Resort on Thai island Koh Lanta keeps luxury sustainable

Pimalai Resort and Spa on Koh Lanta island in Thailand is attracting luxury-seeking Korean travelers looking for sustainable travel options. The resort provides a complimentary shuttle service, including a scenic boat ride.

Pimalai Resort and Spa is on an island called Koh Lanta, located just off the coast of Krabi. To get to the resort, guests take a 45-minute boat ride that offers a spectacular view of the crystal-blue Andaman Sea. [PIMALAI RESORT & SPA]

KRABI, Thailand — An island called Koh Lanta, located just off the coast of Krabi, is a star on the map for more and more Korean travelers looking for luxury.

The island has a long coastline with a dozen beaches — some considered the finest in the country — and the Tourism Authority of Thailand says the best time to travel to this part of Thailand is from October through April. Just in time, the National Marine Park, which usually closes for about four months each year for preservation reasons, reopened on Oct. 1. About a quarter of Koh Lanta, or about 1,900 hectares (4,700 acres), is designated as a national park.

Pimalai Resort and Spa, located in the western part of the island, is gaining popularity among travelers looking for off-the-beaten-path destinations, as it’s still relatively convenient to get to, especially for Koreans who prefer going to destinations that have direct flights to and from Korea.

During an island excursion, guests can kayak through beautiful limestone cliffs and rocks and stop by at mysterious caves. [YIM SEUNG-HYE]

To get to Pimalai Resort, visitors from Korea can take a direct flight to Krabi Airport, or a roughly one-and-a-half-hour flight from Bangkok. The resort provides a complimentary roundtrip airport shuttle service to all guests, which begins with an hourlong van ride to Hua Hin Pier. From the pier, guests get on the resort’s boat for another 45 minutes to reach the resort. It may seem like a long journey, but the boat ride itself is like a sightseeing cruise, offering a spectacular view of limestone cliffs and hidden beaches on the crystal-blue Andaman Sea.

The resort offers an array of personalized programs and private pool villas — the exact offerings luxury travelers look for these days.

Guests can participate in various programs ranging from Thai cooking class, which involves picking local vegetables from the resort’s own garden, to participating in Muay Thai or even flying yoga classes. They can also enjoy different water activities at the resort’s 900-meter (3,000-foot) private beachfront or immerse themselves in nature’s wonders by going out on an island excursion where they can snorkel or freedive. The resort has restaurants and bars offering authentic Southern Thai cuisine or a great selection of fresh seafood prepared Thai-style. Guests can also sign up for the popular Emerald Cave excursion.

But Charintip Tiyaphorn, the owner representative of Pimalai Resort and Spa, says the best and most unique program Pimalai offers is the resort’s campaign and eco tours it has set up, such as the weekly litter pickup, coral propagation and clownfish release.

Koh Lanta's Old Town [YIM SEUNG-HYE]

Sustainability is top priority

Pimalai Resort and Spa is certainly one of the finest five-star beachfront retreats in Koh Lanta. It received six awards just last year, including Tripadvisor’s “World’s Top 1% Best Hotels” title, Agoda.com’s “Customer Review Award,” Boutique Hotel Awards 2022’s “Best Hotel with a View Asia 2022” and the “World’s Best Hotel With a View 2022” titles. But Tiyaphorn says the best recognition was being “selected as one of only three resorts in the Andaman region to receive the prestigious Environmental Award from the National Park.”

“This recognition is a testament to our unwavering commitment to environmentally conscious practices,” she said. “We are dedicated to preserving the pristine beauty of Mu Ko Lanta National Marine Park. This award inspires us to continue our journey toward sustainable tourism, ensuring the long-term well-being of our stunning surroundings.

Guests at the Pimalai resort can enjoy snorkeling at its private beach or during an island excursion. [PIMALAI RESORT & SPA]

According to Pimalai Resort and Spa, Koh Lanta can store 200 tons of carbon per hectare, as about a quarter of the island is forestland. It’s also home to almost 300 hectares of mangrove forest, which can store up to 1,200 tons of carbon per hectare. Tiyaphorn says this makes “Koh Lanta a powerful ally in the battle against climate change” and that Pimalai is cooperating with local governments, businesses and residents on a series of initiatives to ensure that these important biospheres are protected.”

From water bottles to carts transferring luggage and guests to their rooms, everything for Pimalai has to speak eco-friendly. According to Tiyaphorn, it was her father who purchased this plot of land on the island for himself, to spend his retirement. But after witnessing this “indescribably beautiful, untouched part of the island," he developed it into a resort, but made sure not to disturb the nature. Tiyaphorn, who took up the management role in 2014, about nine years after its opening, says that ensuring the sustainable development of Koh Lanta while offering exceptional experiences for all her guests are Tiyaphorn’s top priorities.

In fact, according to global travel advising firm Virtuoso last year, “80 percent of luxury travelers say they want to travel more responsibly, with 75 percent willing to pay more to do so.” It also said that “70 percent agreed that traveling sustainably actually enhances their vacation experience.”

“We aim to adopt a circular tourism economy, and we hope Pimalai Resort and Spa will be the leader, an integral part of this,” Tiyaphorn said.

Pimalai Resort and Spa, located in Koh Lanta has 121 rooms, suites and pool villas that offer both the mountain view and the ocean view. [PIMALAI RESORT & SPA]

BY YIM SEUNG-HYE [yim.seung-hye@joongang.co.kr]