HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE!!!!
Wow, can't believe I've been using this blog since my first year of university in 2009 (although there's only one post there, hehe). This is such a special blog for me - and as I enter 2013 and my Masters year, I hope to continue keeping it alive!
To start off the new year, I'm presenting the very first series for year 2013 - my trip to Phuket!
Went to Phuket on a family holiday and had quite a lot of fun there! It was my first time in Phuket and I just HAD to make full use of all the photo opportunities I had. Flew JetStar and it was quite an interesting experience - I had delicious tomyam cup noodles on board. For some reason cup noodles taste really, really good on board planes. Must be the air pressure. When I flew to and from Melbourne I ate cup noodles too.
While enjoying cup noodles, I was also enjoying the cloudscapes outside my window.
Landed in Phuket after about two hours - and just before we parked I spotted a colourful plane. If I'm not wrong the plane is an ATR 72-500 plane.
Check-in was smooth. Our resort (hereby dubbed MKB Resort) was located in the northwest of the island, near the famous Mai Khao beach, but to get to the beach we had to take a buggy to the neighbouring resort (hereby dubbed JWM Resort). So we did - and stopped by for lunch.
While on the way to lunch, I explored the lobby area and one of the bars.
I wonder what fruit this is, but I saw it growing on a tree near the beach. Must be some native Thai fruit.
Lazy afternoons at the resort - for some people. Chilling out by the infinity pool (not for swimming!) is definitely a good option! In fact, it's good to chill out anywhere in this resort, the environment is just so comfy!
Part of our restaurant as seen from the second floor.
And this is the corridor leading up to the restaurant we ate at. The lights were really really unique, and the area was cool, serene and rather quiet. It was absolutely relaxing. And my first meal in Phuket? Thailand's famous Pad Thai (stir-fried noodles with veggies). Totally delicious.
Played a few rounds of pool after lunch, and I was so rusty! We played pool almost everyday in the resort, and by the time our trip ended, I was shooting 3 balls in through one single shot! Achievement unlocked!
Lamps outside the restaurant. These were lit at night (subsequent pictures). Meanwhile I couldn't resist taking pics of them during the day - they were so orderly and really complemented the resort!
Walked to Mai Khao Beach after lunch. It was a cloudy day and there weren't people around. In the distance I could hear a young child screaming as his dad brought him into the water. It seemed as if the child was terrified of water. I could totally empathise with the child - for I was utterly terrified of water as a young child! I'm so glad I overcame it, but I still am cautious when around beaches, especially if the beach is facing the open sea. I've been to such beaches - including Lakes Entrance (Victoria), Scarborough Beach (Western Australia), Cottlesloe Beach (Western Australia) and Trigg Beach (Western Australia)...it was pretty scary seeing the waves crash violently against the shore! And when the waves come into shore, it was FREEEEEZING!!! Check out my post on Trigg and Scarborough beaches here.
This beach was so calm. Totally different from the beaches I went to in Australia!
Mai Khao beach used to be a nesting area for the Giant Leatherback turtles, but right now, I don't see any. The beach was calm though, and walking along it was really enjoyable. I could see planes arriving in/leaving Phuket from here too!
It gets dark at about 6:30pm in Phuket every night. We usually hung around the Marriott resorts for dinner, since it was so convenient. In case you were wondering, this is the resort we stayed at - MKB Resort.
We went over to JWM Resort for dinner, and just as we were walking towards the restaurant, I spotted the last bit of a beautiful sunset. So out came the camera!
Spotted a couple having a meal by the beach - while enjoying the sunset. The ambience was just absolutely gorgeous. And the couple was - of course - oblivious to the camera since I was standing so far away!
They must have been having a nice time. Probably having a honeymoon? Since there's only 2 of them there. Someone even served them food every now and then!
Diverted my attention to the neat row of lamps. And this was where I got bitten by mosquitoes! I had 5 bites by the time I left, and had to borrow my brother's ointment to relieve the itch. That ointment seriously worked wonders! But anyway the mosquito bites have long healed, and even the scabs have fallen off.
Remember the lamps I mentioned earlier in this post? Well here they are, illuminated by small flames! Still as neat as always, but the flames provided a totally different effect altogether. We also had these flames in our resort, but these were next to small fountains.
Anyway the flames were lit by a long, burning stick that resembled a burning splint we used in chem labs. The hotel staff had to wade into the water to light them. By the time we finished dinner, many were running out of steam and some had died down substantially.
Found a good point to take pictures of the whole area.
Ended up by the infinity pool after dinner, and spotted the unique swing-like seats alongside the pool. This place was actually an open bar, but prices were kinda steep. As we were rather cash-strapped, we had to give drinks a miss. But that doesn't mean giving photo-taking a miss!
The lobby of JWM Resort. People were extremely polite here - their service was excellent, they were calm and friendly, and they would never fail to make us feel comfy and happy. There was also one guard who always saluted and smiled at us whenever he saw us. His boots had a strip of metal on the heel, and he'd always click them together when he saluted. He was a jolly ol' man indeed! He never spoke to us, but his smile was big...and genuine.
Dinner at an Italian restaurant. The penne pasta was cooked in a unique mint sauce, together with sundried tomatoes, squid and olive oil. It was so enjoyable!!
We took a different route back to our resort. And discovered the restaurant within the resort! All the while we couldn't figure out where the restaurant was...but here it is!
Our resort was also brightly lit in a different way - it had lots of Christmas lights on the trees. Equally gorgeous! And oh, our apartment was really comfy and awesome! I didn't have a slightest bit of insomnia throughout my stay!
Corridor leading up to our apartment. It looks more beautiful at night.
