New rainforest weekend retreat 15 minutes from Phuket

PHUKET: A new rainforest weekend holiday experience with a touch of class is coming soon, just a short 15-minute drive from Phuket’s Sarasin Bridge.

The Valley Phang Nga is a new back-to-nature retreat under development just off the main highway (Phetkasem Road) between Phuket and Phang Nga, which will feature hillside camping and cabins with stunning views, nature trails and an elevated cafe serving coffee made from morning dew harvested right in the valley.

The vast expanse of unspoilt land has a magnificent 180-degree view from the top of the hillside at the valley’s edge. Further down the valley, there are nature trails with fresh water streams arched by the broad roots of towering tropical trees.

The Valley Phang Nga is the brainchild of the site’s land owner, Torsak Jaichuen, a native of Phang Nga and a Phuket-based marketing guru who aims to turn the pristine land into the ideal weekend vacation spot for Phuketians with a variety of rainforest themed facilities and activities.

The natural rainforest surroundings and stunning sunrise views are The Valley Phang Nga’s greatest assets, said Mr Torsak, whose plans include valley cabins with clear 180-degree views across Phang Nga, giving visitors a vista of the valley below shrouded in mist as the sun rises each morning.

The misty climbs are also the inspiration behind a novel coffee experience that will be offered at Cafe de Valley, an elevated platform 21 meters above the ground under the canopy of a massive tree and jutting out over the edge of a lake with its own island.

Harvesting the morning dew to brew coffee is just one of the innovations making up the sustainable architecture of The Valley Phang Nga, which is just 27 kilometers from Phuket and 17km from the Big C shopping center in Phang Nga Town.

“We aim to preserve the natural beauty of the land and allow visitors to appreciate the surroundings in eco-friendly ways.

We will use renewable energy sources and visitors can eventually get about on Segways and bicycles,” said Mr Torsak.

As well as providing a new weekend escape for Phuketians and locals, Mr Torsak said The Valley Phang Nga will also serve as a venue for team building and corporate events.

“We expect to open fully by February next year, by which time there will be parking for private vehicles and tour buses and the beginnings of a rainforest shopping experience, Walk Valley. Accommodation options will include camping and air-conditioned cabins, and, of course, visitors can also enjoy the nature trails on foot,” he said.

Long-term development plans for The Valley Phang Nga include two types of residences. “My Valley” will be comprised of Tuscan-style residences priced between 4 and 6 million baht on six rai, and “Villa de Valley” private pool villas next to a creek, priced from 6mn baht, also on four to six rai.

These residences will be ideal for Phuket residents, explained Mr Torsak, who welcomes interest from like-minded investors and developers with a shared vision to create the hottest new week-end getaway spot.

To contact Mr Torsak and find out more about The Valley Phang Nga, go and make friends on Facebook/thevalleyphangnga, which has already had 10,000 “likes” since launching last month. Alternatively, visit www.thevalleyphangnga.com, email: backtonature@thevalleyphangnga.com or call 095-798 3999.

— Nick Davies