I recently did a whirlwind trip of Phuket – 24 hours to be precise – but you will be surprised how much you can fit in! From lunching at the beach club to lazing by the hotel pool, along with spa treatments and a sunset dinner, I’ll show you how to fit in as much fun as possible next time you’re in the south of Thailand.
How to get there – Thai Smile Air
Phuket is located in the south of Thailand and is famous for its beaches, diving, resorts and night life. Thai Smile Air flies direct to Phuket from Bangkok 6 times every day and the flight takes approximately 1 hour and 20 mins. Thai Smiles offers complimentary snacks and beverages on-board and your ticket also includes a free 20kg baggage allowance.
Where to stay – Dream Phuket Hotel & Spa
Upon arrival at Phuket airport, arrange for a shuttle bus to your hotel or get in a taxi (ensure it’s a metered taxi) and settle in for the 30 minute drive to your hotel. This trip to Phuket I stayed at the amazing Dream Phuket Hotel & Spa. Dream is located in the northern part of the island, away from the hustle and bustle of Patong and the more popular beaches of Karon and Kata. And that suited me just fine! Dream Phuket has been designed as a destination in itself, with multiple onsite restaurants and bars and the nearby Dream Beach Club. Meaning you can easily spend an entire week solely in this glorious area of Phuket.
I stayed in the Sky Suite which was a huge 70 square-meter space including a King bed, free-standing bathtub, full kitchen, seperate living room and balcony. My king bed was giant for just 1 person and featured luxurious 300 thread count linen and a specially made memory foam mattress – it was really hard getting out of this bed in the morning!
The bathroom featured a rain shower and free-standing stone bathtub, along with luxury bath amenities, robes and slippers.
The huge living space and kitchenette would make this hotel perfect for longer stays or if you had kids – I love having the option to be able to whip up my own food now and then. The kitchen area comes with tea and coffee making facilities, a microwave and an oven and you can even get an in-room chef on request!
The living room has comfy couches and a huge flat-screen TV for when you want to unwind, and there is also a desk and complimentary high-speed Internet if you need to get some work done.
Where to have lunch – Dream Beach Club
Dream Beach Club is the perfect place for lunch and a swim – it has two pools, a restaurant with both indoor and alfresco dining and four bars. If you have more time I highly suggest coming back at night to watch the sunset over the Andaman Sea, as Dream Beach is one of few beach clubs with direct access to the ocean.
The menu at the beach club is diverse and ranges from light snacks to hearty meals. Thai dishes appear on the menu alongside dishes influenced by Japanese, American and Italian cuisines to suit a range of tastes. They also have an extensive beer and wine list, and a huge array of tropical cocktails. We shared a selection of papaya salad, sushi, Tom Yum soup, fresh seafood and pizza and washed it down with a passionfruit mojito.
Despite being stuffed to the gills, I can never pass up dessert. The beach club’s signature chocolate lava cake was rich and gooey and the perfect way to finish off our meal.
Relax in the afternoon at Sanctuary Spa
I returned back to Dream Hotel for my afternoon appointment at Sanctuary. The spa offers a diverse menu of therapies based on the five elements – Earth, Wind, Water, Wood and Metal. Treatments include massages, scrubs, facials and wraps for the ultimate relaxing afternoon. They also offer waxing, manicures and pedicures and hair styling in their salon if you want to get done up for a fun night out.
Sunset dinner at Promthep Cape
Phromthep Cape is the Phuket’s southernmost point of the island and is perhaps the island’s best-known and photographed location. And with good reason! Come sunset, you are treated to the most spectacular display by nature as you watch the sun slowly dip behind the horizon over the Andaman Sea.
There is a large open-air restaurant located at Promthep Cape which can get pretty busy around sunset, so make sure you book a table.
The food on offer is simple but tasty Thai cuisine and we sampled a range of dishes including soups, stir fries and curries. Beware, this is a “Thai spicy” level of spice – prepare for some tears if your tastebuds are not up to the challenge!
A drink before bedtime
Upon you return to Dream hotel, consider a cocktail on the rooftop at the bar Vu, or perhaps a sticky at Indulge, the fine wine bar.
Love Swah stayed in Thailand as a guest of TCEB, all thoughts and opinions are my own
4 Comments
Ahhhh looks lovely!
It was indeed divine :)
Oh wow, what a lovely hotel! And that food looks delicious!
I was in Phuket late Sept (after the film shoot!), but I stayed at Thavorn Beach Village near Kamala beach – each villa was decorated like some kind of Maine beach cottage – not very Thai, but very nice!