Are you ready to take a journey alongside Trevor and Paulene? Their trips starts in Phuket…
After months of fastidious planning, we were finally off to the airport – in a state of high excitement. I must admit this waned considerably waiting until 2:30am for our flight from Brisbane to Singapore. Feeling exhausted and touchy, even before we left, the seven-and-a-half hour flight seemed to limp by with just brief snatches of sleep. What I couldn’t understand was how people can want to eat at 3am in the morning just because they are on an aeroplane… and how noisy they are in consuming this—perhaps my irritation is showing here.
A short flight to Phuket and four nights at the amazing Maikhao Dream Resort at Phuket was highly restorative. This was to be our brief taste of total luxury and relaxation before twelve rigorous weeks of travel.
Knowing our accommodation for the rest of our travels was much more basic (read: affordable), we found it totally easy to slip into a lifestyle of the spacious villa with private spa and pool, nestled on the beach surrounded by beautiful tropical gardens.
The pattern of our days comprised of: getting up at leisure, eating a sumptuous breakfast, swimming in the clear warm waters of the Indian Ocean, lazing in the pool, dozing in the spa, sleeping, walking to nearby villages, evening dinners watching the sun sink over the horizon … and all this over again …
Dining at the Maikhao restaurant was a highlight, with the eastern selection of food they created like no other I had ever had — it was SO not comparable with any Australian Thai restaurant I have ever been in. We didn’t bother with the western choices, although I am sure they were great also. The beach, as well as the restaurant and bar with views out over the pool and beach, was the place to view the evening sunsets.
A highlight of our time in Phuket was a cooking class we undertook, which was organised through the resort. First we were taken to the markets to view local foods. The description and selection of vegetables, fruits, fish, meat, spices, and etc. was fascinating.
We visited an organic farm where produce for the resort is grown. Returning to the restaurant, we chose two menus of entree, main and dessert. Under the guidance of a charming – and (fortunately) patient – chef we cooked up a treat, and we were delighted with our results.
We did get to eat the food we prepared, with a bottle of local wine, in the restaurant overlooking a magnificent beach. We were visited by the head chef, assistant head chef, several other minor chefs, and interested staff members, and were presented with chef’s hats, aprons, certificates, and a cookbook to ensure we can continue cooking this delicious food when we return home.
After four nights we left this oasis of luxury and flew back to Singapore…
Check back soon to see how Paulene and Trevor fared in Singapore!
For more info on the Maikhao Dream Villa Resort & Spa where Trevor and Pauline stayed in Phuket check out http://www.maikhaodream.com/phuket/
