After our wedding the hubby and I jetted off to Thailand for our honeymoon. We spent the first half in Phuket. We decided to stay in the Hilton Arcadia on Karon Beach. Much hype is made of Patong, but for a honeymoon we felt Karon was much more serene. The Hilton Arcadia itself was an amazing resort. We had a sea facing suite, which had an excellent view of the beach. The room was spacious and clean and the bathroom was huge! The resort was massive! It boasts tennis courts, a spa, 4 pool areas and there's even a shopping area within the resort.
 |
| A Nice Touch by the hotel staff |
 |
| The Bathrooms - clean & Spacious |
The buffet breakfast boasted a wide variety of local and international dishes, but it wasn't of the best quality. The best part of the resort is that you literally cross the road and you're on the beach. The view from our room:
 |
| The sea view |
We took a day tour to Phang Na Bay (known as James Bond Island, since one of the movies was shot there). It took about 1.5 hrs to get out there by boat. We spent the day jumping off the boat for a swim, canoeing through the caves with our guide John, who was fantastic in explaining all about the different caves, the formations and the difference between stalactite and stalagmite. The hubby was super interested in this, but just being out there in that beautiful environment was more than enough for me.
 |
| Phang Na Bay - Beautiful! |
 |
| Phang Na Bay aka "James Bond Island |
 |
| Canoeing through the caves: Mind your head! |
 |
| One of the cave entrances during high tide |
We were treated to lunch and supper, freshly made on the boat by local ladies, the prawn soup in particular was delicious. As the eve drew in, our guides taught us how to make a "Kratong" which is basically Thai origami. For one last time we canoed into the caves, lit our candle in the Kratong and let it float on the water within the cave. As newly weds, this was super romantic and the site of a cave filled with floating lamps was simply breath taking.
 |
| The food on offer was amaze! |
 |
| The hubby and I made this "Kratong" |
The next day was Phi Phi and its surrounding islands. We visited 8 islands in total. Here we left on speedboat and it took close to two hours to get there. If you're looking for glistening blue beaches, white sands and perfect sunshine, then this is the place to be. We swam and snorkeled to our hearts content. The beaches are incredible, and the crystal clear water makes it perfect for snorkeling.
 |
| The Crystal Clear waters of Phi Phi Island |
As a medical doctor I was so surprised to see the hospital, literally on the beach! Man, if I could workd there!
 |
| Phi Phi Island Hospital - would be a dream to work here! |
If you're planning one of these day tours here are some tips:
- Wear your bathing suit under your clothes, there's not always a place to change.
- Unless you don't mind sharing with strangers, take your own snorkeling gear.
- Don't forget to pack a towel, hat & sunscreen lotion.
- Carry minimal valuables. I took a lock to lock my camera and valuables in my bag and left it on the boat when we swam on Phi Phi Island. On the Phang Na tour, our guides were nice enough to lend us waterproof bags.
- I would totally recommend buying one of those disposable underwater cameras, the colourful coral and underwater life is a treat!
Karon Beach is 15 minutes away from Patong, where the famous Phuket nightlife happens. So once the sun had set, we'd head out to Patong to enjoy the evening. We tried "Patong Seafood" restaurant and the food was exemplary. I would also recommend stopping by one of the pancake vendors to grab the best pancakes ever!
 |
| Patong Beach Pancakes: A must have! |
We were lucky that out resort provided ample entertainment. On the evenings we didn't want to go out, we simply stayed at the hotel bar, enjoyed the live band and sipped on cocktails.
We also spent one eve taking a stroll through Kata Beach which is just down the road. This is a must especially if you enjoy roadise shopping, this area is packed with little stalls and you can pick up some really good bargins!
We had such an incredible time in Phuket, but much to my delight, it was only the beginning. Next stop: Koh Samui!
No comments:
Post a Comment