Date: 21 October 2019
This trip began because earlier in the year I won a contest organized by Thailand Tourism where the prize was a two-night stay at a luxury resort in Phuket. I initially kept it thinking me and my brother could treat the rest of my family to an international vacation but when those plans did not pan out, I decided to make use of the prize myself.
I took advantage of Go Air’s direct flight from Bengaluru to Phuket. A ticket I got for Rs. 9k.
It was my first time flying a budget airline to Thailand from Bangalore. I had exclusively flown Thai Airways up until now.
I had downloaded the visa on arrival form, printed it out and filled it up in advance. The queue at the visa on arrival counter was mostly all Indians who had landed along with me and as usual, many had not filled up the form in advance, nor did they fill up the arrival card given to every passenger on the flight. I did both. Since I was also alone, I got my form inspected and done with everything in less than five minutes. After that, immigration didn’t take long.
After collecting my bags, I purchased a local SIM and hired a taxi.
The resort I got the prize for was The Village Resort & Spa on Coconut Island. One of the reasons why I felt bringing my family here wouldn’t have worked out is because the resort is not on main island of Phuket, adding to the cost and inconvenience (for my parents mostly). Guests need to first reach the resort’s ferry terminal.
The tides were low in the morning. The skies were also grey.
Once at the resort, you are greeted by a staff member who will give you a brief overview of the resort amenities prior to checking in.
Needless to say, that’s on the high end for Thailand but then again, The Village is a 5-star resort and on Coconut Island (Ko Kaeo) — the only resort. Yes, other than the resort and a small mosque few metres away, there is nothing else on this island! So if you want exclusivity and be away from Phuket’s crowded beaches, The Village makes for a great recommendation. But if you want to watch your wallet, this place may not be the best option.
Once I was done with lunch, I was told I could check in to the villa. Here is a brief tour of the villa I won as a prize:
This is the front side of the villa with the pool.
It’s when I saw how huge the villa truly was that I felt guilty not bringing my parents here :/ It was way too much space for a single person and there was no way for me to make the most of everything the villa offered in just two nights! I could (currently) never afford to pay and stay in such a villa… so I had regrets not bringing my family who could have also experienced this with me.
Anyway, those regrets were much suppressed after I woke up from my sleep. I was so tired from the red eye flight and after I took bath upon checking in, I fell asleep from 2pm to 7pm. I didn’t wish to spend a lot for dinner so I decided to take the boat back to the main island and see what else I could find.
I took the 8:15pm boat and ended up walking more than a kilometer to get to the Familymart (a Japanese convenience store brand) to pick up snacks and some supplies. There were small, local eateries along the way but many were shutting down (the area was mostly a residential village).
On the way back to the resort, I was told they had their own convenience store. I did check it out but all prices are marked up (obviously) but you do get everything you would get from a convenience store on the main island.
Anyway, this was day one at the resort. I didn’t do anything today besides wait for my room and sleep. I went to bed after doing some work only hoping the weather would be better tomorrow because I just had one day to do my sightseeing.
