “Shall we go back?” Deciding not to push my luck, I nodded.
BRAVE NEW WORLD
Sustainability is something SAii takes seriously. Laguna Phuket, for instance, has earned a Green Globe for programmes such as partnering with Seeds of Change to create eco-friendly beach bags from upcycled materials from previous renovations. However, it was at Phi Phi Island Village where everyone got our hands and feet wet, literally.
During the Mangrove Forest Bathing, we paddled 1km through lush mangrove growth, soaking in the peaceful, pristine natural surroundings while searching for rubbish to fish up. I was a little nervous climbing into the kayak—my last attempt was during secondary school camp but I wasn’t going to be sent back to shore.
With an MDC staffer as my buddy, I kept my eyes glued on the duo in front of me, mimicking their movements while willing the craft to not tip over. Halfway through, I realised paddling was a little like skiing: rhythmic alternating motions and twisting the core. Push, glide, turn; push, glide, turn. Even without a life jacket, I felt calm, even confident. A little victory, I whispered to myself.
After that, it was time for mangrove conservation. Kicking off my slippers, mud squelched between my toes as I dug, planted, and carefully avoided stepping on snails lurking nearby. Every time I placed a mangrove seedling into its slot, I prayed like a proud parent: “Get along with your neighbours, grow tall and strong!”
In that moment, the trip turned from luxury to legacy as I realised how strangely satisfying and empowering it felt to be a responsible citizen of the planet.
As I waited at the reception for my speedboat return to Phuket International Airport after check-out, my marathon ticket inadvertently came up during conversation. I could start training. Or I could keep it as a reminder that wellness is not about going further and faster, but about becoming braver.
