A stay at the Four Seasons Koh Samui will leave you amazed and craving for more. Photo / Supplied
A stay at the Four Seasons Koh Samui will leave you amazed and craving for more. Photo / Supplied
The Four Seasons Koh Samui is luxurious and spiritual. It’s also the locale for the next season of TV series, The White Lotus, writes Kate Parker
“May you be free from suffering; may you be at peace.” The low Buddhist chants are quiet and gentle. They are repeated in unison,accompanied by the rhythmic hum of a Tibetan singing bowl.
I’m cocooned under a blanket on the beach, towards the end of a two-hour spa treatment under the stars. It included a four-hand, synchronised Thai massage using warm lava shells and candles — this chant is the grand finale. It’s designed to offer deep connection and protection. Chanting is a vital practice for spiritual wellbeing in Thai culture.
I’m staying at the Four Seasons Koh Samui, which just happens to be the next location for the upcoming third season of The White Lotus.
Returning to my private villa, the lights are off and I follow a path of candles to the bathtub, which is filled with coconut milk and lotus flowers floating on the surface. It turns out this was the grand finale.
A private villa in Four Seasons Koh Samui. Photo / Supplied
I drink herbal tea in the candlelight, soaking in the bathtub, the floor-to-ceiling doors open, inviting the night sky in. I’m taken aback by the gesture from the spa healers. If this is what connection and spirituality are all about, I’m sold.
The White Lotus — the Emmy-award-winning HBO series — returns to our screens in early 2025, and creator Mike White has hinted that the next season’s theme will be spirituality and Eastern religion.
Fittingly, in Buddhism the white lotus symbolises enlightenment, purity, and spiritual awakening. It’s easy to see why this location was chosen for the new season of the popular show.
Four Seasons Koh Samui is located south on the island of Koh Samui, about 20km from the airport, situated on 17ha of secluded, tropical hillside with its own private beach.
Four Seasons Koh Samui is the next set for the new season of The White Lotus. Photo / Supplied
When I first arrived, smiling staff welcomed me into the open-air reception area at the top of the hill, boasting 360-degree views of the Gulf of Siam.
I’m chauffeured down the hill in a buggy, past individual villas surrounded by greenery. Perched on the hill amongst lush gardens, is my own private serenity villa. It’s jaw-dropping and spacious; showcasing Thai-inspired designs, rosewood furnishings and island accents. It offers a spa-style open bathroom, private infinity pool, and views of the ocean through the palms.
The resort is spectacular: the views, landscapes and private white-sand beach with crystal-turquoise waters. It’s a secluded, tropical paradise so magnificent it feels like it’s from a screen, the pinnacle of luxury and ultimate escape from reality.
Enjoy the pool while having a perfect view of the sea. Photo / Supplied
It’s not the type of place you need to leave – which isn’t a bad thing as there is plenty to do. Private Muay Thai lessons with an international champion, morning yoga, rum tasting, drinking Tiki by the oceanside infinity pool – you can even book a luxury yacht.
There are multiple eating options available including beachside dining at Pla Pla – excellent for a lazy lunch, offering fresh seafood, authentic Thai and Mediterranean dishes. It even features a delicious Thai wine from Hua Hin Hills, located about 200km south of Bangkok.
Koh Thai Kitchen offers panoramic vistas and an impressive buffet breakfast, along with sunset dining of authentic Southern Thai dishes, including Pad Kapi Goong Moo Sub (stir-fried prawns, minced pork, fresh chilli and prawn paste), and Yum Poo Nim (softshell crab with spicy green mango salad).
Fishermen’s Night Barbecue brings local culture to guests, who may be unlikely to leave the five-star resort. The private beach has become a mini-festival; white-clothed tables and lanterns line the sand, food and market stalls cater to every taste, and (of course) the beach barbecue lets guests choose from an array of meats and fresh seafood including lobster, snapper and octopus.
It’s clear that the resort recognises the connection between tourism and supporting local artists in the community. A charismatic local cover band entertains guests as they dine, and the main event of the night is a performance by some highly talented local fire artists.
Wandering the stalls, I meet local artist Choawalit Champathip, who creates handcrafted carvings on leather from buffalo on the island. The folk-art practice was passed down by his father, and his father before him. He sells his work each week to give guests a taste of Southern Thai art.
Soon-to-be catapulted onto the world stage via our TV screens, it’s apparent that the resort is ready for the global limelight, offering unforgettable luxury and views, incredible authentic dining, superb accommodation and warm staff who genuinely care for their guests. It’s world-class.
A word of warning: leaving Koh Samui Four Seasons was beyond any post-holiday blues I had ever experienced; I felt a sense of something missing after I left. Similar to bingeing a great TV show and it ends – you aren’t quite ready to go back to reality.
Once you have visited Four Seasons Koh Samui, there's no turning back. Photo / Supplied
Checklist
KOH SAMUI, THAILAND
GETTING THERE
Fly from Auckland to Samui Airport with one stopover with Singapore Airlines, in partnership with Scoot. The resort is a 35-minute drive west of the airport.
