RESORT WITHOUT PLANE TICKET

VILLA SAMADHI

"Have you noticed there aren’t any clocks here?” my companion says in a hushed voice. A startling observation, but she’s right. At Villa Samadhi, time seems to come to a standstill.

Getting to the hotel – a former British garrison nestled deep in Labrador Nature Reserve – requires meandering along a winding road surrounded by lush greenery. Away from the bustle of the city, and with all the hotel’s colonial touches, being here feels like stepping back in time. In my room, the stillness is broken only by the soothing sounds of the forest outside the window. 

Instead of magnetic cards to access the rooms, guests get actual brass keys. And batik sarongs are laid out on the bed for you to wear while lounging around the room. Also in keeping with the old-world theme, the kettle in your room is made of copper, while the soap and shampoo are housed in porcelain bottles. Wi-Fi is available, so don’t worry about not being able to update your Instagram account – but you’ll find some dead spots around the hotel grounds which will force you to get unplugged.

We stay in The Sarang Room, among the more luxe of the hotel’s 20 rooms. The star feature is the bathroom – it’s so large that it has double doors. In it is a jacuzzi built into the floor, big enough to accommodate four people and boasting an automated heating system so we can soak in the warm bubbling water even as temperatures dip after dark. It is the perfect prelude to a good night’s sleep in the luxurious king-size bed.

Aside from the excellent food at Thai restaurant Tamarind Hill just across the boardwalk (where guests also have breakfast), you get a complimentary afternoon tea of scones and sandwiches on your first day, and an assortment of delectable homemade kueh on subsequent days. We opt to enjoy our spread in our room, but you can choose to have it in the communal lounge, which has open windows and no air-conditioning (because, you know, #onewithnature). Wash it down with a free flow of cocktails from 5-6pm. Sweet.