When we were designing The Sarojin it was important for us to ensure that our resort was in total harmony with its natural surroundings and our luscious green garden, complete with lagoon and feature lotus pond, plays a big role in making that possible. Abundant with tropical flora and home to a wide variety of local wildlife, it’s a tranquil setting to relax in during your stay surrounded by the beautiful sights and sounds of nature!
As well as our open grassed lawns and spacious pool area, we also have a number of more secluded ‘sala’ style seating areas dotted around the resort for you to enjoy, alongside the private gardens in each of our residences. What’s more, many of the pathways between our resort facilities are adorned with natural foliage and sheltered by the trees above, evoking a real sense of being part of the surrounding jungles of Khao Lak, and the design of our restaurant, spa and bathrooms in every room take inspiration from bringing the outside in.
To explore the space a little further, Chief Gardener Khun Jom tells us what makes The Sarojin garden such a special space…
“The Sarojin garden is truly magical, filled with such a vast variety of different indigenous flowers and plants to take care of. Alongside me, I have a team of five other gardeners who help maintain the grounds and keep them looking their best all year round. Between us, we have over 48 years’ experience working at The Sarojin – so we know the garden well and have worked hard to create a beautiful and peaceful space for our guests to enjoy.
A day in the life of a gardener at The Sarojin starts early and at 6am we are already out trimming the lawns and sweeping the paths before our guests awake. Most of the morning is often spent tending to the foliage, watering the plants and ensuring they are all looking healthy and happy in their environment. After this, and as our guests begin to emerge from their rooms and enjoy the space, we move on to looking after the new crops in our nursery where we grow orchids, air plants, young pandanus and small bird of paradise plants which will all eventually make their way into our grounds and resort. We also have a herb garden to maintain which provides produce for the restaurant and bar. Here we grow galangal, Thai basil, bird’s eye chillies, wild betel leaf, lemongrass, butterfly peas and kaffir limes.
Throughout the day, we also offer our guests complimentary garden tours where we showcase the grounds and talk about the different plants and animals we grow. During this, if there are ripe coconuts on the tree or edible plants in season, we encourage our guests to try them. We also love to teach the leaf and floral artwork that can be seen around the resort – one of my favourite things to make is a woven leaf hat!
The garden is home to a number of different rare and unusual plant species that are only seen deep within the rainforests and mangroves of southern Thailand. These include the sea pandanus, Indian suicide tree and the Indian oak tree. Flowers in the garden include white orchid, water lily, bird of paradise, spider lily, frangipani and lotus flowers which all provide beautiful colour and scent. Our trees include a native ficus which guests can dine beneath outside our restaurant, pandanas, sea almond, pong pong, coconut and banana trees which provide shade and fruits. My favourite plants in the garden are the lotus flowers that fill our pond, they are so vivid with colour and give you energy every time you see them. The lotus flower also holds a strong significance in Thai Buddhist culture as it represents purity of body, speech and mind.
Whilst the flora is a key aspect of any garden, the real stars of the show in the The Sarojin grounds are the natural inhabitants that also call the resort home. Our resident squirrels are a firm favourite with guests, they love to be fed bananas and can often be seen climbing the coconut trees around the pool. Over 50 species of tropical birds can also be seen (and heard!) including the myna, spotted dove, white throated kingfisher, blue eared kingfisher, brahminy kite, and the chestnut-headed bee-eater.”
To find out more, speak to our team about booking a complimentary garden tour during your stay. Activities including yoga and meditation classes are available from 1,000 THB per person (approx. £25, cooking classes 4,000 THB per person (approx. £100), and private dining experiences 4,000 THB per person (approx. £100) can also be arranged within the grounds upon request.
