Villa on View.
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The Most Festive Bali Beachclubs on Christmas
You’ve arrived in glorious Bali for your Christmas holiday and your villa is perfection defined. All your needs are catered to and every second is a moment spent in paradise. When it comes to celebrating Christmas, there could be nothing more exclusive than a special feast cooked for you by your villa chef. However, if you prefer stepping out for a change of scene, you may celebrate in style at any of these beach clubs, which have special menus planned for Christmas.
OMNIA BALI
Originally from Las Vegas, Omnia’s Bali outpost is every bit as decadent. The cliffside club, located in Uluwatu, is stunning in blue and white, offering a social space like none other. International DJs perform regularly and Sake no Hana, its signature restaurant overlooking the club, is known for its delicious menu. This season, Sake No Hana offers a ‘joyful and suprising Christmas special’ with starters, makimono, agemono, yakimono and dessert for IDR 1,800k. Come and relish a Japanese feast in Bali this Christmas.
FINNS BEACH CLUB
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Discover Gourmet Cuisine in Koh Samui
Thailand’s leisure island of Koh Samui holds a priority position on the bucket list of every chic traveller. With Mick Jagger, Richard Branson and the Beckhams drawn to the divine destination, the island’s enviable reputation for barefoot luxury is set in stone.
Powder-soft white sand beaches dotted with swaying palm trees and a glittering turquoise sea set a spectacular scene.
Private coves and hidden beaches abound, and can be easily discovered by hiring a boat or a luxury yacht. Alternatively, you can marvel at exquisite marine life and colourful coral by putting on your snorkelling gear and heading into the blue water.
Exclusive holiday villas are always the preferred style of accommodation among the rich and discerning, and many already own a private property on the island. However, the well-versed traveller knows the joys of simply renting a private luxury villa to experience the ultimate holiday.
Personal Chefs
Chefs attached to these luxury villas are unique professionals with a vast repertoire of dishes fulfilling all dining moments – snacks, kids’ choices, a broad western menu, specific diets and five-star flavours.
Order a stunning poolside seafood barbecue, a formal degustation feast for 12 people or an intimate dinner for two at a perfectly set table on the beach at sunset. It is all possible and seamlessly executed.
Chefs enjoy showcasing regional specialities and dazzling guests with their culinary magic. Start the day with a trip to the local wet market, a great cultural immersion, and launch into a crash course in Thai cooking.
Learn to identify and select fresh ingredients to be pounded into the paste that you will turn into a creamy and lush coconut curry. Or as the afternoon heat sets in, climb into a comfy hammock with a cool signature cocktail and have a chat with the villa manager about possible trips to one of the pretty waterfalls in the hinterland, a traditional sea gypsy village or a visit to one of many Buddhist temples whilst your personal chef surprises you with yet another Thai masterpiece.
Dining at any one of our luxurious Koh Samui villas is a gourmand’s dream come true. It is a pleasure to leave behind the stresses of locating a touristy stall in town,
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Chef du jour: Villa Ban Suriya
A huge wooden deck nestling a lavish swimming pool and spilling out onto the palm-shaded garden is the focal point of the absolute beachfront Villa Ban Suriya, located along Lipa Noi Beach in Koh Samui. Each of the six elegant bedrooms has large glass doors, leading onto the pool deck or lawned gardens. The villa features lavish living spaces, both within the air-conditioned pavilions and outdoors, surrounded by tropical beauty.
Guests at Villa Ban Suriya are spoilt for choice, with their own gym, a spa room, an astonishing sunken library which allows underwater views into the large infinity-edge pool, and an outdoor projector screen for movie nights. It’s the perfect villa for swimming the day away and counting the stars in the evening–making for a luxurious and relaxing vacation in paradise.
We sat down with the villa’s Chef Max, who told us a bit about his culinary journey.
Elite Havens: Hi Chef Max, do you helm the kitchen here at Ban Suriya?
Chef Max: We have five chefs who rotate between nine villas, so I have to move around.
EH: What do you like to cook?
CM: I like cooking Thai food. But many chefs here specialise in Thai food, so I try to be different. If you really ask me what I like to make—it would be sushi, which also happens to be one of my favourite foods. I used to work in a Thai restaurant, but they offered sushi on their menu.
EH: For how long did you work there?
CM: I worked in the restaurant for five years, but I was the one in charge of sushi for three years.
EH: Tell us about your culinary journey before you joined the restaurant.
CM: My journey is unique as I was a private chef with a Russian family and lived around the world.
EH: Where did you stay?
CM: They have homes in Cypress, Austria, Moscow, and they also have a villa in Thailand. So, I would follow them around and got to stay in so many countries around the world.
EH: That sounds intriguing. What did they like to eat?
CM: My sushi was their absolute favourite thing to eat.
Keep Fit with Elite Havens’ In-villa Personal Trainers
Do you wish you could have it all: great food, binge nights, and none of the weight gain? When you indulge in a fantastic holiday at one of our elite havens in Bali, we can assure that you leave your villa without any extra pounds. Just arrange for one of our in-villa personal trainers and work off those vacation calories. Say hello to a few of our best trainers on the island, highly recommended by our expert Concierge team.
ELITE HAVENS TRAINERS
FIKRY
Firky is your man when you want to keep up your fitness routine while on holiday. It goes without saying that overeating, drinking and all-round indulgence can take a toll on your waistline.
Fikry, our in-house personal trainer, will come to you so there is no need to leave your luxury villa. He is a qualified Muay Thai coach and offers a variety of different training options including boxing, bootcamp, TRX and circuit-style along with specialised and bespoke weight loss programs. He’ll bring all necessary equipment with him and if you have the advantage of staying in one of our villas which has an onsite gym, he can plan your personalised routine basis the equipment available.
KOMANG
Our internationally qualified yoga and healing practitioner, Komang is highly skilled and has taught around the world. She brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to the table and specialises in combining spiritual healing techniques with physical fitness.
Komang teaches a range of classes- vinyasa flow, hatha, chakra, power yin and yang, as well as aqua yoga, for all skill levels. She also offers alternative healing sessions such as chakra balancing and Balinese blessing and cleansing ceremonies.
Chef du jour: Villa Minh
Designed by Paris-based architect Arte Charpentier, Villa Minh is a six-bedroom villa with breathtaking ocean views. Many of Phuket’s sights are within easy reach, just between the Kamala and Patong beaches. Perched on a hillside, Minh has been built to preserve its gorgeous coastal setting.
The bedrooms are magnificently decorated and connected both by stairs and a lift. The villa’s lavish living areas are accentuated by art and antiques. The 17.5 metre pool with built-in jacuzzi is illuminated by the beautiful night sky. You’ll want to restore your senses in the spa room and luxuriate in the wonderful living pavilions.
Villa Minh is perfect for entertaining, whether for a casual barbecue or a formal dinner. We sat down with Chef Thietan to get a glimpse into what goes on in the kitchen.
Elite Havens: Hi, Chef, can you tell me what you’re currently making?
Chef El: Spicy Pomelo Salad. We will also make Panang Curry. Chili paste is very important for Panang Curry and we make chili paste too.
EH: Please tell me about yourself.
CE: I am El and I am the chef of Villa Minh.
EH: How long have you been cooking?
CE: For 15 years.
EH: How did you start cooking?
CE: At first, I was not a chef. I used to help the chef in food preparation and presentation and that’s how I learned to cook.
EH: And how did you become the chef here?
CE: A friend recommended me.
EH: And what do you love to cook? Is there a particular dish that you love to cook?
CE: Pad Thai. I’ve received a lot of compliments from my guests. They say my Pad Thai is not too spicy and it is unique.
EH: Ok. And what else do you like to cook?
CE: Pineapple fried rice. I like to put in a lot of ingredients so there’s a combination of sour, sweet and spicy flavors. That is a typical traditional Thai flavor combination. Some of the other chefs adjust the taste for foreigners. I like to stick to the authentic taste. But I can adjust the spice level for our foreign guests.