Tuesday, November 10, 2009

Honeymoon/Holiday Package for sale


PRANA RESORTS

& SPA




At Prana Resorts & Spa, the emphasis is on wellness from within, reconnecting and the rejuvenation of mind, body and spirit. Your holistic well-being is catered for in perfect harmony with the ecosystem we live in.

Come relax and unwind in the quiet elegance of our resort amid the serenity of nature’s splendour. Our swimming pool is just a few steps away from your room for you to soak up the warm rays of the tropical sun.



Location

The island of coconuts - Koh Samui, is the third largest island in Thailand and also one of the top destinations in Asia.

Take a short 60 minutes plane ride from Bangkok to this most beautiful tropical paradise island.

Prana Samui is idyllically located on the tranquil northern coast of the island on Bangrak beach, a two kilometre sandy shoreline fringed by coconut palms leaning over the sea.

Bangrak beach is better known as “Big Buddha Beach” due to a very large golden statue of Buddha which is the prominent landmark in the area.

Prana Samui is just 5 minutes drive from the Samui International Airport and 10 minutes away from the busy Chaweng Beach.

Getting to Samui

Prana Samui is approximately 5kms from Samui International Airport . It is about five minutes drive by car/taxi from the airport. Hotel/Airport transfers to Prana Samui are available upon request. A surcharge applies. Guests staying in our Prana Suite will receive complimentary VIP airport transfer.

Prana Samui is located very near to The Big Buddha Temple at Wat Phrai Yai. One of the Koh Samui’s most famous landmarks and is visible from several kilometers away.

From Big Buddha Beach , it takes about 15-minute drive to the bustling, vibrant and action-packed Chaweng Beach .

Taxi transportation is available on the island. Always try to use taxis that display `Taxi-Meter”. Make sure you ask the driver to use the meter before you set off. If not, settle on a price before you start.

Climate

Koh Samui has a very pleasant climate all year round with a temperature variation between 25 and 34 degrees Celsius.

The island has three official seasons:
1. Warm and dry season from February till August;
2. Rainy season from the end of September till December
3. Cool season which extend s from October till January.

The average temperature from February till October is between 32 to 38 degrees Celsius. During the months of July till September there are showers that last only a few hours.

Best Time To Visit Koh Samui

The best time would be around January and February, the cool season of the year, around 25 degrees.

March to June are the hottest months, the temperature range from 32 to 40 degrees.

The rainy season is starts from September to mid December. These are months where there is rain, although there is still sun, downpours do become more frequent as the year comes to a close.


ACTIVITIES

Diving

The underwater world of Koh Samui & Koh Tao beholds a vast array of wonderful and unique marine creatures from the smallest invertebrate through to the giant sperm whales. Explore brilliantly-coloured coral reefs and be dazzled by fish of a thousand hues. Expect close encounters with giant barracuda, manta rays, sea cows and even sharks! Whether you are a beginner or an expert, there are a number of dive schools on the island to address your needs.

Snorkelling

The bays of Koh Samui contain many interesting coral reefs abundant with tropical fish and other creatures. Equipment can be rented from dive shops around the island.

Sea Kayaking

Koh Samui's shoreline and nearby islands harbour a wealth of marine, animal and plant life. For a close and leisurely look, there is no better option than to spend a few hours or a day in a sea kayak. Half-day, day and overnight guided trips are available through agencies in the Chaweng area. Kayaks can also be rented at the more popular beaches.

Sailing

The island and surrounding islands lends itself perfectly to a small tour in a sailboat, a daytrip or romantic dinners while enjoying the magnificent view and sunset.

Thai Cooking lessons

Learn how to make some famous Thai specialties. More and more restaurants are now revealing the secrets behind their dishes during 2-hour lessons in fully-equipped, modern kitchens. Fruit and vegetable carving lessons are also quite popular for the creatively-inspired.
Thai Boxing

In Thailand , Muay Thai, in other words "Thai boxing" is the national sport. Despite being violent, it is a true Thai spectacle and is regarded as an art form in its own right.





Elephant Trekking

Enjoy an Elephant Show and trekking on the back of an elephant would be an ideal activity for those who wish to admire the nature undisturbed secret waterfalls.





Spas and Thai Massages

Indulge yourself at our Amezcua Wellness Centre with one of our unique treatments and massages to ensure you are revitalised, relaxed and well rejuvenated. Prana Samui is the ideal natural choice for a spa and detoxification getaway.




Full Moon Party

This enormous party is celebrated on every evening of the full moon on the eastern side of the island Koh Pha-Ngan. This island is part of the Samui Archipelago, and is a short ferry trip away.





Hiking

Explore the numerous scenic waterfalls and walking tracks on Koh Samui.














4 Days / 3 Nights

Samui Beach Break Package

  • 4 Days / 3 Nights accommodation at Prana Resorts & Spa*
  • Half day sightseeing tour in Koh Samui for 2 persons
  • Airport transfer (Samui Airport – Prana – Samui Airport) for 2 persons
  • Maximum occupancy for 2 persons
  • Travel validity of 2 years from date of purchase

Terms & Conditions

· Reservation is subject to availability on a first-come-first-served basis

· Package does not include breakfast

· Package is for 2 persons only

· No extra beds allowed

· Booking of 45 days prior to required travel date must be made to customercare@qviclub.com

· Cancellation of booking:

  • At least 31 days prior to check-in date, free of charge
  • 30 to 15 days prior to check-in date will be subject to rebooking fee of USD50
  • Less than 15 days prior to check-in date will be subject to rebooking fee of USD75

· Guest Certificate fee of USD39 is applicable if accommodation is assigned to a person/s other than the registered buyer

· Non-refundable and not valid during peak season or major holidays

PRICE : RM2150



Cocktail Bar Beach View







The Star - Saturday March 21, 2009

http://thestar.com.my/lifestyle/story.asp?file=/2009/3/21/lifetravel/3394368&sec=lifetravel

Gone green

By ROSE YASMIN KARIM

The Gulf of Siam at the foot of your bed? Love it. Hotels that leave the earth alone? Heck, yeah!

When I go to hotels that tag themselves as “eco-resorts”, my stay usually turns into a scavenger hunt for all the environment-friendly points.

“To reduce your carbon footprint, we have replaced the king-size bed with a hammock and the shampoo with apple cider vinegar,” the placard on the dresser might say.

Chef Patrick Wursching is a regular at the morning market in Mae Nam — ROSE YASMIN KARIM

Well, at least I imagine that’s what it would have said if Al Gore were the general manager.

On arrival at the Prana Resort and Spa in Koh Samui, I half expect to be seated for a lecture on saving the planet. In place are friendly banter and service with a smile.

The hotel uses a system that provides electricity to the room when the room key is inserted in a slot.

The air-conditioning blasts, and I plop myself in the middle of the four-poster bed. An unsettling feeling makes me fidgety, and I look around trying to figure out what it is.

There’s no television! No matter, I’ll find ways to amuse myself.

It takes me a while to get the shower temperature just right. A nanotechnology-made rock is latched onto the shower pipe. It supposedly energises the water. I don’t know if the rock has anything to do with it, but the strong water pressure helps to calm my nerves after a very bumpy, 2½-hour flight in a tiny, twin-propeller airplane from Subang airport.

Room with an ocean view and private pool. — PRANA RESORT & SPA

A placard sits on the sink, encouraging guests to hang up their towels should they wish to reuse it. Washing fewer towels will help save the planet about as much as switching to diet coke will make an obese person shed weight, says the cynic in me.

To be fair, the resort isn’t forcing anyone to go without fresh towels if they don’t choose to.

My hair dripping wet, I go around the room opening and closing drawers in search of the “weapon of mass seduction”. But to no avail. Flabbergasted, I call the nice lady at the reception.

“The blow-dryer is upon request, ma’am. We will have it sent over.”

The tree-hugger in me applauds the system of delivering newspapers only upon request, but no blow-dryer?

Squinting at the mirror underneath the dim, energy-efficient lighting, I powder my nose and remember that my camera is out of battery. I plug the charger into the socket and pull the key from the slot.

Instantly, the power goes out. Fish! I’m guessing I’m not the only one who would be disgruntled with — rather than grateful for — the resort’s energy-saving effort.

This is the catch-22 hotels face. If they don’t make an effort to be greener, customers say they aren’t eco enough. When they do make an effort to be a little greener, customers are annoyed by the minor inconveniences they have to put up with . . .

Excuse me, where’s the meat?

I’m not averse to pushing pensioners out of the way at a barbeque to satisfy my insatiable appetite for lamb cutlets, but vegetarian restaurants don’t get me excited. The food is often joyless.

But the table-setting at Amala Vegetarian Restaurant, Prana’s only restaurant, is gorgeous, the company fabulous and the sky tonight is star-studded.

French chef Patrick Wursching is not a vegetarian but he is very creative with his fruits and vegetables.

The dishes come beautifully plated and as colourful as tropical fish. Green, pandan-flavoured rice comes with servings of asparagus, carrots and mushrooms cooked just right in a rich creamy sauce. It is so good it hurts.

For obediently eating all our vegetables, we are rewarded with a rich chocolate cake for dessert. It’s topped with chocolate ice cream and cookies (which turns out to be a piece of papadum). There is no mock meat — only good, honest vegetables.

The morning after, Chef Patrick takes us on a tour of the local wet market where he goes to stock up his kitchen. We encounter staples of the Thai diet like terrapins and frogs, bugs piled high and freshly pounded green and red curry paste.

After a quick lap, a driver takes us in a van around the island. The driver doesn’t speak much English, so we have to conjure up the possible answers to the queries that pique our curiosities, like, why is the mummified monk wearing Ray Bans? Where do the katoey (transvestite) working the bars and clubs at Chaweng get their hair done? With all that sticky rice and mango, how do the Thai ladies stay slim?

On the way back, we make a quick stop at the Tesco Lotus supermarket to buy some Thai Chilli Paste to take home. Julie, a staff at the resort, highly recommends Mae Pranhom Chilli Paste, which has a picture of a lady with a bob haircut on the label.

Back at the resort, we are briefed on the resort’s expansion plans.

“The second phase of the resort sits right across the street and will be up and running by 2010. It’s a high-traffic area, so we will be lining the wall with bamboo plants to filter out noise,” says operations head Daryl P. Bisset.

“There will be more sweeping changes. For instance, we will be installing solar panels on the other side. The initial investment will be expensive, but we’ll save on electricity in the long run.

“The resort is also phasing out standard hotel cleaning products that contain harmful chemicals and buying biodegradable ones as we are planning to reuse the grey water to water the plants on the grounds. Right now, we have a small herb and vegetable patch but it has been a constant challenge to grow the plants so close to the beach.”

The architect’s illustration of the resort extension looks cool, but Bisset’s animated description of the place is even better.

“There will be a floating platform for massage sessions (he assures you won’t get motion sickness), meditation water pods, a jade bed that will help improve blood circulation, and a team made up of doctors qualified in alternative medicine who will run a body terrain analysis for guests to test their blood, urine and saliva,” he says.

Koh Samui is building quite a reputation as the detox capital of Thailand, and it looks like Prana Resort and Spa fits right in.

Travellers looking to check out this resort should start saving their vacation days!


No comments: