RO: Atentie, urmeaza un articol siropos 🙂
Luxul, in afara de ceea ce incontestabil stim cu totii, este despre timp, spatiu, intimitate, sustenabilitate, reconectare, cunoastere … Luxul de a-ti permite sa-ti manevrezi timpul in asa maniera incat sa-l faci sa nu mai existe. Luxul de a-ti crea un spatiu in care sa te poti armoniza cu ceea ce tu esti. De a-ti oferi suficienta intimitate sa te descoperi. Sa te cunosti, sa te imbratisezi. Si dupa ce toate resursele iti vor fi fost alimentate, atunci e cazul sa-ti permiti luxul de a impartasi si altora ce tocmai ai invatat 🙂
Experienta este ceea ce-ti face inima sa tresara, ochiul sa fie curios, mintea sa iti zburde departe. Este ceea ce-ti ramane dupa ce un amalgam de lucruri au alergat prin tine. Este ceea ce, daca ai lua-o de la capat, ar imbraca alte forme si culori ca un caleidoscop nebun.
Cand luxul si experienta se intalnesc s-ar putea sa fii martorul unui fenomen interesant, nemaivazut pe o insula superba din Golful Thailandei 🙂 V-am prevenit ca s-ar putea sa fim siroposi, nu? 🙂
EN: Warning: corny article ahead 🙂
Aside from what we obviously know, luxury is about time, space, intimacy, sustainability, reconnecting, knowledge… Luxury is being able to manage your time in such a way that it ceases to exist. The luxury of creating yourself a space where you can be in harmony with what you are. Of giving you the intimacy necessary to discover yourself. Knowing yourself, embracing yourself. And after your resources have been replenished, then you can afford the luxury of sharing with others what you’ve just learned. 🙂
The experience is what makes your heart skip a beat, spark curiosity in your eyes, let your mind roam freely. It’s what is left after a mixture of things run through you It’s what, if you had to do it all over again, would come in different shapes and colors like a crazy kaleidoscope. When luxury and experience meet you might witness an interesting phenomenon, never seen before, on a beautiful island in the Gulf of Thailand 🙂 I warned you this might get corny, didn’t I?:)
RO: Soneva Kiri se afla la doar o ora si putin de Bangkok, in Koh Kood. O ora si putin de zburat cu avionul. O ora si putin de zburat cu un privat jet Cessna Grand Caravan. Adica tipul ala de avion in care am zis ca nu o sa intru-n veci 🙂 Revenind, noi am am zburat de pe Suvarnabhumi, aeroportul principal al Bangkok-ului spre Mai Si, aeroportul principal al … Soneva Kiri. Caci da, resortul are insula lui, propriul aeroport si propriul avion. Ca aeroportul este defapt o casuta simpatica menita sa tina loc de umbra si de stativ al initialelor lui, asta e partea a doua 🙂
EN: Soneva Kiri is just an hour away from Bangkok, in Koh Kood. An hour and a few minutes by plane. An hour of flying with a Cessna Grand Caravan private jet. Meaning the type of plane I swore myself I’d never step foot in 🙂 Anyways, we took off of Suvarnabhumi Bangkok’s main airport, to Mai Si — Soneva Kiri’s main airport. Because yes, the resort has its own island, its own airport, and its own plane. That the airport is actually a cute house meant to keep shade to its initial is another story. 🙂
RO: Experienta Soneva incepe inca de acasa cand frumos mail-ul te anunta ca ai un mesaj in Inbox care-ti cere foarte clar sa-ti alegi … tipul de perna pe care vrei sa dormi, aroma preferata pe care vrei s-o simti in camera sau aromele gelurilor de dus. Ce muzica ai vrea sa ai in playlist, ce fel de dieta tii sau ce cai verzi pe pereti visezi si ei ti-i pot lasa in fata casei 🙂
EN: The Soneva experience starts at home when your inbox notifies you that you have a new email asking you to choose…. the type of pillow you want to sleep on, your favorite room scent or shower gel scent. What music you’d like to have on your playlist, what diet you’re on or whatever else you can dream on and they can provide for you 🙂
RO: Nu stii cand ajungi in avion, uiti ca ai zis ca n-o sa urci, te holbezi la avalanasa de butoane de pe bord si aproape ca nu-ti vine sa crezi ca stai ca-ntr-un van de lux, cu piloti in loc de soferi. Da da, va dam voie sa radeti, ca asa e prima oara cand mergi c-un “8 locuri”: te bucuri ca un copil tampitel. Cum ziceam, avantajul de a zbura cu un private jet este ca totul decurge asa de lin ca nu stii cand hop-top esti in barca, bei un cocktail si faci cunostinta cu Mr. Friday-ul personal ce-ti va canta in struna pe toata durata sejurului 🙂
EN: You don’t realize when you get on the plane, you forget you said you’d never step foot in it, you stare at the avalanche of buttons and controls and you almost can’t believe you’re sitting in what is basically a luxury van with pilots instead of drivers. Yes, you’re allowed to laugh cause that’s how it goes when you ride with an “eight seater”: you rejoice like a little kid. As I said, the advantage of flying with a private jet is that everything runs so smoothly that you don’t even realize when you’ve landed on the boat, drinking a cocktail and getting acquainted with your personal Mr. Friday set to be at your beck and call the entire trip 🙂
RO: De pe Mai Si esti escortat pret de 5 minute cu un buggy spre speed boat-ul de transfer, unde dupa alte 5 minute ti se da in primire buggy-ul personal (bine, haide sa-i dau Cezarului ce-i al Cezarului si sa fiu de acord cu Matei ca-s niste masini electrice de golf, foarte dischisite si bine intretinute). Mr Friday-ul nostru ( sau pe mai si engleza: personal butler) a fost defapt o “Mrs”, pe nume Milk. Si nu, sa nu credeti ca va sufla-n ceafa de la inceput si pana la final. Nici vorba de-asa ceva! Prezenta discreta, regulamentara, dimineata si seara, ca sa nu ti se aplece de la atata rasfat 🙂
Si haide ca vreau sa va invit in casa si tot nu plecam de pe ponton 🙂 Doar ca as vrea sa va mai retin cu un aspect ce numai un resort “nebun” cu atentia la detalii poate avea. Introducerea in resort ( la fel ca si plecarea) se fac asemenea unor ritualuri menite sa te initieze in ceea ce va urma sa ti se intample. Toata lumea e prezenta, toti te saluta, evident toti iti cunosc numele si, mai evident, sunt acolo sa-ti faca pe plac 🙂
EN: From Mai Si you are escorted with a buggy during a 5 minute ride to the transfer speed boat, where, after another 5 minutes, you are given your very own personal buggy (ok, let’s give credit where it’s due and agree with Matei when he says they’re very bougie electric golf carts). Our Mr. Friday (or commonly known as a personal butler) was actually a Mrs. named Milk. And don’t think she’s going to be your shadow for the entire trip cause it’s not the case! Very discreet, appropriate presence, morning and evening so you don’t get spoiled rotten 🙂
I want to invite you in but we can’t seem to leave the deck 🙂 There’s just one more thing I’d like to mention, something only a crazy about details resort could have. The welcoming to the resort (as well as the goodbye) is basically a series of rituals meant to initiate you to everything that’s about to go down. Everybody is present, everybody greets you, obviously everyone knows your name, and even more obvious is that they’re there to indulge you 🙂
RO: Gata, dupa un tur al celor mai importante locuri din resort (la care o sa revenim curand ca doar n-o sa tinem pentru noi faptul ca au un loc unde poti manca atata cata inghetata poftesti, cata ciocolata poti si cata branza duci 🙂 ) Milk ne-a dat in primire vila. Una cu vedere la mare, de toata frumusetea. Ah, si am uitat sa zicem ca, printr-un mister interesant, totul miroase a lemongrass de cand urci in avion si pana … urci in avion din nou 🙂
Revenind, vila era impartita in cateva zone cheie: piscina si locul ce o deserveste (cu frigider, loc de relaxare, umbrar, dus si toate cele) dormitorul, dressing-ul si baia exterioara (cu tot cu dusurile ei, cada si … ati ghicit, alta zona de relaxare). Absolut toate lucrurile se imbina atat de bine si natural incat nu de putine ori ne-am pus intrebarea: “Oare cum de nu ne-am gandit si noi la asta? Cat de simplu si de efect este”. Nimic nu pare intamplator pus si clar totul este aranjat incat sa-ti anticipeze miscarea cu 10 pasi inainte, asemenea unui jucator profesionist de sah 🙂
EN: That was it after a tour of the most important places in the resort (to which we’ll come back soon since we wouldn’t dare to keep only to ourselves the fact that they an all you can eat ice cream, chocolate and cheese place 🙂 ) and Milk turned over our villa. A beautiful seaside view one. Oh, and we forgot to mention that, through some sort of magic sorcery, everything from the moment you board the plane until you board it again smells like lemongrass 🙂
Circling back, the villa was divided into a few key areas: the pool area (with a fridge, chill spot, shower, and whatnot), the bedroom, the dressing and outdoor bathroom (accompanied by its own showers, bathtub and, you guessed it, chill spot). Everything blends in so perfectly and naturally that we more often than not wondered “how come we didn’t think of this? It’s so simple yet has a wow factor to it”. Nothing looks like it was placed at random and clearly, everything is arranged in a way that is 10 steps ahead of you, as if a professional chess player 🙂
RO: Si sa stiti ca oricat de mult am fi vrut sa avem si noi un articol organizat pe caprarii, cu zone de mancare, activitati, si toate cele ca la carte, tot alandala le relatam asa cum ne vin in cap, din toata avalansa de amintiri frumoase pe care le avem de aici. Asadar, cu ce sa va servesc pentru inceput? Un caramel sarat, un “afternoon tea”, fructul pasiunii sau mango? Mascarpone, iaurt, ceai tailandez sau miere? Adica peste 40 de tipuri de inghetata pe care Soneva le are intru delectarea oaspetelui cu ceva dulce intre 11am si 11pm 🙂 Pai e frumos asa? Sa ne fie atat de greu sa alegem? Si daca mai poti, chiar a coté de “inghetatarie” se afla o camera dulce cu tot felul de tipuri de ciocolata, de nuci si de macarons, adica un loc de decadenta maxima ce te trimite incet si sigur spre sala de sport (pe care, personal, n-am vizitat-o dar Matei poate sa confirme ca este de prima clasa.:) )
EN: And no matter how much we wanted to keep this a neat and tidy article, with designated paragraphs for food, activities and doing everything by the book, we still ended up telling the story as we remember it from the avalanche of beautiful memories we hold from this place. Therefore, what should I serve you first? Salted caramel, an “afternoon tea”, passion fruit or mango?
Mascarpone, yogurt, Thai tea or honey? Meaning over 40 varieties of ice cream that Soneva has to delight their guests between 11 am and 11 pm 🙂 Not cool! So hard to choose! And if you still have room, right next to the ice cream room, there is another room filled with all types of chocolate, nuts and macarons, basically a place of extreme decadence that pushes you slowly to the gym (which I, personally have not visited, but Matei can confirm that it’s top notch 🙂 )
RO: La “The View” ai parte de un fine dining cu muncaruri europene nascocite de maine de chef cu stele Michelin, de vinuri fine si privelisti fara de pret. La restaurantul “Benz” (ce se afla la iesirea din resort) doamna cu acelasi nume iti gateste mancaruri thailandeze. Fine si ele, ca altfel chiar ca nu se poate. In timp ce la “So Chilled” si “North Beach” ai parte de atmosfere mai relaxate si mancaruri mai uzuale dar nelipsite de fainoşag 🙂 Asta in timp ce TreePod iti ofera o experienta culinara la inaltime pe care sub cuvant de onoare ca, nu numai ca n-am mai experimentat-o, insa a fost total neasteptata. De la nivelul solului esti urcat intr-un “cuib” de bambus pana deasupra copacilor, micul dejun (sau ceaiul, sau pranzul, sau cina, depinde pentru ce optezi) iti este adus de un chelner ancorat de un zip-line in timp ce tu savurezi privelistea in centura de siguranta (si nu, nu este nici periculos si nici instanbil dar asa le place lor, sa sufle si-n iaurt 🙂 )
EN: At “The View”, you get fine dining with European dishes created by the hands of a Michelin star chef, fine wines and views to die for. At “the Benz” restaurant (which is located at the exit from the resort) the lady with the same name cooks Thai cuisine. Fine as well, we wouldn’t have it any other way. Meanwhile, at “So Chilled” and “North Beach” you get a more relaxed vibe and more casual dishes while still keepin’ it fresh. 🙂 And at “TreePod” you are offered a “dine in the sky” experience which not only was a first for us, but it was also totally unexpected. From the ground you are boarded to a bamboo “nest” and lifted above the trees for breakfast (or tea, lunch, dinner, depending on what you choose) that is brought to you by a waiter anchored on a zip-line while you enjoy the view safely belted to your seat ( and no, it’s neither dangerous or unstable, but they prefer being safe to being sorry 🙂 )
RO: Au pana si un cinematograf in aer liber, cu popcorn si tot ce trebuue pe care l-am ratat la mustata (pesemne sa ne fi retinut o inghetata de mascarpone mai mult decat trebuia 🙂 ) si inclusiv un observator ce se roteste dupa … stele 🙂 Ca sa nu mai zic de locul de joaca pentru copii care e o imensitate ce ar face si pe omul mare sa piarda cateva ore bune pe-aici.
EN: They even have an outdoor movie theater with popcorn and everything you need which we missed by a hair (it must’ve been a mascarpone ice cream that kept us away 🙂 ) and an observatory that revolves around…the stars 🙂 Not to mention the playground which is huge and would make anyone wander around for hours.
RO: Cat despre activitatile de aici, zile sa tot ai sa le faci pe toate. Lectii de gatit mancare thailandeza (am ratat tainele Som Tam-ului dar ramane pentru data viitoare 🙂 ), snorkeling, croaziere la rasarit sau apus, degustari de vinuri, cascade, treking, clase de alchimie … Multe, v-am zis 🙂
EN: Regarding the activities you can do around here, you just need time to do ‘em all. Thai cuisine cooking lessons (we missed out on Som Tam’s secrets, but we’ll take a raincheck 🙂 ), snorkeling, cruises at sunset or sunrise, wine tasting, waterfalls, trekking, alchemy classes…. It’s a lot, I told you 🙂
RO: Mai presus de toate, cea mai importanta experienta pe care Soneva Kiri o ofera (la fel ca toate locatiile Soneva din Maldive) este aceea de sustenabilitate. Legumele sunt produse in incinta fiecarui resort. Ingrasamantul folosit sunt resturi alimentare provenite de la restaurantele lor, amestecate cu alte resturi vegetale din jungla ce impreuna ofera reteta perfecta pentru un sol organic si fertil. Toata apa este produsa pe insule. Nu exista niciun strop de plastic. Totul este reciclat si transformat in te miri ce obiecte decorative sau utilizat pentru mententanta vileloe. Energia solara este sursa de energie a fiecarei locatii. Isi produc singuri bio diesel-ul si incearca sa gaseasca in mod constant solutii pentru a diminua amprenta de carbon pe care transportul cu avionul o lasa. Au fost printre primii care au banat “infuzia” de sticle de apa de plastic pe insule si printre putinii care se gandesc la mediu intr-un mod foarte responsabil ai care au inteles ca nu poti sa iei fara sa dai in schimb si ca, odata ce ai descoperit niste taine e bine sa nu le tii pentru tine daca te intereseaza ca ceea ce e in jurul tau sa dureze pentru cat mai mult timp.
EN: More than anything, the most important experience Soneva Kiri has to offer (same as all Soneva resorts in the Maldives) is sustainability. The vegetables are grown inside each resort. They use food waste from their restaurants as fertilizer, mixed with other vegetable waste from the jungle, a mixture that results in organic and fertile soil. The water comes from the islands. There isn’t a hint of plastic in sight. Everything gets recycled and transformed into decorative objects or used for villas maintenance. Solar energy powers all of the buildings. They make their own biofuel and are constantly trying to find solutions to diminish their carbon print from the airplane transport leaves behind. They were the first ones to ban the “infusion” of plastic bottled water on the islands and among the few that care about the environment in a very responsible way and understood that you can’t take without giving something in exchange, and that, once you have discovered certain tricks it’s not ok to keep them to yourself if you care about your surroundings lasting for as long as possible.
RO: Si, gata, cu un ultim detaliu va mai retinem si promitem ca intrerupem “siroposeala” imediat 🙂 Trei cuvinte: Six Senses Spa … adica locul unde intri om si iesi super-om 🙂
EN: One last detail before we cut the “sweetness” short 🙂 Three words: Six Senses Spa … the place you go in a human and come out a superhuman 🙂
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