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Making Memories (2023)

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October 24, 2023

This 2023 is a year marked by so many milestones. In a couple more months, we’d prep to welcome a new year and I just can’t wait to give my yearend update! I know, I’m 2 months early but there is just so much to tell. Or write about. Early on, the year started with health travails within the family. Throughout the year, we’ve learned to manage the heartbreaks and inconveniences. To some extent, we even managed to ignore the problems and carried on celebrating life. At this stage, we felt we just can’t skip nor miss, or worse, waste the opportunities. Life will always have its ups and downs. The challenge lies in how we can stay happy. And hopeful.

Half Full or Half Empty? To see or not to see?

Dead of Winter in Early January in Japan

Started the year with a winter trip to Tokyo, Osaka and Kyoto. A visiting niece has long wanted and has never been to Japan so I obliged. After all, Japan is always a good idea. Yeah, I was in this land of the sun just last November 2022 and it hasn’t been 2 months yet! And a few months later around spring, I’d find myself back again in the Kansai region with my 2 other nieces. I can’t believe I made 3 trips to Japan in a span of 5 months. Not that I’m complaining. I love Japan.

We planned our trip to Europe in between trips to the hospital’s emergency room. One of us got her visa a day before departure. 😩 We were scheduled to arrive late in Amsterdam without a hotel room on our first night. Managed to book a room only from the airport’s departure lounge. All’s well. And the trip turned out to be truly unforgettable with a few mishaps here and there. I traveled with my 2 grandchildren from Amsterdam to Brussels to Brugges to Provence to Paris. The train connections we arranged as we went along.

The trip to northwestern Vietnam was a welcome break amidst all the stress from life’s uncertainties. Never mind that it took 6 hours going from Hanoi to Sapa. If only for the clouds rolling through the mountains carved by rice field terraces, as well as the coffee scene, this trip to Northern Vietnam is worth it. And the impromptu meet-ups in Phuket, Thailand with our OZ branch of the family turned out to be the perfect stress-buster. As they say, when life hands you lemons, make lemonade! Such a lovely time we had basking under the sun and digging our toes in the sand. The holiday resort we stayed in was perfect for us. The resort activities kept us entertained and there was plenty of time to catch up with one another too.

The year 2023 likewise marked the golden jubilee for my college batch. More than 5 decades of friendship. We did well with a yearbook, a beach weekend, trip to a pottery workshop, many luncheons and cocktails, and a lovely video and collage of all our homecoming events. What a blessing to experience all these — reminiscing our teenage years in college and delighting in how we still manage to enjoy each other’s company as we rolled into our 70’s. With some now living abroad, we have missed each other far too long. But it never took that long to pick up where we left off. An old joke persists. An old story repeated countless times.

And the golden jubilarian turning septuagenarian? It all happened in 2023. What a milestone! In our batch, I was the youngest. The last to turn 70. To my elves, I’m ancient. The same elves who treated me to a degustacion in Metiz Restaurant. Not wanting to go home yet after dinner, we lingered at our favorite hotel lobby just chatting till they closed shop. On the very day I turned 70, we had lunch in Beso Beso which translates to “kisses”. A lovely time for the family as we then proceeded to hear Sunday Mass after lunch and indulged in some shopping later, before another family dinner at Made Nice. It was a Sunday, a birthday truly made nice as we stayed together a good part of that day. Quite rare now as everyone gets busy with new jobs, a career, some projects. An opportunity not to be missed. Nor wasted. Memories. Life is a celebration.

Tags: Asia, Beso Beso, cafe crawl, Degustacion, Europe, Family, Family Travel, Food Trip, Hanoi, Japan, Kyoto, Made Nice, Musings and Ramblings, Osaka, Phuket, Sapa, Thailand, Tokyo, Travel, Travels, vietnam

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Family Staycation in Mai Khao

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October 6, 2023

We hit the ground running upon touchdown. Our OZ family and Thai in-laws were waiting to fetch us as soon as we landed in Phuket. Lunch in Nam Yoi in Phuket Town was the best we’ve had, nvm that it’s spicy. Serving local cuisine, sans airconditioning but truly yum even for those who aren’t fans of red chillies. Nothing a pitcher of water can’t remedy. Felt like that meal totally cleared my sinuses. 😝

Two branches of our OZ family + Thai inlaws

We decided to cancel one day trip and simply settle in at the vacation resort we were staying in for a day and a half. Enjoyed the Mai Khao Beach but spent more time at the resort’s pool starting with aqua aerobics for the adults and enjoying a pizza lunch at one of the cabanas. The Marriott Play Lounge was an excellent spot for both adults and kids to enjoy snooker, mahjong or simply watching soccer games on a wide screen. The afternoon siesta prepped us for the Fire Fest at the poolside by sundown. I enjoyed it from our room balcony while the rest went down for a closer look. Then, we walked towards the adjacent Turtle Village for dinner and some ice cream. Turned out to be an early celebration of my birthday a good 2 weeks away. It was a day well spent at the resort. Much to do within the complex and some really good restaurants and shops a short distance away. There were even buggies to drive us to other Marriott and Anantara hotels and resorts. But no luck swimming at the beach because the red flag is up as the waves and currents were strong.

No need to step out of the resort hotel.

This trip was planned for my OZ family and their Thai family. At the last minute, a niece and her hubby decided to join the trip from Sydney to the shores of Phuket. At an even later minute, my sobrina and I opted to join the beach holiday even for just a few days. I’m glad we did. Some spur-of-the-moment decisions are tops especially when it means spending time with family to create happy memories. Opportunities best not wasted. The only thing firm about this trip was the reservations at the resort. All else were firmed up as we went along. Everything turned out near-perfect. Even when we grew exhausted to step out for dinner and settled for meals from the nearby convenience store. The villa kitchenette went busy as we prepared sandwiches and fruit and salad platters while the washing machine was spinning and the coffee machine dripping.

Tags: Asia, Family, Family Travel, Mai Khao, Marriott, Musings and Ramblings, Phuket, Thailand, Travel, Travels

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Itsy-Beachy in Phi Phi

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October 5, 2023

Our catamaran took us on a day trip of Phi Phi and the nearby islands including Maya Beach which was featured in the Leo Di Caprio movie “The Beach” . My second time here. It was a long day of swimming, snorkeling, kayaking, paddle boarding, beer-drinking and beach bumming. Life is a beach indeed. The little boy in our family was most active in all departments except in the beer-drinking. Gave us a scare one moment when we couldn’t find him for some 2 minutes. Turned out someone from the boat crew took him snorkeling a little away from the bunch to a spot with better fish-viewing. The boatman was actually quite impressed with our little man’s swimming and zest for water adventures. Still, we got worried for some moments.

From Country to Country. From Beer to Beer.

It was a long day. We started at 9am and called it a day around 5pm. In and out of water, hopping from island to island, capped by a rocky boat ride on our way back to pier. It was exhausting but so much fun. Family bonding to the core. I couldn’t remember how many island stops we made. There were at least 5. The high temps didn’t even deter us from basking under the sun with a bottle of cold beer or cantaloupe juice in hand. Every so often, the boat crew would serve us slices of sweet pineapple and watermelon. There was also an endless stock of cold drinks from coconut water, cantaloupe, orange and pineapple juice. Lunch was delicious too, buffet-served in a restaurant in one of the islands.

Family trips are my thing. Staying together 24/7, sharing all meals, enjoying the same outdoor activities and conversations running from the most mundane to random topics like travel blunders and celebrity crushes. This is where and when you get your updates on most everyone especially the younger members of the family. Growing up, their dreams and perspectives are ever changing and the family trips help us keep apprised on their goings-on and evolving characters. As a child, I still recall our fond memories of the family beach outings, picnics, concerts, reunions, sports activities and special dinners and stuff.

Koh Phi Phi is a good island/boat destination but it has also become so popular it seems to have transformed into a party island. Last time I was here was 10 years ago in 2013. Even then, it was kind of busy. I am glad we chose to stay in the quiet part of Phuket. Mai Khao is isolated from the more popular beach resorts and an hour’s drive from the resort town of Patong. Judging by the crowds in the street markets, local beaches and the boat traffic between the nearby islands, the Phuket evenings must be so vibrant and festive, if not noisy. All told, the memories we created here should serve the “little boy” well into adulthood. Likewise with the adults, while smarting from the fatigued muscles gained from all those dips in the water and the tans on their skins! Life is indeed a celebration. 🎉

One rough homebound ride in this Catamaran

One framed souvenir photo for each member of family.

Tags: Family, Family Travel, Food Trip, Musings and Ramblings, PhiPhi, Phuket, Thailand, Travel, Travels

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Sunday Street Market in Old Phuket Town (Thailand)

Filed under: Asian Holidays, Musings & Ramblings, Travel, travels — 2 Comments

October 4, 2023

On my first visit here years ago, I was with friends and the trip was really a spur-of-the-moment thing. We were invited to spend 3 nights in the island and all we wanted to do then was to enjoy the island life. The sun. The sand. The speedboat. The beer. The spicy food. The fruits. Oh, the fruits! At the time, Phuket was simply a tropical holiday destination for us. Island-hopping seemed like a must-do in this corner of the world. A beach holiday, if you will.

We arrived here in Phuket on a Sunday so we didn’t waste time and checked out the Old Phuket Town Market. The Sunday Street Market was teeming with tourists eager to try local snacks, especially the local fruits, as well as shop for local clothes and souvenir items. Trendy, cheap and vibrant. I love the houses lining the Thalang Street here. The Sino-Portuguese architecture with bright lights and street performances by musical groups give the street market a festive atmosphere. Tons of photo opportunities. Lotsa shopping options. No wonder it’s a popular attraction among the tourists. It’s also a welcome break after some trips to nearby islands for those beach adventures.

Thalang Street Market in Old Phuket Town

Thalang Street is right smack in the center of the historical part of town. The Old Phuket Town. All of 360 meters, it is open only on Sundays from 4pm to 10pm. The shophouses beautifully display the Chinese and Portuguese influences. Reminded me of the Peranakan influence expressed in the Penang architecture in Malaysia. Shops on the ground floor, living quarters on the upper floor. If there was time, it would have been interesting to explore beyond this street market to see the Peranakan heritage houses and mansions as well as a couple of museums in the old town.

There was a park at the end of the street market with shade trees and less crowd.

Before coming here, we had a good lunch elsewhere. If not for sated cravings and full bellies, we would have given in to all those tempting street food. Pork barbecue for 20 baht a stick? A pack of pineapple minis for 60 baht? I found packed meals for less than 100 baht here. Prices were reasonable and I saw many locals buying street food to take away. Beats cooking dinner, I guess. Or one may opt to “eat in” or eat while walking the street market while listening to the blaring music from street buskers. As it turned out, we managed to buy more food to stock the refs in our hotel room. We had way too many of those micro pineapples to eat for the entire 4 days and 3 nights we stayed in Phuket. 🍍🍍🍍🍍🍍🍍🍍🍍🍍🍍

They’re like mini crepes that’s crispy. .

Tags: Food Trip, Marriott, Phuket, Thailand, Travel, Travels

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Let’s Fruitify! (Thai Series)

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October 1, 2023

Whenever I get an invite from friends to go on a trip to Bangkok, it’s almost always a “food trip” or more aptly, a “fruit trip” in our minds. I’ve tried going in summer so there are more fruits in season, but the heat and humidity is nearly a curse so I promised myself I’d never go in summer. To welcome October, my niece and I flew into Bangkok on our way to catch a connecting flight to Phuket the next morning. Just time enough to check in our bags at an airport hotel and gorge ourselves on all the fruits we fancy (many we stuffed into our bags flying into Phuket) before calling it a day. Half of our OZ family is waiting for us in a beach resort in Phuket and we are dripping in so much excitement. My niece-in-law who is Thai, her family and ours, are waiting. But first, we “fruitify”. Got that word from my apo’s friend with whom my apo shared the fruit box I prepped whenever I fetched her from school then.

Custard or Sugar Apple, Strawberries, Guapple, Jackfruit, Grapes of all kinds and sizes, Watermelon, And More

My All-Time Favourite along with Persimmons

We also found the time — rather failed to resist — trying Thai curry and seafood pot rice in the mall a short cab ride from our airport hotel. (Incidentally, the spartan but spotty clean airport hotel is one I’d recommend. Nothing fancy but value-for-money for just a night to rest your bodies before an early morning flight. No rush means no anxieties!) Not to forget, have you tried fish flakes with your watermelon? Ours was served that way and it’s an interesting combo.

From Amari Don Muang Airport to Rangsit Future Park Mall is around 100-120 baht by taxi. There, you can buy as much fruit as you can HARDLY muster. I wanted to try all of them! And the food court offers both cheap and delish samples of Thai cuisine. We tried S&P, which had a good display of bread and pastries we could buy for next day’s breakfast in our room, but ended up sitting for a proper meal. Just be warned: my chicken curry was smoking hot. Even the papaya salad served with it was so spicy. But really good. I’m just warning you to have a glass — or a pitcher — of water ready. 😝

Chicken Curry with Coconut Rice and Papaya Salad

Bellies full, bodies rested, we walked from our airport hotel to Terminal 2 of the domestic airport. In under 15 minutes, we’ve checked in and walked with the robot-sweeper towards our gate. Did I tell you we had a cute-sy budget airplane flying into Phuket? Lookee…..

Tags: Bangkok, Exotic Fruits, Family Travel, Food Trip, Fruits, Musings and Ramblings, Phuket, Thailand, Travel, Travels

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A SUMMER BREAK IN PHUKET

Filed under: Asian Holidays, Travel, travels — 4 Comments

May 16, 2013

Whenever I thought of Phuket back then, I thought it was just a single destination area where one chooses which beach corner to claim for a getaway. I didn’t realize that Phuket is Thailand’s largest island and that there is a variety of beach resorts to choose from. Neither did I know that it is the jump-off point for smaller islands like Phi Phi Don, Phi Phi Lei, James Bond Island, Maya Beach, Koh Lanta, Monkey Island, etc.

Marriott Vacation Club in Mai Khao, Phuket.

JW Marriott Hotel and Spa

We stayed in Marriott Vacation Club in Mai Khao Beach which is near the airport. It is nearly an hour away from where the action is (Patong Beach, Karon Beach, Kata Beach, NaiYang Beach, etc) but we don’t mind as you have everything you need in this more quiet corner of the island. Perhaps not so for the party crowd and the shoppers, but we’re neither so the “remoteness” is perfect for us. Besides, there’s a free shuttle to the sister-hotel (JW Marriott Phuket Club) where one can enjoy charming sunset views. For retail therapy and other dining outlets, just a stroll away is the Turtle Village. We highly recommend the Coffee Club here not just for the coffee and desserts, but also for their Pad Thai, Thai Prawn Rice and Curry Dishes. We went there for 2 consecutive dinners. And guess what, we ordered nearly the same dishes.

Check out these links:

Holy Cow, We’re in Mai Khao

Oh, So ChiChi in Ko Phi Phi

Sunsets In Phuket

Prawn Rice. Ohhhhh such goodness!

Lunch was in this place with this view in Phi Phi Don.

We devoted an entire day visiting some islands on a speedboat. Booked the tour online via AsiaWeb. No hassles. They picked us up from our hotel, brought us to the Royal Phuket Marina, enjoyed unlimited drinks and fruits on the boat, had an authentic Thai lunch in Phi Phi Don, snorkeled and enjoyed the islands. Some may still have the energy to shop and party later that night, but not us. After a good dinner at Turtle Village, we just wanted to crawl into our beds.

Snorkelers Haven

Just another beach.

AsiaWeb bundled up the speedboat tour with a choice of airport transfers, or a city tour or a night with the ladyboys. We chose the city tour where we had the van & driver all to ourselves visiting temples, the old part of town and about 4 beach areas. The beach resorts especially Patong Beach underwhelmed us. Overhyped, if you ask me. But maybe I’m saying this because I’m extremely biased in favor of our Boracay (yes, despite the rowdy crowd and the trash), the islands of El Nido and other parts of Visayas. But I love how the Thais do this tourism business nearly seamlessly.

In the end, we simply breezed through the beaches. Declaring ourselves beach-fatigued, we skipped the stroll on the sandy shores and only managed one temple visit and a drive around the old town. No need to get sand between our toes. We had enough of that when we did the islands. As for shopping, we were just interested in food items! Can you blame us?

Tags: Karon, Mai Khao, Marriott, Patong, Phi Phi, Phuket, Thailand

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My Resurrected Canon G12: SUNSETS IN PHUKET

Filed under: Asian Holidays, Travel, travels — 4 Comments

May 13, 2013

The day my Canon G12 “died”, I was in high spirits literally “shooting the breeze” in Chamantad Viewpoint in Tinian Cliffs in Sabtang, Batanes. Standing by the promontory facing the Pacific Ocean, I let that breeze slap me in the face. I took in all the ocean spray as well. Refreshing. I took it all. And so did my Canon G12 which jammed soon after I took a video and more snapshots of the cliffs and the rocky coast. It “died”. I began to mourn its “demise” only when I reached chaotic Manila. Took me some days to bring the camera to the Canon Center for repairs. Sob 😦

My Canon G12…. a faithful companion in my travels.

The entire lens had to be replaced, costing 8,500 pesos. Luckily, the 3 year warranty is still good for a couple more months. When I picked up my cam, it was as good as new and didn’t cost me a cent. Just in time too for my recent unplanned, unscheduled trip to Phuket. Sunsets in Phuket every single day we were there never passed without my memory catcher getting into action. Though it is only a Point & Shoot cam, I fell in love with my Canon G12 again. What a lovely travel companion!

SPOTTED With My Canon G12: Bromance in Phuket Beach.

SPOTTED: Bromance in Phuket Beach. Thailand. May 2013

It is the same sun. But as a friend would say, sunsets melt your heart in different ways. In my case, I was only too happy my resurrected Canon G12 can capture these moments. For sure, there are better sunset shots. But I like mine, simply because they’re MINE. I alone captured the exact spot, the exact angle, at the exact moment, with the exact sentiment I felt on the exact second I pressed to take the exact shot! I owned that feeling. Does that make sense?

Sunsets are lovely. But I honestly love twilights more. TWILIGHT IN PHUKET BEACH. JW Marriott Resort and Spa

Just a manageable “crowd” in JW Marriott Resort and Spa. Phuket, Thailand.

In Phuket, we had the luxury of viewing the sunset without the crowd. That helps build up the mood, I guess. Calm, serene, quiet, almost sacred. As we headed back to our rooms, we caught a few more snapshots. It seemed the sunset shots were never enough. Truly, who can compete with Nature? The explosion of colors just as and as soon as the sun set was the highlight of our evenings here in Phuket. Thank God my good ol’ buddy is back in action. 🙂

A few more shots. Can’t seem to get enough of sunset and twilight shots here in Phuket, Thailand.

Just before going off to dinner. Can’t make that Pad Thai wait too long…..

View from the lobby of JW Marriott Phuket Resort and Spa

Tags: canon G12, Mai Khao, Phuket, Sunset, Thailand

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OH, SO CHICHI IN KOH PHI PHI

Filed under: Asian Holidays, Travel, travels — 5 Comments

May 8, 2013

Thinking James Bond 007 this morning as we boarded our speedboat to the islands off Phuket. Phi Phi today. The Beach. Monkey Beach. Vikings Cave. But no time to do James Bond Island. Funny how some of these islands’ claim to fame is by way of the movies shot in their lovely shores. I’ve seen the movies. Enough to get me all excited. And thinking James Bond….. No ferries for old ladies. Let’s have the speedboat, no less!

Royal Phuket Marina where the speedboats are parked.

There’s our speedboat (bottom left) with 675 hp engines. We flew!

Oh, the kids would have loved this. Maybe next time. How I wish we have speedboats hopping from island to island in El Nido or Coron. Quite an adventure. Outside of that, I can’t say I’m really overwhelmed. The beauty of our own islands compare very well with the likes of Phi Phi. And it is just as hot and humid too. If it were cooler, I’d choose these tropical islands anytime of day, or year, over the Greek islands off the Aegean Sea. Just make it a tad cooler. Enough to make it bearable, but warm enough to still swim in its warm waters. Or maybe I complain too much. I must be SPOILED 😉

The monkeys in Monkey Island must have been waiting for boats to stop and throw ’em those bananas! Quite a show.

We had lunch here in Phi Phi Don. Calmer waters. Colorful boats. Relaxing.

We booked the tours via Asia Web. For 3,100 baht, you have the speedboat to island hop the whole day and a half-day tour of Phuket Island another day. The speedboat cruise includes lunch, unlimited drinks and fruits on the speedboat. You may choose to ride the ferry to see the same islands for far less (900 baht) but I’m telling you, the speedboat ride is an adventure by itself! Powered with 3 engines @225 hp for a combined power of 675 hp, we flew! In some of the islands, we were allowed to swim, snorkel, feed the fish ( I love this part best! ). In one spot, the current was so strong it was a struggle to swim back to the boat!

Snorkelers galore!

Hungry fish!

We saw the boat crew catch fish with their bare hands! It looked so easy as they grabbed the fish by the heads and threw them in a basket. We were kinda hoping that was lunch, but the tour operator had other ideas. Thai lunch was not bad, but it wasn’t spectacular. I wouldn’t trade our grilled seafood lunch in one of the El Nido islands. Neither was I overwhelmed with the sights. I prefer the beach, coves and seascapes of Palawan. But I’ve got to say the speedboats and the colorful traditional boats give the place tons of charm.

Off the boat for some siesta time in Rang Yai Island, nearer to Phuket.

Vikings Cave. Nothing spectacular but those birds’ nests fetch a hefty price!

And it sure helped a great deal that Hollywood movies were filmed here. The Beach starring Leonardo di Carpio was quite a hit — which explains the thick crowd when we visited Maya Cove. Personally, I prefer the more quiet beach of Rang Yai Island. The sands pale in comparison with Boracay and El Nido, but it attracted a more sober crowd.

The Beach. Thick crowd. Rowdy youngsters who got busy “throwing” their lady friends into the water. Boys will be boys!

This is more like it. Quiet. More serene. Huts around. Showers off one side with a pair of peacocks watching! This is Rang Yai Island, just a few minutes to Royal Phuket Marina.

But you’ve got to hand it to them Thais. They sure know their tourism industry. The tour was conducted systematically, the guides were very well-trained, you never grow hungry throughout the cruise, and there’s the element of “surprise” and personalized service the way the tour was handled. In particular, we were all pleasantly surprised to find exotic fruits on the boat — sliced pineapples, rose apples (macopa), local oranges, bananas — and to be offered local Popsicles at the last leg while viewing photos taken by the tour photographer. Nice touch. Everything was well thought-out!

Macopas is what we call them. Rose Apples to others.

BOND. JAMES BOND. Very chichi.

The marina looked very classy that one easily justifies the hefty price paid for this tour. Very charming. Very cleverly done. Indeed, it was so chichi in Koh Phi Phi! 😉

Tags: Koh Phi Phi, Marriott Vacation Club, Phi Phi, Phuket, Thailand, Villa Life

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Holy Cow, We’re in Mai Khao!

Filed under: Asian Holidays, Travel, travels — 4 Comments

May 7, 2013

Monday delights. Left Manila at noon via Thai Airways, made a brief stop in Bangkok, then flew onwards to Phuket. It’s the biggest island in Thailand and we found our retreat here in Mai Khao. The beach resort is blessedly isolated and away from the tourist crowd. Very much self-contained with an option to do some retail therapy in the nearby TurtleVillage. But who wants to get out? A 2-room villa with its own plunge pool tempts you to stay in. In fact, we opted to dine in and used the well-appointed kitchen to cook our pasta pomodoro dinner to go with a bottle of good shiraz. L.U.X.U.R.Y. Pure luxury. This is the life! Happiness 🙂

JW Marriott Phuket

It is tempting to just stay IN in JW Marriott Phuket Resort and Spa

In the end, we decided to skip the shiraz. It can wait till tomorrow. We turned in early to prep for a whole day of activities tomorrow. The stroll around the lovely resort hotel can wait too….. and so with a dip in the plunge pool. It could have been perfect. Four friends around the pool, each holding a glass of wine, chatting like there’s no tomorrow, while keeping their heads dry and the rest soaking in the pool. Holy cow! We must be getting old. All we wanted to do after dinner is to climb into our heavenly beds.

One of 2 villa bedrooms in Marriott Vacation Club in Mai Khao, Phuket.

That’s the plunge pool right outside the room in Marriott Vacation Club

This is NOT an advert. But MARRIOTT VACATION CLUB in Mai Khao, Phuket is a lovely place to stay in. The 2 bedroom villa with a well-appointed kitchen is a sanctuary for weary bodies and tired souls. The plunge pool is a bonus. Easily, the villa can accommodate 6 pax. Maybe even 8 pax. Best for families or good friends. You can even choose to stay in, buy your supplies from the nearby Turtle Village, cook and dine in. Tonight, that’s exactly what we did. Tomorrow and days after, we’d be in serious search for Pad Thai and some curries. 🙂