Thailand is a place that must be on almost every traveller’s bucket list. It certainly was on mine, until I ticked it off with a three-week holiday to Phuket.
Often referred to as the Pearl of the Andaman, Phuket is Thailand’s largest island and a super popular spot for visitors to southeast Asia. With an impressive coastline featuring long stretches of sandy beaches strung together by magnificent rock formations, it has been attracting people to its coasts for decades. What beautiful memories are instilled in my mind, ones that I will treasure forever.
Where we stayed
My husband and I chose to treat ourselves to a few five-star resorts, including the JW Marriott Phuket Resort & Spa, The Vijitt Resort Phuket and the Renaissance Phuket Resort & Spa. We selected them through TripAdvisor reviews and we also browsed the web-sites carefully to figure out their location before committing.
These three are all resorts I highly recommend for quality of service, amenities, number of restaurants on site, pristine beaches and a seriously good entertainment calendar for both adults and children. The best part is that they are all located approximately 30 minutes away from the Phuket’s shopping centres and exciting nightlife.
My advice is, make the most of the amenities offered by each. In the various resorts we attended Thai cooking classes, enjoyed Thai massages almost every day and also went horse-riding at sunset along the beach, which was a first. Bear in mind that in Thailand most services are much less expensive than in Europe.
An impressive coastline featuring long stretches of sandy beaches strung together by magnificent rock formations
One thing we enjoyed every single day, after a morning session at the gym or jogging along the pristine beach fronts, was a full breakfast offering a dazzling and exotic variety of fruits and squashes that ranged from watermelon to kiwi, mango, durian, mangosteen, rambutan or lychee. It is also tradition for hotels to serve shots of fresh ginger, which gives you a wonderful kick, a truly fresh start of the day!
What to do
Excursions are abundant as is nightlife. We obviously checked out Bangla Road in Patong, the unquestionable nightlife centre of Phuket, several times. From 10pm onwards, the town starts buzzing and it does not stop until the early hours of the morning.
Bangla Road is where you will find the biggest clubs, the craziest beer bars and the most interesting shows, including pole dancers, karaoke shows and live singing and dancing. We went to quite a few bars, but our favourite was Bar Funk where we met the Maltese owner – the typical warm Maltese welcome and free drinks on the house were the order of the day.
What to eat
Thai food needs little introduction, its wealth of exotic flavours and fragrances making it among the most coveted of international cuisines. I have always loved Thai food, but enjoying the real thing in Thailand was obviously an experience at a whole new culinary level. Some of the dishes on my ‘must try’ list include the following:
Tom yum goong (Spicy shrimp soup)
Bursting with that quintessential Thai aroma. A bold, refreshing blend of fragrant lemongrass, chilli, galangal, lime leaves, shallots, lime juice and fish sauce forms this classic soup, giving it its legendary herbal kick while the succulent fresh prawns and mushrooms give it body. Its distinctive smell reminds you of exotic perfume, while it’s invigorating sour-spicy-hot taste just screams ‘Thailand’!
Yamnua (Spicy beef salad)
You have to experience the fresh, fiery thrill of yam nua – with its vigorous mix of onion, coriander, spearmint, lime, dried chili and tender strips of beef. It perfectly embodies the invigorating in-the-mouth delight of all Thai salads, the yummy-ness of yam.
Bangla Road is where you will find the biggest clubs, the craziest beer bars and the most interesting shows
Gaeng daeng (Red curry)
Made with pieces of meat, red curry paste, smooth coconut milk and topped off with a sprinkling of finely sliced kaffir lime leaves, this rich, aromatic curry always gets those taste buds tingling.
At its best when the meat is strikingly tender, it is what I would describe as mild, sweet and delicately fragrant. Oh I miss it!
Corn on the cob
Eating freshly grilled corn with salted coconut cream was another idyllic snack in Thailand. For as little as 50 euro cents, we enjoyed this quick bite at the beach washed down with some fresh watermelon juice.
Crab fried rice
Another typical and much loved Thai dish, characterised by its delicate flavours. The crab is really the star of the show, so it is so tasty when served with a very little soy sauce with a hint of lime adding the perfect fresh flavour. Divine!
I visited Thailand two years ago and I believe it’s about time I revisit, this time with my little girl. Certainly the kind of place where one visit won’t be enough.
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