Phuket Trip Apr'14 - Airport transfer & city day tour

Airport Transfer
After some research online, I am glad I went with Phuket Connect Transfers. Single trip from airport to resort costs us THB800 (other sites have given higher quotes) & the duration fmo airport to resort took round 1 hour.

Day 1 of our trip - Our flight landed at 10.10am local time but the immigration queue took aeons to clear, we only exited the terminal at 11am. Fortunately the driver did not forsake us. I certainly heaved a huge sigh of relief when I still saw him waiting patiently outside the airport holding up my name on a cardboard. Best part about booking with Phuket Connect Transfers is you only pay the driver after he has sent you to your destination. I believe there are other sites which require pre-payment with credit card. I certainly do not want to risk paying only to have the driver do a no-show.

On our last day, we again hired the same company for a half day service. 4 hours for THB1,700 (~ S$68) & the final drop-off at Phuket airport. It is critical to mention in your request for quotations that you require drop-off at the airport because the location of the airport is pretty far off & requires considerable travelling time. This is an important factor for planning your itineraries, definitely wouldn't want to miss your flight!

Email: info@phuketconnecttransfers.com
 Web: www.phuketconnecttransfers.com

Phuket Sightseeing & City Tour
Day 2 of our trip - Why not just kick back relax & engage a tour guide & driver to bring us round the city? Besides its the first time my other half is in Phuket. Private tour for 2 THB2,000 (~$80) & extra charge for the remote location of our resort THB200 (~$8). Well, like what the guide says, Avista Faraway.

Attractions visited -
Karon Viewpoint
Phuket Big Buddha
Wat Chalong
Cashew Nut Factory
Gem Factory

Of course the cashew nut & gem factory were not places we wanted to visit but it was part of the tour as part of the local tourism board's effort to promote their local industries. Don't worry, there is no hardselling, just take a walk around & you are free to go. We did buy a few cans of cashew nut as they are pretty tasty! Each can for THB199 (~ S$8). Comes in various flavours, we bought Tom Yum, BBQ & Wasabi.

Much of the time was spent on the bus, driving round scenic routes. We requested for drop-off at the weekend night market at the end of the tour but as you would have guessed it, the tour guide persuaded us to do a Thai massage at this shady massage place . Don't be mistaken, the place is not some "lup sup" or inappropriate business, it is a legitimate massage parlour just that it would be equivalent to the foot reflexology joints we find here in Singapore. 1hr Thai massage for 2 pax, THB800 (~S$32). Before the driver & guide left, we were negotiating on price for transportation on our 3rd day. THB2,000 for 4hrs (tour guide & driver) & final drop-off at airport, in the end we didn't engage her as prices were too steep!

As we were short of Thai Baht, we made a stopover (or rather WALKED) at Central Mall which was a 15mins walk away (& also along the way to our final destination the weekend market), we exchanged our monies at Thai Military Bank (TMB) on the 2nd floor of the mall. Rates were comparable to Singapore money changers. Central Mall also offers free WiFi for tourists, just register at the Information Counter with your passport.

The tour guide convinced us that the weekend night market was well within walking distance from the massage parlour, boy oh boy, we walked for a great distance under the sweltering sun before arriving at our destination! More details on the night market in next post!

Email: info@PhuketHotDeals.com
Web: PhuketHotDeals.com

Phuket trip Apr'14 - Flight & accomodation

Flight
JetStar sale tickets $448 for 2, departs on Fri 18 Apr 8.20am & returning on 20 Apr 10pm. Flight landed puncutally but immigration at Phuket airport took an hour to clear (can you believe it??). We did not encounter any delays for our departing flight on 20 Apr :)

Resort
Location - Booked a 2N stay (THB12,000 ~S$500) in Club Vista room at the luxurious Avista Hideaway Resort & Spa, located up the hill (exact location is Tri Trang Beach) from Patong Beach. Location of this resort is not most convenient, the tour guide which brought us round the city on Day 2 joked that this is Avista Faraway. Also, when looking for transport back to resort from the weekend market, taxi quoted us THB700 (~ S$28) again because of location. Transportation back to Patong Beach would probably at best only cost round THB500 (~ S$20).

I picked this resort as I wanted peace & tranquility considering we were visiting during the Easter long weekend, I would expect Patong Beach to be packed with tourists & parties late into the night. And this resort only opened its doors in 2012, everything is new which is something I really like. Pardon the cleanliness freak in me but I would hate to imagine head lice crawling on used pillows and bedsheets!

Day 1 of our trip - When we arrived at the resort on Day 1, it was approximately 12pm local time. Once you step into the main reception area, you can't help but be blown away by the lovely scenery. Being immersed in such lush greenery all around the resort, the unblocked view is simply breathtaking. Official check-in was at 2pm but fortunately the staff was accommodating enough to allow us to check-in ahead of 2pm, we waited approximately 20mins for the staff to prepare our room. We eagerly explored the resort & snapped many pictures while sipping on the welcome drinks.

The walk from reception desk to our room requires a fair bit of navigation but nothing too mind boggling :) I was pretty disappointed to find out that none of the rooms have a sea-view because of the orientation of the resort. To my dismay, our room 902 faces barren lands, probably pending construction works to be done. Looking down from the balcony you would see the Club Vista pool :) The room is spacious & the lightings create a warm & cosy ambience, perfect for relaxation!

Right after we checked into our room, we crashed & took a nap & only got up in the afternoon to catch the hotel shuttle to Jungceylon. Our hungry tummies settled upon Urban Food for lunch, food was nothing to shout about & prices were comparable to Singapore X_x.

After lunch we strolled around Patong area before our cooking class at 4pm.

Breakfast - Our room reservations included buffet breakfast served at Vista - The Restaurant every morning, food variety is not too shabby! I certainly enjoyed my sumptuous breakfast for the 2 consecutive mornings, in particular the high ceilings & surrounding greenery makes you feel very refreshed & recharged each morning.

Swimming Pools - The Avista Hideaway has 3 pools - (1) the main pool which is right in front of Vista. (2) The Club Vista is a private pool located right beneath my block of rooms. This is an adult-only pool so for those who want to escape from the screaming kids, this is the pool to go to. (3) The riverside pool, right beneath the main reception area.

Day 3 of our trip - Got up for breakfast before heading to the pool, frolicking in the water & sipping our drinks (Mango ice-blended & Mojito for THB320) by the pool is quite an indulgence! Our return flight was at 10pm & the hotel has kindly extended late check-out at 4pm. We arranged for transport to pick us up at 4pm. Based on my interactions & experiences with local Singapore hotels, none of which has ever offered such late check-out timings. Maybe partly because I am a local doing a staycation, not a tourist waiting to catch a flight.

To sum it up, I am very glad to have booked my stay with Avista. The resort was simply amazing!