There are a many reasons why we travel; the allure of shopping abroad, the smell and taste of exotic food, wine and of course some hard earned, sun soaked relaxation. For me I’m currently craving exactly that. Even just writing the word ‘Poolside’ gets me excited, today as we slowly creep out of winter I’m sporting the fluffiest socks I own, and they’re pulled up over my jeans, yes I know, it’s not my best look but I’m seriously so over being cold. I want summer and warm toes right now and if she won’t come to me, then I will go to her, so who’s with me!?
A perfect pool is the jewel in the crown of any resort or destination and luckily I’ve been fortunate enough to visit some absolute pearlers, places I would return to in a heartbeat, so to inspire your next getaway I’ve pulled together my top hit list of poolside perfection, some I’ve sampled and others I’ve screen saved.
Palazzo Avino
Palazzo Sasso, now Palazzo Avino on the Amalfi Coast oozes old-school movie star glamour. We visited on our honeymoon about 8 years ago, I think we only stayed one night, maybe two because it was rather expensy but it was enough to soak up some of its magic. Rich with history and opulence this is a place I would adore to visit again. The town of Ravello sits proudly above the Amalfi Coast, the gardens are something to behold, and there’s a restaurant called Mama’s, that everyone seems to know. Mama comes to your table and in a beautiful Italian mama knows best way, she orders for you, often completely off the menu. And hey, why not, you are in her ‘house’ with her rules.. it’s amazing.
TIP:
Ravello has a host of stunning accommodation throughout the hillside with breathtaking views, I would suggest looking for a hotel that also has a clubhouse down by the waters edge. Pallazo Avino has a three tiered prime position about 5-minutes drive from the hotel so they taxi people back and forwards throughout the day. The first tier hosts a woodfire pizza restaurant from memory, the second a plunge pool and third a sunbathers delight right on the water.
Marina Bay Sands
It’s nestled into a Balinese forest, offering everything from peaceful serine meditation to adrenaline experiences that rejuvenate the scenes. The perfect sanctuary to sink into and re set.
I like to think of our Naka Island Phuket visit as fate. Whilst trying to board a flight to explore Bali for the first time, we received a firm palm to the face as one of the surrounding Volcano’s was erupting and there was too much ash in the air to fly. As luck would have it, Thailand was one of the desinations offered by the airline in renumeration. Yes, thank you. We happily jetted off to Phuket and found the incredible Naka Island about 30mins from the airport. As a Starwood Luxury Collection Resort & Spa it has everything you could possibly need. The all villa resort never felt too busy, I think largely because every villa was fitted out with it’s own private pool making it very hard to leave.
TIP
Borrow the resorts complimentary push bikes and follow the track to the beach. It’s not super easy to find, I admittedly almost gave up in the heat but we found it and it was a private perfect paradise. Smooth white sand, clear calm water.. you get the picture. Oh another tip, at about 3pm they have complimentary coconut ice cream by the main pool which was beyond heavenly on a hot day
With so many pretty ‘things’ on the social media conveyer belt, saving is certainly not an easy task. But I must say, travel is never ever something I’ve regretted splurging on. It’s like the ultimate ‘investment piece’, it never goes out of fashion and you carry it with you for the rest of your life.
Just to help get you that little bit closer to your poolside escape, I’ve teamed up with Booking.com so, to get $40 of your booking use this link: https://www.booking.com/s/ajpeeb98
