Katamanda is a high-end housing estate set in lush jungle overlooking Kata Beach in southwest Phuket. Sixteen privately owned houses are available for rent, long or short term. It may not be a unique idea, but it's certainly a very attractive one.
They range from two- to six-bedroom and every house is large, light, airy, well appointed and totally private. There is nothing else like it in the area.
As soon as you enter the property, you can feel the soothing effects of its surroundings. For many that's precisely the attraction of Katamanda. It's so quiet at night you could hear a dog bark in Burma.
Sun, privacy and peace. A place to get comfortably numb, to soak up the moment, all on your own terms.
You will also leave looking much better than your passport photo.
Each house comes with a different architectural design and interior style - the owner's personal taste rules. Many of them are visual feasts. All are distinctly individual.
Some have walls adorned with asparas and beautiful Khmer wood carvings; some come with tasteful Asian-style layouts with original hangings, Cambodian silks, carved figures, bas-reliefs, tapestries and large flat TV screens on the wall.
Others have a more Mediterranean feel, and one can only be described as laid-back Balinese. They all contain everything you need and much more.
All you have to do is unpack, kick back and fall into your own pool. Later you can hit the local markets, rent some wheels, stock up the fridge and you're set. There are many benefits to this arrangement.
And, if you don't feel like doing any of it, the management will do it for you. And anything else you may want. You can cook or be cooked for, shop or not. Up to you. It's all about choices.
Choosing a house that meets your needs is all part of the fun. If everything was utterly predictable, life wouldn't be worth living and holidays wouldn't be worth taking. In that sense, Katamanda is perfect for the more savvy, self-sufficient traveller.
They have enough taste to pick a beautiful area, and enough vision not to stay in a resort or hotel. Nice as resorts and hotels can be, they do tend to come with certain rules and various restrictions. They also involve, well, other people, and having to be nice to the host. At Katamanda, that's not an issue. The GM John Gill is extremely affable, always helpful and comes stacked with experience.
In essence, those who opt for Katamanda prefer to stay in a place with their own front door. A home away from home that isn't yours, but quickly feels like it is. It allows complete independence. The experience is liberating, and economically, makes a lot of sense. You are completely free to do all sorts of amusing, foolish things. The last thing you want is reality getting in the way, or an itinerary.
Katamanda is also several notches up from a basic holiday rental home. For a start there's nothing basic about any of them and you don't have to clean anything. The maids do all that. Every day. There is meticulous concern for the upkeep. The level of service also creates the impression that you're the only one staying there.
Although it's open to anyone at any time, most guests stay here for a minimum of a week. Whole families or close friends often take their entire summer or winter holidays here.
Security is more than adequate - I was saluted four times before I sat down - while the matured jungle-gardens, a selective blend of waving palms and flowering trees, are tended rather then manicured - and much the better for it. This is Thailand after all, not Wimbledon.
The views are sublime. Being on a hill you can see Kata Beach to your right and Kata Noi Beach to your left. The Andaman Sea is dead ahead. Behind, a massive Buddha statue graces the highest point.
Kata itself has an excellent selection of restaurants and funky shops and they're all just a gentle stroll away. In other words, you are in it, but not of it. Bliss.
Katamanda is also tailor-made for people who love the sea but would prefer to swim in fresh water, as they quite rightly perceive the ocean can be worryingly full of slimy, alien creatures. Much better to quietly lap your own infinity pool while being able to look at the sea, rather than wondering what's wrapping itself around your legs if you were in it.
Katamanda is rather special and very difficult to leave. Take a friend. Take several.
Highly recommended.
At a glance
High points: Ambience, independence, serenity
Low point: If you're lazy you will need wheels.
Pay for it: A two-bedroom house starts at Bt7,000 a night.
Find it: 9/48 Kata Noi Rd., Karon, Muang, Phuket 83100
