[Photo by Valerie Ng/China Daily]

Choosing the place to stay when you go on a vacation or staycation is vital. In our latest trip to Phuket Island, the biggest island in Thailand, we decided to stay in Indigo Pearl which is less than 10 minutes’ drive from the airport.

Notice the word "resort" or "spa" does not follow the name of the brand, and rightly so. It is more than a spa or a resort. Take a stroll or a tour in a buggy around the vicinity of the compound in itself is a journey of discovery.

Located along Phuket's sheltered northern shore with its own sea front (which means you do not have to share the beach with crowds), Indigo Pearl is magnificently designed by prominent architect and landscape designer Bill Bensley, who is also known as king of luxury resort.

As its tagline goes "A flirtation with bold luxury", Indigo Pearl is a shimmering sanctuary and concept resort that broke new ground with its inspired “industrial chic” reimagining of Phuket's tin mining heritage.

It is a fairy waved a magical wane at the plot and land and turned it into a magical land. In the evenings, blue lighting effects transform the entire property into a fairytale come true.

The tin mining theme is apparent everywhere we go. We were pleasantly surprised to find big and small items in the room, toilets, on the walls, on the ceiling, along the corridors, on the dining table, in the lobby, gardens and more, which act as reminders of the rich tin mining era. Some are custom-made, while others are recycled or remodeled objects.