daysinparadises - Paradises

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The Naka Island, A Luxury Collection Resort & Spa, Phuket

by Paradises / June 4, 2013

I have been to Phuket numerous of times and frankly I’ve never stayed on any of its outlying islands. This time round, I had the opportunity to visit one of the Starwood Group’s properties, The Naka Ialand.

Located just off the eastern coast of Phuket, The Naka Island is perfectly poised along the southern portion of Naka Yai Island. To get there, simply arrange for a speedboat pick up from the Ao Po Grand Marina.

Once you arrive at the pier, you are immediately picked up by the resort’s buggy and transferred to your villa for check-in. I love in-room check-in. No queues, no crowds, just you and the resort’s staff. The route to the villa was serene and was well greeted by passing staff. We checked into the Tropical Pool Villa and lucky for us, our villa was one of the villas that had the sea view.

Each of the Tropical Pool Villas comes with your own private pool & sala, an open-air bathroom and if you’re not afraid of mosquitoes, an outdoor soaking tub. Coming from Singapore, I hate mosquitoes; therefore I didn’t take the risk of getting them biting me by willingly soaking myself bare-naked in the outdoor tub. But it’s definitely a romantic sight at night, when the housekeeping comes in to turn down the villa.

After resting our feet for a while, we headed to the Z Bar to catch our first island sunset and pre-dinner drinks. Z Bar specializes in custom cocktails and offers enticing Asian style tapas and a stunning view of the surrounding island vistas.

We then headed off to dinner at My Grill. My Grill focuses on fresh seafood and premier steaks, all deliciously prepared with a southern Thai twist. The restaurant only opens for dinner and offers the view of the infinite seascape.

Naka Island’s Chef de Cuisine does a mean grilled steak. We started off with a portion of salad and ordered the restaurant’s two specialties. It’s steak and codfish. Both items were cooked to perfection. The steak simply melts in your mouth and the fish was fresh and sweet. Dinner was perfect and we simply couldn’t wait to try more of his dishes.

Asian Paradises

Twinpalms Phuket

by Paradises / May 17, 2013

Twinpalms Phuket has always been a favourite place to stay when I’m in Phuket. Located on the west coast of Phuket, it is a sleek and stylish abode that fits the lifestyle of a high-flyer.

The lobby was spacious and check-in was a breeze. It’s good to know that the property has lagoon pool rooms that connects to the main pool. Nothing beats waking up in the morning and heading out to swim via your own private patio.

The room itself was spacious and it came with a good size bathroom. Definitely a plus that the resort provides 2 sinks for their guests.

Twinpalms Phuket is one of the few hotels in Phuket that has their own beach club. As what I’ve heard, it’s one of the best. Catch Beach Club is open daily and hosts regular parties and beach BBQs.

I’ve attended their beach BBQ and let me tell you that it has one of the best selection that I’ve seen in Phuket. There was an array of seafood, ranging from oysters, lobsters, crabs, prawns, all freshly caught from the Andaman sea. A good selection of grilled meats was available as well and even their dessert line was enticing. I ended my Friday night filling very stuffed and guilty but yet satisfied with the quality of food that I’ve ingested for the night. It’s a good way to end off the week and a good start to my holiday.

I’ve spent the Saturday relaxing by the main pool, tried a couple of the resort’s signature cocktails and worked on my tan. It was a good time to relax and take work off my mind. My brain just doesn’t stop working.

Booked myself a spa session just before dinner and it definitely helped smoothed out the knots that I had.

Twinpalms Phuket is also known for their Sunday brunch. It starts from 12 noon to 3pm at their restaurant, Oriental Spoon where you can expect the freshest selection of seafood, oysters, salmons, lobsters, artisan cheeses and a variety of sweets including their famous creme brûlée. It is a popular choice among tourists so you definitely have to make your reservations for the brunch.

Remember to bring along a hearty appetite when you visit Twinpalms Phuket.. Don’t say I didn’t warn you..