4 years in Thailand, 1st time in Phuket

The captivating view at the lobby of Pullman Arcadia Phuket

It's almost unbelievable that after 4 long years in Thailand, I finally made my 1st trip to Phuket, and it was actually initiated by work. Don't ask me why, but I am sure my friends in Singapore/Malaysia must have been here many more times than me!

In spite of the pretty boring Central Festival Shopping Mall and sky high taxi prices (I recommend you find a good resort and stay there for most of your trip), I must say that the short staycation I had there with Li Li and Noah after my meeting proved just why after so many years, Phuket is still one of the hottest destinations on the globe.

Noah preparing yet another plane ride, this chap is taking planes at a much higher frequency than taking a bus!

Trusting the recommendation of my potential client based in Phuket, we spent our weekend soaking in the newly-open Pullman Arcadia Resort located along the not-so-crowded Naithong Beach. Built on a steep hill, it boasts breath-taking views over the beach and close proximity to the forests, the best of both worlds for a family residing in urban Bangkok. One thing to note though, is that because of its terrain, it is not easy to walk from your room to the lobby or the beach, especially if you have elderly or small children, so you will need to prepare ample time waiting for the buggy service to bring you around. You are on a relaxing holiday anyway, so just be patient and let the concierge do their stuff!

Cosy room with sofa and bed facing directly at the sea, though not easy to capture on the camera

Noah enjoying himself with Pooky on the comfy bed

Father and son making a fool of themselves during breakfast

Having been in Thailand for so long, cultural shows, night market and street food no longer interest us, so spending all our time at a resort seemed the best way to go, especially in Phuket where it easily costs at least 15USD to go anywhere. We were lucky enough to find a place which is peaceful, beautiful and serves a decent spread for breakfast. In almost all our previous trips to new locations, Li Li and I would always spend 80% of our awake time out of our hotel, exploring as many new things as possible. I guess as we grow older (and especially after having Noah) we are starting to enjoy this new way of leisure, to just forget about time and let the world pass us by.

This trip, though relatively uneventful, was not without its interesting parts. At least, it told us that Noah is really not a waterboy (very much like his Dad). It was very amusing experience bringing him to the beach, where he spent half his time pointing to his feet full of sand screaming "DIRTY! DIRTY!", then into the pool, where he spent all the time trying to get out. I guess it's time to bring him to the pool more often!

Dirty..... My feet are sooo dirty................

For the first time in my life, I carried Noah hands-free with no external help... MAGIC!

Noah then stuck to me like glue for ages after leaving the pool, saying "NICE!" many times, what bliss!

Looks like the Stranger in Bangkok and his family are starting to get used to this kind of sabai-sabai (Thai for relaxing) enjoyment. What's more important than spending quality time together with your family anyway?

Till next time Phuket, we will be back!