Amanpuri, Thailand
Lapped by the turquoise waters of the Andaman Sea on the west coast of Phuket, Amanpuri is situated on a private peninsula within a grove of swaying coconut palms. A sweep of stone steps descends from the main swimming pool to the white crescent of the secluded beach. From here in high season (November to March), kitesurfers depart in the resort’s new MasterCraft X23, which is the best wakeboarding boat on the market, for the five-minute ride to Bang Tao Bay.
This magnificent bay, with its 6km white-sand beach, is known as one of Phuket’s premier kitesurfing destinations, with conditions suited to all levels. New to 2019, former World Champion kitesurfer Jessica Winkler heads up the watersports team and conducts kitesurfing lessons for Amanpuri guests. An extreme-sports all-rounder, Jessica excels in all aspects of the sport from speed and course racing to freestyle, wave riding and big air. Jessica has travelled the world competing, as well as promoting her book Confessions of a Warrior and conducting motivational rehabilitation programmes.
In addition to kitesurfing, other watersports options available at Amanpuri include Hobie Cats, Naish stand-up paddleboards (SUPs), stand-up Kawasaki JetSkis, Lampuga electric surfboards, Seabobs and Schiller bikes, as well as wakeboarding, wakesurfing, hydrofoil surfing and more. Speedboats for waterskiing are also available, while yacht charters on more than 20 cruisers and sailing vessels can see guests exploring the coastline, scuba diving at remote reefs and snorkelling in deserted bays.
After any session on or in the water, guests can relax at Amanpuri’s Pool Terrace with its Mediterranean-inspired restaurant, lounging terrace and cocktail bar overlooking a 20m swimming pool. Another option is the Straw Hut Beach Bar, Amanpuri’s thatched beach-chic venue backed by boulders and natural vegetation situated right on the beach. A new addition in 2018 as part of Amanpuri’s 30th-anniversary refurbishment, the bar offers a selection of original Aman beach cocktails, Thai craft beers, fresh juices and smoothies.
Amanyara, Turks and Caicos
Renowned for its crystal-blue water and powder-white sand, Providenciales in the Turks and Caicos Islands is a premier destination for beach and watersports enthusiasts all year round. Set on the serene northwest coast, Amanyara features a Beach Club, Dive Pavilion and Nature Discovery Centre enabling guests to enjoy the resort’s pristine coastal and marine environment to the full.
Kitesurfing at Amanyara takes place from Long Bay Beach. A 30-minute drive from the resort, Long Bay boasts a broad, shallow lagoon along the eastern edge of Providenciales, protected by a fringing reef. A flat-water paradise, it has a sandy bottom and consistent side-shore wind, as well as waist-deep water, making wading back to your board a breeze, when necessary. Apart from the month of September, guests can kitesurf year- round, with Amanyara able to provide transfers and Kite Provo giving the lessons.
After working up an appetite, kitesurfers can return to Amanyara’s Beach Club, which overlooks the resort’s own 1,000-metre white-sand beach. With its restaurant, cocktail bar and lounging deck with panoramic sea views, the Beach Club serves Caribbean, Latin American and Mediterranean-inspired cuisine with signature dishes baked in a stone hearth oven. A range of watersports equipment, from Hobie Cats and SUPs, to ocean kayaks, Seabobs and Schiller bikes, is available for guests to use from the Beach Club, and a guided snorkelling trip departs twice daily from the beach (weather permitting) to a nearby coral head.
Amanyara’s fully equipped Dive Pavilion provides access to some of the world’s finest wall and reef diving, as well as a range of scuba-diving courses. Located directly in front of the resort and approximately 500 metres from the beach, are the remarkable coral reef walls of the Northwest Point Marine National Park. Further offshore, the region offers some of the Caribbean’s optimal fishing grounds.
