Amanpuri

AMAPURI IS INCLUDED IN OUR BOOK, DIVE IN STYLE

Amanpuri was the trailblazer in the now ever-expanding Aman group. It was here, in 1988, that Adrian Zecha first realized his vision of a mould breaking style of hotel. Defying the naysayers, he took the concept of luxury to a whole new level, and his ideas now seem like a glimpse of the blindingly obvious.

Facilities include a 27-metre infinity pool, a lap pool, a gym and six floodlit tennis courts. The beach club offers watersports such as windsurfing, sailing, snorkelling and scuba-diving, and the Aman Spa offers a range of massages, therapies and beauty treatments, as well as yoga.

The Amanpuri also has an extensive collection of boats, from small dinghies for picnicking at a nearby beach to 90ft luxury cruisers. Excursions include Phang Nga Bay with its array of spectacular limestone outcrops, and the Similan Islands with their excellent dive spots.

Last but not least, the resort’s two restaurants serve excellent Thai and Italian cuisine, and there are torch-lit beach barbecues in the evenings.

The island of Phuket lies just off the west coast of Thailand, a little over an hour from Bangkok by plane. In fact, it barely qualifies as an island– only a narrow channel of water separates it from the mainland – but it is ideally placed to deliver great diving. To the west it is washed by the warm waters of the Andaman Sea, and to the east is the protected Gulf of Phuket, home to the hauntingly beautiful Phang Nga Bay.

The hotel’s fast boats can take you to the Similan Islands; the finest diving Thailand has to offer. Here you will encounter stunning scenery, clear waters and 100-ft visibility; stay local and the visibility will be about half that.

Unless you are learning to dive at Amanpuri, you will never know there is even a dive centre. Once you have booked your dives, whether to the local reefs or the Similan Islands, all you have to do is let the reception know your size, and a selection of gear will meet you at the boat. It is utterly painless. The dive operation is run by the efficient H2O Sportz, and Amanpuri ranks at the top of their client list of five-star resorts. This means you do too.