An adventure to Thailand… that’s what my friends of 30 years were proposing. Well ok, go on then.
Choosing the destinations and experiences to plump for was the hardest part. Before setting foot in the ‘land of smiles’ I knew there was fun and laughter to be had at every turn. We decided that we wanted to have a trip of contrasts; beach and pool relaxation, alongside first / only time experiences.
My travel companions, Lisa and Carolyn, had been to Bangkok previously, and ideally we wanted this to be a trip of ‘firsts’, so we agreed that our gateway into Thailand would be Phuket. A perfect mix of beach, rainforest, mountain and nightlife – an island in the Andaman Sea, the promise of stunning scenery was realised.
We stayed at Merlin Beach Resort. This property was the perfect home for our four nights in this special part of the world – the rooms were spacious, modern and comfortable, the pool area was expansive (and the swim up bar – bargain!), and the private beach topped it off nicely. I felt as though we were in the right place to be able to access all we wanted to in Phuket.
Merlin Beach Resort
Phuket calls itself ‘Asia’s most popular beach destination’, I can see why the name has stuck. Even though they weren’t on our ‘to do’ list particularly, the snorkelling and diving opportunities are immense, with surrounding islands just a boat ride away.
We had to take the opportunity to visit James Bond Island aka Phang Nga Bay (take a look at Netflights.com’s latest TV ad to see why this was a must!), which we visited on a long tail boat, before heading to the aptly named Monkey Temple!
James Bond Island
Entrance to the Monkey Temple
Monkeying around at the Monkey Temple
We headed to Patong for a wild night out, seeing and hearing sights and sounds like never before… and, after a couple of Changs and cocktails, took a tuk tuk back to our hotel at the end of the evening.
Tuk tuk in Patong
Our remaining days in Phuket were spent soaking up the sun at Merlin Beach Resort, enjoying the live music in the evening and heading to the spa to get ourselves ready for the next part of our adventure in Khao Lak.
Here we’d chosen to stay at Khao Lak Merlin Resort – and it was perfect for us. The resort is sprawling and nature-focused, with lots of greenery and a beautiful beach. The rooms here were lovely – spacious, contemporary and comfortable. We enjoyed spending time at the pool (and once again, the swim up bar became our favourite hangout) and on the beach, but we also had a couple of great evenings just walking around the area chatting to the locals, looking at the ornate shrines and enjoying the hospitality and the very welcoming bars and cafes that line the road.
The pool at Khao Lak Merlin
The Shrine at Khao Lak
Sampling the nightlife of Khao lak
The following day we had booked in for a Thai cooking class, and this exceeded all of our expectations! The chef and his team were so welcoming, and kitted us out with a recipe book and apron… so at least we looked as though we knew what we were doing. We got to grips with three Thai recipes, and of course, enjoyed sampling our handy work after each course. We made spring rolls, spicy prawn soup and beef in oyster sauce – delicious (even if I do say so myself).
Khao Lak Merlin Resort
Khao Lak Merlin Resort
As our trip was coming to an end, relaxation was the order of our remaining time and the beach bar was a great choice from which to enjoy lovely cocktails and amazing views. Cheers. Sà-wàd-dee
Sunset at Khao Lak
Sunset at Khao Lak
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