My trip to Thailand was supposed to be something I was looking forward to for weeks. The tickets were bought with three years worth of Aeroplan points saved up, and so the trip was going to be really cheap. I was going to be spending my Chuseok in a tropical paradise.
About a week before I was supposed to leave, I was getting these strange, nagging feelings in my stomach. I couldn’t shake the feeling that I wasn’t meant to go on this trip, and that I’d regret it. However, I assumed that it was simply nerves, in combination with frustration that U-Kiss had timed their comeback for the weekend I would be away. I told myself I was being a silly fangirl, and decided I was going on vacation.
When I missed the last bus to the airport, I should have given up. My brain kept screaming “REBECCA, THIS IS A SIGN” but I shut it up and got on the plane just in time.
Flying with Singapore Airways was, perhaps, the nicest flight I’ve ever had in my life. Ever. And I fly quite a bit. I took them from Incheon to Singapore, and then transferred over to a flight to Bangkok. The second leg of the trip, I was asleep before the plane took off. It was amazing.
When I transferred in Bangkok, I was really surprised to find someone waiting for me to lead me over to my transfer and make sure my luggage was accounted for. I thought that was really awesome. But it was the only time where I was impressed with Thai Air.
I finally made it into Phuket International Airport, which was the smallest international airport I’ve ever seen. It was kinda cute, to be honest. This is where I started to get nervous again, because the shuttle bus mentioned on the website was apparently non existent, and I had to take a cab across the island, breaking my budget right away.
My hotel was the Best Western Phuket Ocean Resort, on the south end of the island at Karon Beach. I picked it because it was cheapest! 😀 I made a really good choice too. The staff at the Ocean Resort were so friendly, and I felt really well taken care of. There were a few front of staff people who I felt did an amazing job and I’ll be really happy to see them again if I get to go in the winter.
I’m really not a fan of the whole clubbing and being crazy and loud and drunk and stupid thing, so I indirectly made an awesome choice with my hotel. Karon Beach was really quiet and chill, filled with Australian couples and families on vacation. When I was seeing ads for things in Phuket, a lot of the clubs and craziness that Thailand seems to be famous for was located up in Patong Beach. I went to Thailand with the aspiration of doing nothing but sitting on the beach and enjoying the weather.
This is where I had a brief stupid moment.
I’ve lived through a lot of rainy seasons. So I don’t doubt they’re rainy. But when I see they last 6 months, I assumed they might not be as epic as the month-long ones in Japan or Korea.
I was wrong.
I got to Karon to find the sky looking forbidding. I wandered down to the beach and walked along the beach for the longest time, enjoying the roar of the beach, until it looked like it might rain. I grabbed some dinner at this AMAZING Italian restaurant, and rushed back to my hotel before the rain started.
And it rained. And rained. And rained.
On Sunday morning, I was miserable. All of my friends were at Inkigayo, and U-Kiss were doing a really amazing pre-recording, and I was MISSING IT. It was raining in Phuket and I couldn’t even go sit on the balcony because it was so rainy it soaked my chair on there. I read a bit, I wrote a bit, and then I played on the internet.
One awesome thing about Thailand is that it’s close to Australia, so there were a lot more comforts from home. And by home, I mean the UK. They had Cornetto ice cream (I almost started crying) and Mars Bars and really nice gum. So I got rid of a few cravings as well. I was also able to get new sandals! Thank you excessive amounts of foreign tourists with giant feet so the locals accommodate to you! Since it was raining, I ended up going to get a massage at the spa in my hotel. It was really nice, and the woman kept talking to me. Personally, I’m more the type to not talk at all and just close my eyes and pretend it’s not some complete stranger.
It wasn’t until about Sunday evening that I started to really relax and feel like I could enjoy myself. After another long walk on the beach, I headed back to my hotel, booked myself a boat tour to Phiphi Island for the next day, and called it a night.
~*~To be Continued~*~