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R. Couri Hay is a New York City-based publicist and founder of R. Couri Hay Creative Public Relations. He started his career as one of the original contributing editors to Andy Warhol’s Interview Magazine and went on to write for a variety of publications including Travel Squireand Social Life. Travels with Couri takes you on an adventure to some of the most premier resorts and locations around the world. Follow along with Couri as he shares some tips, tricks, and recommendations when traveling. From floating bars in Jamaica to art galleries in Berlin, Travels with Couri will inspire you to travel the world and become immersed in new cultures.

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Pansea Beach

We wandered down hand hewn stone steps, surrounded by greenery to a tiny peninsula in Phuket. The secluded spot, edged with swaying palm trees, overlooked Pansea Beach. The soundtrack was a gentle wind and white capped waves rolled against a stone jetty. A pretty Thai girl led us to a table, one of only four, perched above the sand. She adjusted a wooden chair and placed a crisply pressed white linen napkin in my lap. The menu was something one might see in Paris or London, not on a beach in Thailand. The chef’s prowess proved masterful and the cuisine was an unexpected delight – healthy, sophisticated and scrumptious. With a majestic palm tree acting as our umbrella, I looked out over the multi-hued sea, relaxed and satiated, this meal symbolizing the exquisite experience that is the Amanpuri Resort.

Aman Junkies

Brad, Angelina and their six children along with Jason Statham and his fiancée Rosie Huntington-Whiteley were among those who made the trip to Phuket this year. It’s a long flight, but once you touch down, the magic carpet rolls out. We were met by a white uniformed greeter who escorted us to a BMW that whisked us away. Out the window you see a poor third world country streaming by until you turn into the palm lined drive of the resort’s enchanted garden; teak buildings are built in the traditional Thai style with whimsical peaked winged roofs.

The architecture echoes the Royal Palace in Bangkok where King Bhumibol Adulyadej and Queen Sirikit Kitiyakara live. Here you will find a clique of cognoscenti who are called “Aman Junkies”, because of their loyalty to the brand. The list includes Kate Moss, Leonardo DiCaprio, Bill Gates, Mick Jagger, Harrison Ford, Jay-Z and Beyoncé. The Amanpuri Phuket was built by Omar Amanant’s partner, hotelier Adrian Zecha in 1988. It was the first in the Aman Group of hotels and resorts that now span the globe from Turks & Caicos and Bali to Sri Lanka and Tibet.

Tiger Kingdom

In Phuket anything is possible. You can take a boat to James Bond Island where they filmed The Man with the Golden Gun or go ziplining at Flying Hanuman and enjoy the company of ladies or lady boys. But if you want to play with the big cats go to Tiger Kingdom. For 2,500 baht ($90) the keepers allow you to pose with and pet three sizes of Indochinese tigers. The trainers ease you into a tightly fenced area with double gated cages.

That’s when I should have turned back! The experience with the cubs was cute but the parents were scary especially when a gang of six monster sized cats started fighting in one corner of the pen while we were sitting 30 feet away stroking their father. The two “trainers” carried slim sticks and that was it between us and them. We escaped quickly but not before we took a stream of selfies holding the tiger’s tale. On the way out I jokingly asked if anyone had ever been killed. The trainer said “No, but a man did get bit in the leg last October and is coming back to face his fears NEXT year.” Great news! It was exciting but I’m not sure I’d have risked it if I’d heard that story first.

The Jet Set

There are two ways to stay at the Amanpuri. You can bunk down in one of the 30 private villas that are spread out over the hills looking down on the ocean. These range from a two-bedroom compound with private pool and separate areas for dining and lounging for $3,800 a day to an 8-bedroom house with a live-in housekeeper and chef for 14k a night. Billionaires, the jet set and stars including Pierce Brosnan, Jean-Claude Van Damme and One Direction’s Harry Styles, Liam Payne, Niall Horan, Zayn Malik and Louis Tomlinson have all slept here. The management has been known to send out boats with security guards to bribe and shoo away the paparazzi who train their lenses on the guests.

For a romantic rendezvous, I’d suggest staying in one of their 40 Pavilions that face the sea and are near the beach, pool and restaurants. These rooms are spacious and well thought out; they also boast their own outdoor pagoda. The bedroom is a sleek dark wood cocoon with sliding teak doors and windows that either seal you in or open you to the views of the sea and the surrounding tropical gardens. Everyday there is surprise: the Buddha in your bedroom is draped with a fresh frangipani lei, floating orchids fill your tub that’s surrounded by lit candles, a package is sitting on your pillow bearing a gift of a white silk scarf, white orchid plants punctuate your room and fresh fruit and cookies are left on a tray. Service is silent and they time it so you never see it happening.

Simon Cabaret

You can’t’ come to Phuket without being solicited to see a “sexy show.” The problem is there’s nothing sexy or fun about these ping pong shenanigans in the grungy, sad clubs that line Bargate Street, the town’s infamous red light district where they sell “sex” at a discount. In truth The Box in NYC does it better. What is fun is the Lady Boy show at Simon Cabaret. Over 80 transgender performers dress up like Ziegfeld Follies show girls and clump through campy routines in a fast paced hour-long show. Six of these Lady Boys are real stars, who look like a cross between delicate geishas and leggy Vegas showgirls. The costumes are as elaborate as anything Josephine Baker ever wore and they change clothes for every number with alarming speed. The Chinese Fan Dance was particularly convincing but the serious fun is in the side alley where the ladies and a dozen chorus boys line up for selfies. For 200 baht ($5.76) you get to pose with the “Lady “of your choice. Once on the street, these “ladies “get a little aggressive and their voices are anything but feminine. This is where they make their tips and they will do anything to get your attention. A few of them are “real beauties “as Andy Warhol used to say. I got the feeling some of these ladies would be willing to work after work, get it?

Tea Time

Between 4:30 and 5:30pm there is a ritual in the teahouse overlooking the pool. A gaggle of maidens make traditional Thai pancakes, the size of silver dollars, over a charcoal stove while a musician softly plays an indigenous instrument. These tiny treats are beyond yummy; try the banana, mango and chocolate, or go rogue and have one made with sweet onions. They melt in your mouth so you have to be careful not to eat too many. The ladies also serve cold ginger tea with mango juice and offer coconut cookies and pumpkin and banana bread if you want to switch things up. Luckily, tea time is exactly one hour or you’d need to wear a caftan to the beach. To work off the calories head to the hotel’s state of the art gym which sits on top of a bluff. Every treadmill offers a 360-degree view of the sea. You can hire a trainer to put you through your paces or there’s a yoga master who conducts morning classes. Sweat in Nirvana then recover in the elegant spa. It is a quiet oasis. My favorite treatment was the foot massage with Andaman sea salt and roasted coconuts.

We went swimming at sunset; the water was warm and the sun’s last rays reflected on the ocean as we body surfed and played in the waves like happy seals. As I swam it was hard to envision the tsunami that hit here in 2004. Thankfully, there are very few signs left of the devastation that it wrought. Later, the lapping waves lulled us to sleep in our beds.

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R. Couri Hay is a New York City-based publicist and founder of R. Couri Hay Creative Public Relations. He started his career as one of the original contributing editors to Andy Warhol’s Interview Magazine and went on to write for a variety of publications including Travel Squireand Social Life. Travels with Couri takes you on an adventure to some of the most premier resorts and locations around the world. Follow along with Couri as he shares some tips, tricks, and recommendations when traveling. From floating bars in Jamaica to art galleries in Berlin, Travels with Couri will inspire you to travel the world and become immersed in new cultures.

Image Source: travelsqure.com

As long as there is a bit of a chill in the air on the East Coast the jet set will flock to Palm Beach to play golf and work on their tans. Situated on a pristine beach on the Atlantic Ocean and surrounded by lush tropical gardens is the spectacular Eau Palm Beach Resort & Spa. Reimagined from its previous identity by designer Jonathan Adler, the resort’s accommodations and public spaces are now a feast for the eye. The colorful rooms transport guests with a blue and white color scheme spotted with dashes of yellow in homage to the Florida sunshine. “Palm Beach is all about sea, sun and sky,” Adler says, “and the rooms needed to communicate that; the oceanfront site inspired the color palette.

Taking a cue from his own vacation retreat there, Adler has created a tropical haven for the sophisticated traveler yearning for a tailored experience. Guest rooms have silver bamboo detailing in the entries and accents of cerulean, nickel and chrome that draw your eye into the space then back out to the ocean. Curtains on the sliding glass doors to the balcony are a deep navy with crisp white borders giving a nautical feel. Among Adler’s gestures to the historic setting is a glamorous portrait of Lady Daphne Cameron by photographer Slim Aarons, which hangs on one of the walls. The designer also commissioned pieces by contemporary artists including Leila Jeffreys and Jenna Snyder-Phillips to enhance the settings. “The art in hotels is usually an afterthought, said Adler. Here it was the first thing I thought about.”

The hotel’s 42,000 square foot award-winning Eau Spa is not to be missed. From the expert mani, pedis, facials and massages to the whirl pool, steam, sauna and rain showers, it’s your day in Nirvana. The Eau Zone’s Relaxation Lounge with luxurious cabanas allows for a total sensory escape. One of the spa’s services I’d recommend is the Scrub & Polish Bar that allows you to choose from a dozen formulas and of course there is a full service hair salon. Trust me, you’ll be in heaven.

Other amenities at the resort include Har-tru tennis courts, two swimming pools and a pirate ship themed playground with mini rock-climbing walls for the children. There’s also a varied menu of activities for the whole family including a sea life exploration excursion and for the young adults why not create your own rock band in the hotels state of the art DJ studio or dance in Coast, the social space? Enormous coconut palms shade the pools and courtyard, which are serviced by attendants who will fulfill your every wish from drinks and sunscreen to cool face towels.

Culinary Pursuits

Dining at Eau Palm Beach tantalizes the senses just as much as the rest of the resort.

All the restaurants at the property use fresh ingredients sourced locally in combination with a wide array of imported items such as rare caviars and artisanal cheeses. The breakfast buffet is among the very best in South Florida with an endless selection of treats and taking in the unparalleled view of the ocean from the terrace is how you want to start your day. Lunch and light bites are also served in this sprawling outdoor space.

The modern American Angle restaurant offers fresh line-caught fish, dry-aged prime beef, a unique selection of cocktails and an extensive wine collection. The posh décor sets the scene for the restaurant’s wow factor, an underlit onyx and amber chef’s table strategically placed in the center of the dining room. Try the crab burger with fries and fresh lemonade or the tamarind glazed short ribs with a decadent black truffle lunette. The house sangria, prepared tableside, is quite a novelty and the swanky lobby-side Stir Bar serves signature beverages on the open-air terrace or around a cozy fire pit. On Friday and Saturday nights the Asian flavorings of local celebrity chef Sushi Jo attracts the foodie crowd before a live DJ spins for late night revelers.

Where to Go and What to Do

Eau Palm Beach is 15 minutes from Worth Avenue, Palm Beach’s premiere shopping street, as well as the areas best restaurants and nightspots.

Dine at the iconic Ta-Boo, have drinks at The Colony and if you know a member, have dinner at Mar-a-Lago, Donald’s Trump’s posh private club, once the home of cereal heiress Marjorie Merriweather Post and her daughter, Dina Merrill, who still reigns as Palm Beach’s grand dame. Check out renowned chef Clay Conley’s menu at Buccan and Daniel Boulud’s Café Boulud at The Brazilian Court Hotel. And you might want to consider spending time at the Alchemist Gastropub, which serves bacon instead of nuts at the bar, and brings out an attractive late night crowd. Even The Breakers has a hot new spot called HMF named after oil tycoon Henry Morrison Flagler that attracts the “pretty young things” of Palm Beach society. Of course, before hitting the beach head to the PB Boys Club to pick-up a paddleboard.

Palm Beach is and always has been the epitome of tropical luxury and Eau Palm Beach is the newest jewel on its shores. With a frisky feel that still stays true to the opulent aura that the beach community is synonymous with, you’ll check in for a weekend and never want to leave.

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