Mangosteen Resort Location
How we found the perfect, secluded location in one of Phuket’s best areas
The search
To find the perfect location for the dream resort we had in mind, we were searching the whole Island, day by day for over 6 months. Driving around to hundreds of sites, many of them were on the beach, it was soon obvious that this would become a very difficult task. Why was there always something wrong? Either there was a noisy street behind, or maybe an ugly neighbor hotel, the size not right, the price not right or the owners fighting about selling or not selling. The resort was already shaping up in our minds, so we knew how the site needed to look like. The resort location should be large enough to provide for beautiful tropical gardens and enough privacy, great sea views would be nice, good access and central enough to be able to get to the most interesting tourist spots easily. And there should be a great beach nearby!
Suddenly an agent called and asked me to come to Rawai to visit a hillside. And that was it! We climbed up the hill, through the jungle, saw elephants from a nearby camp eating and once of top of the hill, the deal was almost sealed. Fantastic views, enough space, good access, close to Nai-Harn Beach which was the beach I liked the most of all Phuket beaches. Nai-Harn Beach was awarded number 1 beach in Thailand and 3rd best beach in Asia (2015 Travelers Choice Award on TripAdvisor). A perfect location to build our own paradise, the dream resort called “Mangosteen Resort & Spa”.
Rawai district
Rawai is a mixed residential and tourist area. Many expats from all over the world are living here. Some high-end resorts have been developed in the neighborhood, such as “The Nai Harn Resort” at Nai-Harn Beach, Serenity Resort, The Vichit Resort, all high-class developments, which bring an affluent clientele to the area. Good local restaurant choices are close by, first to mention the well-known Kan Eang @ Pier and the charming Nikita Bar & Restaurant. Of course, our own restaurant is supposed to beat them all, but it is always great to have choices anyway. Close to Nai-Harn Beach, the famous sunset viewpoint Cape Promthep is a must see, the Big Buddha and Chalong Temple must be visited as well. Chalong Pier is the main starting point for dive excursions and boat trips to Phi Phi Islands, Racha Islands, Coral Island and all others. Kata Beach is just a short drive away, even Patong Beach and Phuket Town are just 20-30 minutes away. Rawai Beach has many local seafood restaurants and a fresh seafood market in a fishermen village.
The perfect resort location was found
The location was absolutely perfect, exactly what I needed and here it is, the 41 Villa Luxury Boutique Resort (extended to 50 Villas in 2017). The design team decided to face the resort to the East, to make the most of the views and also to take advantage of the winds. During monsoon season (May to Oct.), wet weather comes from the west coast and blows onto the resort’s backside, during the dry season (Nov. to April) dry, hot winds blow directly onto the pool deck, an amazing advantage towards all the other west coast resorts, which are essentially “on the wrong side”.
Hajo & Rose von Keller, MDs
Nai-Harn Beach was elected best beach in Thailand on TripAdvisor 2015 – Traveler’s Choice 2015!
