Fin Deluxe Travel & Lifestyle Experience
By Wanida Tardivel
Fin Deluxe Travel & Lifestyle Experience programe was created and organized by fin- fabulous is needed Co Ltd. The purpose is to share Benjawan’s passion for a fabulous world of traveling, art, relaxation, food and wine, and all things related to a fabulous lifestyle. This became the inspiration to take her passion and put it into action. All in all, a superb patchwork of luxury lifestyle experiences….
Phuket has been selected with only the finest luxury resorts for this exclusive getaway. The 3 days 2 nights trip was complemented with fine dining experiences of 44 dishes pairing with 27 boutique wines from fin naturally wine collection making this journey an unforgettable one.
A relaxing and indulging programme has been put together to showcase unique experiences and special menus with a chef’s table, and the company of winemakers, jewelry designers, and famous artists amongst others. Each day and each activity has its own theme and concept:
Land in Heaven at Trisara: A heavenly welcome reception at the villa featuring a neck and shoulder massage and a signature welcome drink.
“it’s naturally heaven” lunch at Seafood at Trisara, a delectable seafood menu cooked Chef Jimmy Ophorst and paired with fin naturally wine collection. Trisara and fin share the same philosophy for the environment, making it a wonderful occasion to start the holiday in a way that guests are able to experience luxury while still caring about the environment.
Heading to the south of Phuket, Kata Rocks is a modern and stylish resort with many international awards and accolades such as: Best Luxury Boutique Spa Asia 2015, Best Apartment of the World, in Condé Nast List of Best New Hotels amongst others.
“Exclusively yours” the exclusive wine dinner at Penthouse, the best venue to view Phuket’s sunset. The dinner was made complete with Austrian-national Bert Salomon’s famous wines from Austria, Australia, and New Zealand that have been perfectly paired with Mediterranean cuisine created by Executive Chef Laia Pons who personally cooked each dish for the guests.
The guests also spoiled themselves in the morning at the Kata Rocks Spa, a winner of the World Luxury Spa Award 2015. Truly a spa experience not to be missed.
Moving on to Kamala, Mr Daniel Meury, General Manager of Andara Resort & Villas welcomed guests and escorted them to their villas which was also the venue for their lunch, with a stunning view of Kamala Beach.
“Art of living and living with arts” was a private luncheon that provided the guests to chat with artists and influential figures in the lifestyle industry such as: Costan Eghiazarian, co- founder and creative director of AENEA, Lidwine Clary und Aldringen, a stylish Salzburg-based jeweller; Christian Develter, Belgian-born painter based in Thailand; Bert Salomon, artistic winemaker from Austria; Daniel Meury, general manager of Andara Resort & Villas, a five-star resort created by the Paradise Group; Benjawan Wisootsat from fin- fabulous is needed, a lifestyle company and boutique wines distributor in Thailand.
The evening was a fabulous party with fine jewelry, art, and an Austrian wine tasting. Guests were important media and VIPs from Phuket who gathered to view the masterpieces and atelier jewelry from AENEA, the first in Asia, available at Andara. The ultimate Austrian wine tasting table at the event featured 7 wines from superstars Herbert Zillinger, Gernot Heinrich, and Salomon Undhof.
The guests rejuvenated themselves at the Andara Signature Spa before heading to Indigo Pearl. Mr Wichit Na-Ranong, the resort’s owner personally welcomed the guests and shared the history and story behind the resort’s success with them over a tasteful lunch with the theme “tastefully yours”.
“Before Indigo Pearl, it was Pearl Village, the first 5 star resort in Phuket, before any international 5 star hotel chain in Phuket” Mr Wichit recalled. “Phuket’s success as a tin mining centre and the island’s subsequent wealth were in part due to the Na-Ranong family: one of the founding fathers of both the Na-Ranong clan and Phuket’s flourishing economy, Khaw Sim Bee, played so integral a role in the island’s development that King Chulalongkorn awarded him the royal title of ‘PhrayaRasada Nupradit’. Intrigued by and in tribute to his ancestry, Mr Wichit Na-Ranong, used tin mining as a unique and personal source of inspiration in the creation of the resort “Indigo Pearl”
The farewell lunch will never be completed without the real taste of Phuket in a luxurious setting. Benjawan had selected the menu cooked by Chef Piak to be paired with wines from the fin naturally collection. To make the pairings even more interesting; the starters were paired with Verdejos from Spain and Thailand, providing a contrast in flavors for the diners.
Pairings for the main course were even more interesting, with a reputable Riesling from Germany’s Mosel Region, and a Rose from Tavel. The differences in wine styles enabled diners to explore the different kinds of pairings that could be made with dishes such as Moo Hong and Pak Leang Goong Seab. Guests had another surprise, a beer brewed by a Prince Carl-Eugen, which is usually for personal consumption and receptions at the palace. The evening ended on a sweet note with a dessert wine from kracher 2013 Spätlese Cuvée from Austria to put a smile on the guests’ faces before leaving Phuket.
