Animals @ Sri panwa

If you take the time to rummage around a bit you'll find plenty of weird and wonderful critters around Sri panwa. Some of them may look frightening but they're all pretty harmless. The old adage of them being more scared of you certainly holds up well.

Here are some pictures of encounters with our island neighbours from the past year:

Jared found this little guy hanging out in our staff house. Don't worry, it looks bigger than it really is (3 cm or so). If you're finding it hard to breathe right now then rest assured we keep our pool villas 100% insect free.

Sea turtles can be seen on Nai Yang beach in Sirinat national park. This one is still a baby, but they grow to weigh several hundred kilos as adults.

Gong, a.k.a the Gongster, is one of our resident dogs. A very friendly, playful guy who will sometimes hitch a ride with you in your tuktuk.

A tree frog enjoying sunset outside Baba dining lounge.

Some fish we don't see until they're on the end of a line. We caught these guys on the way back from Coral island.

Let us know if you spot any other interesting animals while you're here. Or better yet, send pictures and we'll post them on the blog.

Moroccan night @ Baba

This year we decided to do something different for Loi Krathong. We invited renowned mixologist Joseph Boroski and acclaimed chef Patricia Yeo from New York for a night of Moroccan themed dining, partying and dancing. It turned out to be quite a night:

The kitchen staff at Baba, preparing for the night.

Nam was in charge of our shisha lounge. Hot stuff.

Acclaimed New York chef Patricia Yeo took time out of her trip through Asia to prepare a menu for us. The food was Moroccan but sprinkled with Asian influences.

So did mixologist Joseph Borowski, who entertained our guests at the bar with the help of Sri panwa's own Kai Ping Chen.

Some friends from Bangkok stopped by to party with us. From left: Pear, Vanessa, Chomwan, Wan, Jak and Pao.

The arabic theme wouldn't have been complete without belly dancers. Alexandra Martinez and her students from PSU helped tick that box in style.

We all enjoyed sending Krathong rafts onto Baba's infinity pool...

...and the Sri panwa skywalk proved a fantastic place for Krathong lanterns. One got stuck in a tree. Luckily we managed to avoid a forest fire.

Wan and DJ Q, who provided the tunes on the night.

Chef Jimmy of Baba dining lounge with friend Rob McKeown.

From left: Pear, Chomwan and Pam.

The Sri Panwa family portrait, with a few friends mixed in. We had a fantastic time and we're sure all of our guests would agree. If you weren't there on the night, we sincerely hope to see you next year!

Maithon island

High season is just about to start, so this is the time of year when we make sure all the islands and other destinations around Sri panwa are still just how we left them. It would be a bit of a let-down if they turned out to have disappeared while we were gone, wouldn't it?

First up: Maithon island. It's a semi-private island with what is arguably the best beach in Phuket. Quiet, calm and so beautiful it hurts, just the way we like them.

Maithon is home to a hotel and a restaurant, but the beach is hardly ever busy so you always have plenty of space to yourself. It's well worth the trip (25 minutes by longtail boat) when you're visiting Sri panwa.

K. Dol is our trusted captain. He knows the waters around Phuket better than anyone.

On a good day you see plenty of dolphins on the way. This one came particularly close.

Jared looking cool in his beach outfit.

The good thing about travelling by private boat is that you can leave for the next island whenever you want.

There's usually time for a bit of fishing on the way back.

All set for dinner! This beast made the trip back to Baba with us.

K. Nam (left) is your man if you want good ideas for trips while you're here. He knows all about the most undisturbed islands, sandiest beaches and best diving spots in the area.

The team all seemed to enjoy the trip. See you here next time?