Naka Island

I’m currently on the 3rd day of a 5 day stay at The Naka Island Resort, on an Island off the coast of Phuket. It’s been incredibly relaxing and very chill, so not a lot to report, but I will give you a look around and tell you a little about how I’m spending my time.

Essentially, this has been my view all day everyday as I sit at the pool /beach, stare at the water, listen to the waves, read, and have an occasional cocktail. Not too shabby.

The food has been very good. The signature restaurant is Thai, and is outstanding. I’m going again tonight. My first night, I had green papaya salad with local lobster, a shrimp curry, and coconut ice cream.

All. So. Amazing.

I booked this stay on points, and was lucky enough to be upgraded to a villa with a private pool. It’s an interesting room, with a nice, private outdoor space (including an outdoor shower and tub) that has 3 seating areas, and lots of gardens around the pool.

Inside, the bedroom is separate from the dressing area/bath room. It’s very traditional Thai decor. I get to sleep inside a mosquito netted king bed, and need to walk to a different, un-airconditioned area that is up a few stairs to the bath. The dining table is very Asian - you sit on a floor cushion with a “well” for your legs. I’ve done similar seating at Japanese restaurants in the city. Very unique but comfortable.

My villa is close to the restaurants and pool/beach, but at a high point. I wasn’t sure if it was good or bad that the “tsunami assembly point” is right outside my door. Speaking of doors, the entry to my little “compound”, the middle shot below, demonstrates the very traditional tech used throughout. You use a wooden swivel lever to secure and open many doors, and the “doorbell” is a pull cord with a gong. The do not disturb sign is in the form of a small 2 sided disc in a niche, one side eyes open, the other with eyes closed to signify whether you wish to be interrupted. So cool.

Overall, I have no complaints, especially given that this is essentially a free stay. Using points here allowed me to really splurge on the Ritz Carlton in Krabi, which was a truly 5 star experience that is tough to match. But this place is beautiful and charming and super relaxing.

Adding this after initial post for posterity…

The local legend is that this island, and two others around it were formed when a dragon settled down and fell asleep in this spot because of the beauty of the sunsets. The naka island is the dragons body, with his head and tail islands on either side of it. They believe that everyday at sunset, the dragon spirit awakens and combines with other holy spirits to allow visitors wishes to come true. Thus this sunset ceremony, in which visitors are invited to place lit candles into the vessel while making a wish. I was happy to participate last night…

I leave for Hanoi on Thursday, and start my 31-day whirlwind tour of Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand and Laos on Friday…so stay tuned for the active and exotic portion of my tale!