ISLE OF STYLE

Escape to this chic hideaway in Phuket where fashion and cocktails are de rigueur and star spotting by the cabana the perfect time killer.

- KENNETH GOH AND TERESA OOI

Could Anantara Mai Khao be the one time you could share poolside cocktails with Lalisa? The acclaimed Blackpink singer, who's starring in the third season of The White Lotus might well be sunning herself in one of the secluded cabanas in this luxurious escape in Phuket between takes.

The critically acclaimed global television hit series will film its third season at the luxurious Anantara Mai Khao Villas in Phuket in April. And if it's anything like our six glorious days sunning on the pristine beaches of Phuket, Lalisa's in for a real treat.

For a start, the resort is filled with wealthy Eastern Europeans. Just at breakfast, it was like a runway Cruise show, with svelte young Russian women parading in their finest silk Cavalli caftans, arms adorned with Cartier stacks and manicured feet shod in Hermès tan Oran slippers. I could see more shapes, sizes and varieties of Dior's Book totes than at their Avenue Montaigne store, and their children and husbands equally decked out in logo tees and bermudas. I felt underdressed in my Under Armour gym gear and didn't quite know where to place my Asics gym sneakers.

There is a distinct family vibe at Anantara Mai Khao during the holiday season. The resort's Sala villas are divine-they come with private plunge pools, a separate dressing room, and huge bathrooms with double sinks that overlook an outside spa bath which leads to the pool. There's also a comfortable cabana with a daybed, two sun lounges, a table and chairs where you can sip a cup of coffee and nibble on Thai delicacies. Or if you must, work quietly on your computer in the shade of the cabana by the pool.