[trip style = beach + sun + affordable luxe]
{Editor’s Note :: April’s destination focus is Thailand, and this is the first of a few features we’ll post this month. PS – I am at this resort RIGHT now and it’s TS approved!}
What
Sun-bleached and wind-swept boardwalks connect X2 Kui Buri‘s 23 villas with an inky mosaic-tiled pool, open-air restau-bar and sweeping unmanicured beach with a fresh catch of fishing boats dotting the shore. Seriously secluded, it’s raw, modern and its brand of chic is unravelled sans jewels, hairdos, resort wear and this season’s it lip shade.
The X2 zigs where other resorts zag. Check-in and check-out times are flexible. Instead of a big bouquet of flowers at reception, there’s a floor-al arrangement of green stems arranged in alternate directions. A beach bag with two oversized yellow towels awaits guests in every room.
Rectangular concrete villas are constructed of local stone, each with private, outdoor rain showers and apropos touches like in-room issues of Wallpaper* magazine {Thai edition}. Bring all your essentials because this place is off the charts–and the grid.
Where
Just past Hua Hin, Thailand, beside a small fishing village, 3.5 hours from Bangkok. A one-way car transfer costs $150.
When
High season spans November to February due to cool and balmy weather—by Thai standards—{33 degrees C “feels like” 45} with lower humidity and clear skies. Shoulder season is mid-September to October and mid-March to April with hotter weather and less predictable precipitation. Low season is May to August due to ultra-hot and rainy conditions, but usually you get a bit of warning before a short-lived torrential downpour!
Who/Why
You like to be connected while away from it all—your version of getting off the grid. Dwell magazine takes center stage on your iPad and “clean lines” are your only architectural lines. Scenesters beware, this ain’t no Koh Phangan full moon party; nightlife includes watching the sunset, waiting for the stars to appear and dining al fresco.
Cost
Villas start at $130/night in high season. Includes wifi, a champagne breakfast and a jazz-meets-chill-meets-elevator-music soundtrack.
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[photos by @tripstyler]
I’m always amazed by how inexpensive luxury in Thailand is! My fiance traveled there for work last year and keeps telling me we need to go back together. What is the travel time like?
I’ve always heard people RAVE about Thailand, but I’ve never been. Until now. Coming here reminds me that one can still do luxe for less. Most flights from North Amer tend to go through HK or Japan. In my case I took a direct, 10-hour flight to Narita and another 6.5-hour flight to BKK. Above all though, it’s the service and spirit of the people which set it apart.