My husband and I choose Phuket as our holiday destination as we have been to
Thailand many times prior but never to Phuket. Our goal was purely to
relax (ok, maybe a spot of shopping!) Our hotel was located on Kata
Beach and hand on heart, I can say from the moment we arrived we felt
welcomed, the Thai people are beautiful hosts and very friendly.
Nearby Kata there are plenty of eateries, in the three nights we were there,
the first night we ate at the Hotel Restaurant, followed by a lovely meal
just down the road at a franchise called Two Chefs. But the highlight was the
third night when we went to the highly recommend Red Duck Restaurant for
authentic Thai Cuisine. To my delight, I was pleased to see there wasn’t any
duck on the menu and this is purely because the owner used to tend to duck’s
as a little boy and sees them as part of his family not food – the full story
is outlined in the menu!
During our three days in Phuket, we made our way around the surroundings
areas, Patong and Karon. Patong, personally is not my cup of tea … it’s busy,
although there is definitely no shortage of bars, restaurants and massage
parlors! I would only recommend this area if you are truly planning a ‘party’
holiday. If you are more interested in the beach and relaxation, then Karon
or Kata Beaches are a lot quieter and appealed to us more. Karon has a few
more restaurants and a little bit more of a buzz over Kata.
As the main reason for our holiday was relaxation and rejuvenation after
three days in Phuket we opted to head over the Phi Phi Island. We stayed at
the Phi Phi Island Village Beach Resort which was so amazing we ended up
extending our stay and cancelled our additional nights in Phuket.
Although expensive to get to, I highly recommend paying the $100+ per person
one-way transfer which picks you up from either Phuket Airport or your Phuket
hotel, drives you to Ao Pier & Marina (where you will see some pretty
amazing super yachts!) but this is also where you then jump on-board the Phi
Phi Island Village Beach Resort private speed boat. This is the
easiest way to get to the resort, otherwise you can take a Ferry from Rassada
Pier to Tonsai Pier followed by a long-boat from to the resort – total travel
time approx. 2-2.5
hours where the speed boat is only 1 hour…. And in the heat, nothing worse
than having to carry your own suitcases!
As far as beach resorts go, Phi Phi Island Village Beach Resort is true
paradise… white sand beach and crystal-clear water. Once we arrived via speed
boat we were welcomed with cold towels, banana & coconut mocktails and a
Thai Cookie. We took a seat in the main entrance (under air con) while the
reception staff checked everyone in. There were approx. 10-15 others on our
speed boat arriving at the same time so you do need a bit of patience while
waiting.
By the time we had been checked in, Boop our concierge guy, for the duration
of our stay, had our luggage on a golf cart waiting to transfer us to our
room. All the rooms are bungalow style, all separated and very, very private.
We were in Deluxe Garden Room which was amazing. Absolutely LOVED this
resort.
There is so much to do on Phi Phi island, at the Island Resort there were two
incredible swimming pools, good activities such as snorkeling and diving as
well as a good range of restaurants and bar areas. Each night there would be
live music playing at each restaurant and just to the back of the resort you
take a walk through the village to experience the local culture and eateries.
One afternoon we took a long boat to the North of the island to snorkel,
although we really enjoyed it and saw all types of tropical fish I would
recommend that anyone planning on a snorkeling trip to take a morning tour as
the water was crystal clear each morning but by 4pm you could see it starting
to cloud over as the tide goes out which perhaps didn’t provide the best
snorkeling experience. It was still enjoyable nether less.
After Phi Phi we flew back to Bangkok to fulfil the shopping desires. While
in Bangkok we stayed at the amazing Anajak Hotel located down a back alley
near the Phaya Thai Metro Station which has a direct link to the airport. The
Anajak is a newish boutique hotel and it’s amazing, I will definitely stay
again next time I’m in Bangkok … let’s not forget to mention they have THE
most comfortable beds in Thailand … or even the world in my opinion! The
Anajak is only a two-minute walk to the metro (maybe less) and only minutes
away from National Stadium by Metro. If small boutique accommodation
isn’t you, then there a plenty 3,4 & 5* hotels in the area.
Shopping in Bangkok is always fun, I just love a good bargain. The best
places for shopping is MBK which is a eight story market (so to speak) to
pick up ‘luxury’ brands – all fake!) … if you don’t mind the odd ‘original
copy’ as the Thai’s say, then this is the place for you. MBK is located at
the National Stadium Metro stop.
For the real thing, directly opposite MBK is Siam Paragon which is another
fabulous mall selling luxury brands such as Chanel, Gucci, Coach, Calvin
Klein etc. and next to that is Siam Discovery. At the other end of
Sukhumvit Road near Asok Station is Terminal 21, this is another mall with a
boutique feel, tend to be a lot quieter than some of the other and you won’t find
any high
street stores. It’s boutiques and on the lower ground floor the most amazing
food market – I think of it as the Harrods of Asia!
Bangkok has some amazing restaurants. One of my all-time favorites is Mango
Tree in Patpong - I have been here many times previously and it never
disappoints! Although Patpong is not the nicest location due to the large
amount of 'private clubs' in the area, it’s great in the evening for a good
Thai meal followed by a walk through the night market.
Another must restaurant in Bangkok is Al Saray Lebanese Restaurant. Al Saray
won World Luxury Restaurant Award in 2017 and I can see why. I have eaten a
lot of Lebanese food in my lifetime, but the food here is the honestly the
best I have ever had. The service was sub standard and very slow but well
worth the wait. A little hint, try not to use the restrooms out the back, it
will ruin your experience!
This trip we attended the Bai Pai Cooking school. The crew picked us up from
our hotel and took us to the school, located approx. 1 hour out of Bangkok.
This day was amazing. Started off with a walking tour through the Schools
herb garden explaining each herb and the history and best use, along with
tastings etc. Each class has a cooking area in one of many outdoor kitchens
where we learnt to make a full 3 course meal, followed by a group lunch and a
cookbook to take away. This really was a highlight in our trip, both my
husband and I loved
our afternoon there.
There are so many other touristy things to see in Bangkok, from the palace,
museums, parks, River Cruises, Floating Markets, all easily accessible via
tuk-tuk – remember to negotiate a price before you get in!
If you are thinking of Thailand as a holiday destination or Bangkok as a
stopover, give me a call and I can give you plenty more ideas to ensure your
trip is the most memorable.  
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