In this area you have the 32 Plantation Villas (pictures right and at introduction). They have an outdoor bath with small garden and sun lounges. Bathrooms feature a second courtyard with gardens and al fresco shower. You enjoy 32 sq.m. villa space with an additional 30 sq.m. of courtyards.

Nearby are about 8 new buildings which will house the 32 Plantation Villas, the 35 Private Pool Pavilions as well as
the 12 Private Garden Pavilions. The buildings are surrounding a large pool

area. However, not all rooms will be finished before the peak season rush. It is, however, planned to finish at least works on the exterior so as to make the compound appear presentable. There wasn’t a mockup room available, so just wait for me to capture them for you once these 3 room types are available.

Back to the original compound where two lines of 3 storey buildings used to hug the vast gardens. The pool and surrounding area have been totally remodeled. Not unattractively, I would say – perhaps I had got bored of the old looks. Between pool and the gardens is now a two-storey building housing the Rebar as well as the Underground Café. Closer to the sea, you find the Colosseum Gardens, a facility that can be used for relaxation and entertainment (although you may not find gladiators performing) and will complement the resort’s extensive meeting facilities very well. Needless to say that the large and often empty gardens have been trimmed in size and their purpose largely redefined.

Before leaving, I was privileged to sample food in the Tin Mine, the resort’s coffee shop. The cutlery is uniquely crafted and may well be good for double-use, for one end is your fork, spoon or knife while the other has the shape (and use?) of a screwdriver, spanner or other tool every mechanic has in his box. Hollow– and flatware are also refreshingly new in design. The outlet itself has an open kitchen and a large terrace opening towards the pool along with some pavilions. The resort is not quite finished yet. But it is well-worth the waiting. You read more soon.

In the early 1990s Kamala was as a remote spot as you can get. You were almost condemned to live there, for there was insufficient electricity, phone lines and the general infrastructure was so far behind I was surprised they had cars then. Although the island had many such villages, not many were so much surrounded by hills and mountains to add to the locked-up-feeling. And if you wanted to escape, Patong was the place. Although any map tells you that Kamala lies just north of Patong Beach, you then had the choice between a bloodcurdling ride over the steep hill (which could safe you more than an hour, provided you arrived in one piece) or taking a local bus the long route via Surin, Bangtao, Phuket Town and from there in another bus to Patong. Needless to say: if you choose the latter you had a painfully good idea of most of the island’s sights and people and you found that you had wasted a considerable
amount of time on crowded busses that were not made for any human being exceeding the height of 150cm. By the time you reached the destination you dreaded any thought of the journey back and would eagerly take chances of getting some more bruises and aches hazarding a bumpy ride over the hill.

Kamala has changed since! There’s now a very good road over the hill and through Kamala up north to Surin and Bangtao. It makes for good and scenic driving and won’t have you worry about any life insurance policy or where to
deposit your most recent meal. The Kamala you meet along the highway is a rather unattractive commercial place, though. Two rows of shop houses built by

people who - as many others elsewhere - thought of this the answer to Singapore’s Orchard Road. Driving along the narrow beach road through the once sleepy village you still get the feeling of relaxing amidst a local community. But even here it is evident that every household has its little business catering exclusively to tourists. The area in front of Kamala Beach Hotel & Resort - near the police station - is a busy place with loads of small bungalow resorts, beach front restaurants, shops, dive and tour shops. Gone seem to be the thoughts and grieve of the Tsunami. Kamala consists of villages that reach from the shores deep into the valley with a population that is predominantly Muslim. Real estate agents discovered the hills surrounding the beach and have come up with projects that have names almost as creative as the price they go for.

Kamala is especially popular with families and middle aged couples.. Holiday makers find here a variety of restaurants, minimarts, pharmacies, massage shops and other stores. Busses to Phuket Town are still the same and ready to give you a legaching experience of local transportation (and here’s finally what all the massage places are good for) – there’s still no direct public link Kamala-Patong operating. Patong Beach can be reached in about 20 minutes by car. The island’s biggest at entertainment venue, Phuket Fantasea, is located here.