Vegan Luxury Resort and Animal Sanctuary to Open in Thailand

Vegan five-star luxury resort PlantLife is slated to open on Koh Phangan island in Thailand. PlantLife was founded with the mission to provide a luxury, vegan travel experience to guests who do not want to compromise their ethics to enjoy a vacation. Founders Joanna and Max Hellier met while traveling and were disappointed with the lack of vegan accommodations, citing that plastic-wrapped slippers, chemical-laden cleaners, and animal-based food menus are hard to avoid at most hotels worldwide. “We aren’t just a hotel,” Max Hellier said. “We are a living, breathing, compassionate business with real values.” Comprised of 23 huge luxury villas on nearly five acres of coconut-producing land, PlantLife will only serve organic vegan food made with locally sourced ingredients; feature furnishings made with pineapple-based leather, bamboo, and organic cotton; strive to be waste-free; and rely solely on solar power. In addition to human guests, the resort will be a sanctuary to 100 rescued animals, including the many cats and dogs rescued from the streets of Thailand. “This place will be a home for them as much as it is for you,” Max Hellier said. PlantLife launched its crowdfunding campaign on Indiegogo on March 16 to raise the $870,000 needed to build the resort. Supporters of the campaign are considered PlantLife members and will be eligible to win one of four weekly prizes of a three-night stay, a giveaway that PlantLife will run for the next three years.