It’s not every birthday that calls for an infinity pool and a tropical island backdrop — but my cousin Marina’s 60th absolutely did.
We gathered in the foyer at the Koh Samui Wellness Sanctuary, where I’d so often experienced sun-soaked days melting into balmy evenings of Thai feasts, laughter and long, meandering conversations. But on this visit, we were visiting to experience the High Tea, available on a One Day Pass.
“How can you possibly have a healthy High Tea?” my cousin asked, clearly picturing fluffy lemonade scones piled high with clotted cream and jam, dainty cucumber sandwiches and fine porcelain teacups filled with Ceylon tea.
Everything at Kamalaya is healthy, I assured her — and that includes High Tea. I said it confidently, knowing the philosophy behind the sanctuary. Co-founder Karina Stewart, a Master of Traditional Chinese Medicine, has long championed food as medicine, ensuring every dish served nourishes body and soul.
But it wasn’t just about High Tea. It was about gifting ourselves a full day of relaxation at one of the world’s most celebrated wellness retreats.
Seeing Kamalaya Through Fresh Eyes
I’ve been visiting Kamalaya for more than a decade, yet showing my cousin around felt entirely new. Seeing it through her eyes — wide with delight — reminded me why I fell in love with it in the first place.
“Gosh, this rosemary bread is divine,” she declared over breakfast at Amrita Café, reaching for another turmeric shot. “Imagine making this at home!”
We explored the twin pools overlooking the ocean, wandered through the steam cavern carved into granite boulders, and allowed the pace of island life to slow us right down.
Then came the massage — Kamalaya’s signature Vital Essence Oil Massage. For an hour, skilled hands worked in long, flowing strokes, easing tension we didn’t even realise we were carrying. Afterwards, we sat quietly with cups of fragrant lemongrass tea, the warm breeze brushing our skin, both of us deliciously floaty.
The sanctuary itself seems designed to soften you. Built gently around giant granite boulders on a sloping hillside, it feels more like a sacred hideaway than a resort. Below, the ocean stretches endlessly — a constant reminder to breathe deeply and slow down.
A Dish Worth Returning For
No visit to Kamalaya is complete without sharing my favourite dish: the famous mung bean risotto at Amrita Café. It’s so popular it has remained on the menu for years. Creamy, comforting and entirely plant-based, it’s the kind of meal that makes you reconsider everything you thought you knew about “healthy” food.
Even on a wellness day, however, we couldn’t help looking forward to the main event — High Tea.
Kamalaya High Tea, Reinvented
High Tea at Kamalaya is served daily from 2–5pm in the serene Alchemy Tea Lounge. Guests can choose between a Classic menu or a Detox (anti-inflammatory) option, and it can even be enjoyed privately in your villa.
The introduction of High Tea is part of Kamalaya’s commitment to evolving its offerings — particularly important when so many guests return year after year.
While afternoon tea may be rooted in 19th-century England, its spirit — pausing, gathering, connecting — feels universal. And here, it’s given a distinctly wellness-focused twist.
The Detox menu leans into ingredients such as ginger, turmeric, lemon and honey. The Classic option honours tradition — sandwiches, scones, cakes and pastries — but reimagines them using whole, natural ingredients like wholegrain flour, coconut cream and fresh tropical fruit.
We opted for Classic.
Lobster-topped bites arrived alongside delicate sweets and a glossy chocolate mousse, each presented on exquisite dishware with colourful napery. The mocktails were almost too pretty to drink — especially the Silhouette, a sparkling roselle infusion with mulberry, lychee and rose tea.
Between sips and shared stories, overlooking the ocean, something shifted. The experience wasn’t indulgent in the traditional sense — it was nourishing. There was no heaviness, no sugar crash, just a lingering sense of lightness and gratitude.
The Perfect Island Reset
It was my first time experiencing Kamalaya as a day guest rather than an in-house resident — and it was a beautiful reminder that even one day can recalibrate you.
We returned to our villa on the other side of Koh Samui feeling restored, reconnected and deeply content. Celebrating a milestone birthday just for one day in this special place was special enough.
For women who love travel that feeds not just the passport but the soul, Kamalaya’s Day Pass offers a perfect island reset — a reminder that sometimes the most meaningful luxury is simply the space to pause.
Mung Bean Risotto Recipe
- 100g Mung beans, cooked
- 20g Pumpkin, peeled and diced
- 20g Carrot, diced
- 20g Asparagus, diced
- 20g Long beans
- 20g Onion
- 200mL Coconut milk
- 5mL Truffle oil
- 10mL Olive oil
- 3g Garlic, crushed
- 10g Spring onion
- 1g Sea salt
- 1g Black pepper
- 3g Sunflower sprouts
Method
- Soak the mung beans overnight and drain the water before using them the next day. Add fresh water and cook them for about an hour until they become soft.
- Then bring the coconut milk to simmer and add the cooked mung beans, garlic, pumpkin, long beans, carrot, and asparagus. Simmer for approximately 5 or 10 minutes until the vegetables start to soften.
- Add sea salt, pepper, truffle oil and chives to finish.
- Put the risotto in a bowl and garnish with sunflower sprouts.
The multi-award winning Kamalaya Wellness Sanctuary is located on the southern coast of Koh Samui, Thailand. Founded by John and Karina Stewart in 2005, Kamalaya offers immersive wellness experiences that inspire, motivate, and empower our guests to achieve their wellbeing goals and become better versions of themselves. Kamalaya’s wellness programs support guests in their health goals to achieve optimal wellbeing, while supporting them to reconnect to the true source of healing and creativity within and to feel life’s potential.