May 6, 2015 |
My wife and I traveled to Singapore last year to checkout Universal Studios Singapore. And we stayed at the BIG hotel located in the Bugis district. It’s a great area with many shops, restaurants and markets including a building full of hawker stands Singapore is so famous for.
Bugis Junction in downtown Singapore…
BIG hotel public area has plenty of space to lounge around and about…
The deluxe room we stayed in at BIG hotel Singapore…
One of the best mattress I’ve had the honor of sleeping on…
Lots of channels to keep you entertained…
BIG hotel’s breakfast buffet…
I mentioned already that breakfast was included in the room rate. To be honest their breakfast is not the greatest. You’ve got very few choices, some bread, some eggs, chicken franks, fruits and not much anything else. It’s just that if a hotel charges $150USD I think BIG hotel can do a little better. Okay, maybe a lot better. But overall, I still like BIG hotel and the next time I swing back into Singapore I’d probably stay there again.
Read reviews and find discounts for BIG Hotel Singapore.
May 5, 2015 |
APA branded hotels are a familiar sight all over Japan. It’s yet another one of those short transit business hotels that are also very popular for travelers who don’t need a posh room nor services. This time around my wife and I stayed at the APA Hotel in the Itabashi ward of metropolitan Tokyo.
Though this hotel is in a very quiet neighborhood there is a JR train station just a short 3 minute walk from the hotel doors. From there you can hop on the train and in 2 stops you’re in all the action of the Shinjuku district.
Itabashi JR Station – Only a short 3 minute walk to APA Tokyo Itabashi Hotel…
So like a lot of 2 or 3 star business hotels in Japan the APA Itabashi is a basic no frills hotel. Services are always good in my opinion in any Japanese hotel. Hotel staff are always friendly and quick to assist guests. But this hotel has no swimming pool or gym which is common for the types of hotels. There is free Wi-Fi which to me is way more important.
A little late night snack near Itabashi JR station…
I mentioned that Itabashi area is very quiet. It’s mostly a residential area. But there are many restaurants. We arrived late at night and after we checked in at the APA Itabashi we walked a few minutes out to the main road just opposite Itabashi JR station and found a ramen restaurant. I forgot to take a pics of the restaurant. If you’re in front of the train station just look straight and you should find it. So if you’ve arrived to the hotel around 9pm and everything else is closed go give them a try. There is a McDonald’s near the station too and as I recall opened pretty late.
There’s also an Italian restaurant right across from the hotel. They serve large servings of all kinds of spaghetti and decent pizza. It’s a lively restaurant with super friendly staff. My wife and I were there during Halloween and we played some sort of guess the weight of the pumpkin game. We lost. But we still got a piece of candy. It was a really fun place with good grub. I took pics but because the interior was very dark the shots came out poorly.
APA Hotel Tokyo Itabashi Ekimae – This is the small double room I booked…
So the rooms at the APA Itabashi are small. Okay, that’s not a shocker. It’s not a complaint as I am quite used to it. Their small double bed rooms are 12 square meters. It is what it is because most hotels in Japan in the $125 and under price range cost that much. There’s a small desk with a wide screen TV that nearly takes up the entire table space. A small fridge plus a hot water kettle with bags of Japanese green tea. And our room is clean. Though the bed sagged in the middle but my wife and I still slept fine. Sightseeing and walking around exploring is the best sleep medicine.
Door in the middle leads to the bathroom with a shower/bath tub…
The last time I stayed at this hotel was back in October 2013. I booked the room through Agoda and paid $120USD per night. But I just checked Agoda as I wrote this post and saw pics of the APA Itabashi and noticed that the hotel looks renovated. The hotel lobby looked totally different than the time I was last there. And just doing a random price check saw that a small double bed room cost around $90USD for the month of July with taxes included. Too bad I’m not planning on going to Tokyo then.
I like this hotel a lot. Taking a stroll through a cool October night through the hotel’s neighborhood was nice. And because the train station was so near we could hit a lot of the major tourists destinations easily. APA Itabashi is easily one of the easiest hotel for me to recommend to anyone looking to visit Tokyo.
(Just a quick note. APA hotels are all over so be sure you have the right address for the hotel. The first night we arrived in Tokyo we checked in at the wrong hotel called APA Ikebukro. A total rookie mistake. It was a $10USD mistake since we had to hop on a taxi to take us to APA Itabashi which was only a 5 minute taxi ride.)
Read reviews and find discounts for APA Hotel Tokyo Itabashi Ekimae.
Apr 30, 2015 |
Hotel Sunroute Higashi is located in Shinjuku district of Tokyo. Like a lot of hotels in Tokyo a Metro subway line or JR East train station is not far away. This is one of the reasons why I chose to stay at this hotel. And also, it’s one of the most affordable business classed hotels that I know of.
And the area is quite nice as well. A Korea Town is located just five minutes walk due east from the hotel. Plus you can walk to the main hub of Shinjuku station and passing many high end shops and restaurants along Yasukuni-Dori Avenue in about 25 minutes.
And if you love those little tiny Japanese bars with colorful patrons then you might want to check out Golden Gai that is about a 10 minute stroll too. Golden Gai isn’t exactly a red light district. But if a red light district is exactly what you’re looking for then head over to Kabukicho, about a 20 minute walk east or just north of Shinjuku train station.
Also from Hotel Sunroute’s doors you can walk south along Meji-Dori Avenue and reach beautiful Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden in around 30 to 40 minutes. And from there I’ve even walked down to famed Harajuku fashion district and Meiji Shrine in 20 minutes.
You can hit up a lot of popular sites and attractions in the area without stepping foot on a train if you’ve got the time. Of all the times I’ve visited these places the weather was always perfect and beautiful. Which just makes it better when you’re out and about exploring.
Hotel Sunroute is one of the biggest hotels in the area with about 300 rooms. And like any other 3 star business classed hotels in central Tokyo this hotel is basic, meaning no gym or swimming pool. Though there are a couple of computers for guests to use in the lobby.
But the hotel provides guests with free in room Wi-Fi internet access. Plus there’s even a cable for LAN laptop hookup.
The room that I stayed in was clean and even though the hotel was built in 2007 I think the rooms must’ve gone through a renovation process because it looked modern and up to date. One thing I really like though is the mattress. It was so comfortable I slept like a log.
A lot of hotels I’ve stayed in Tokyo have beds that are way too soft. It’s not a big mattress though but it’s just enough for two people because the room I booked was a semi-double.
And like any other typical Japanese hotel the rooms are small because they are meant for travelers on a short trip for business. So for tourists a semi double room could bit tight if you’ve got lots of luggage. Though if you can book a room with two twin beds you get a slightly larger space.
The bathroom is small and tight too but just like the rest of the room modern and clean. There is a small bathtub but even a 6 foot guy like me could fit inside as long as I tucked my legs a bit.
I’ve stayed at this hotel a couple of times, especially when I come across some good deals. The lowest I’ve paid per night was about $118USD per night in March. Not really cheap but considering it’s Tokyo it’s not super expensive either.
I really like this hotel a lot because the immediate area is quiet but you’ll still be near restaurants and convenience stores to grab food and drinks.
Here’s What’s Around Hotel Sunroute Higashi Shinjuku Hotel
- Higashi-Shinjuku Subway Station (located right under the hotel with an entrance on the south entrance of hotel).
- Golden Gai – A very popular spot with private bars. But you can find some bars welcoming foreign visitors.
- Korea Town – Lots of Korean restaurants.
- Kabukicho – Shinjuku’s red light district.
- Isetan Department Store – Just a 20 minute walk south. Get to the basement food level by 7pm for excellent sushi sold at a discount.
Find discounts and read reviews for Hotel Sunroute Higashi Shinjuku.
Jan 22, 2014 |
Bali or the Maldives? That’s what my wife and I was deciding on for our honeymoon. Bali was the easy answer because the Maldives was just way too expensive and difficult to plan on such short notice.
So Bali we were headed to and I did a quick search for a nice honeymoon resort to relax ourselves for 4 days. Now I didn’t have any clue about traveling to Indonesia nor know much about Bali except that it’s a well known beach area famous for honeymoons and surfing. I don’t surf. But I wanted to treat my wife to the best resort spa I could afford.
Through an exhaustive research I came across the name Jamahal Private Resort & Spa through Tripadvisor and Agoda. I read reviews on both websites and Jamahal had a very good reviews. Mine included, you can see my review on Agoda under Warren C.
This villa had 3 rooms and 2 huge bathrooms. Overall space was 430 square meters…
Jamahal is not far at all from Bali’s international airport. About a 15 minute taxi ride from Ngurah Rai Airport. As I recall the taxi ride cost 100,000 Rupiah ($8USD as of writing) via the airport taxi. And that’s the set price. US dollars are widely accepted in Bali and you can find ATMs everywhere to withdraw Rupiah.
Jamahal is in an area of Bali called Jimbaran and as far as I could see its an area filled mostly with small local businesses with plenty of locals shopping for grocery and goods. But there are many small local shops and businesses so there is that homey undeveloped feel.
When we arrived at Jamahal there’s this huge massive wooden gate manned by 2 security guards with stone walls that were 15 feet high. It was like heading into a fortress. When we got in we saw the guests reception which was very small but there’s a nice seating area for guests to relax and order drinks and it was all open air. My first impression was that resort was designed to be secluded and private as the resort name states. And I knew that already as there were not many villa styled rooms for guests so you get that cozy secluded private feel. It is a honeymoon type resort after all.
We were greeted with smiles by a receptionist and if I can recall her name was Yante. She was wonderful from the start. Since we got in early at around 11am before check in time, our room was not ready yet. So my wife and I decided to try out Jamahal’s Five Senses Massage therapy.
A small yet cozy private pool…
While Yante lead us to the spa section she had a surprise for us. And she was quite secretive and waited until we were away from the reception area where other guests could hear us. She told us we were upgraded to the Luxury III Pool Villa. Originally I booked a Luxury ll Pool Suite Villa. From the description I saw on Luxury II it was 130 square meters with a small private pool. That’s a lot of space already. However, the Luxury III Pool Villa is 430 square meters. We couldn’t wait to see it!
Jamahal’s spa is not far at all from the reception area. While taking the short stroll to the spa we could see the resort has a lot of stone walls for privacy. They weren’t kidding when they put the word “private” on their resort name. Even the spa section we had to enter through another set of wooden gates surrounded by high walls. We were greeted by 2 masseuse who guided us on several special infused massage oils that were available to choose for aromatherapy massage. I think we chose lemongrass. Afterwards we were lead to a big couples massage room where we had to change into some weird type of underwear.
There’s just so much space…
It was black and looked like it was made of sheer cotton. So yeah, you can see skin. Which is kind of awkward for a dude like me to wear and getting a massage from a woman. But I guess they’re professionals so to them it’s business as usual. Overall it was a good massage to me. Just what we needed after a 4 hour flight from Bangkok. And my wife who is a massage aficionado said it was good too in a different way after being so used to Thai massage techniques.
After the nice refreshing 1 hour long massage we still had some more time to kill before our room was ready. Yante helped arrange a driver from the resort to take us to an ATM and then to Jamahal Resort’s private beach. The drive from the main road to the beach itself seemed long at first. I mean we knew it wasn’t a beach front resort but that was okay for us.
Staff at the hotel knew it was our honeymoon so they prepared this for us…
When we got to Jamahal’s beach club we found it secluded as well. There were not too many beach chairs and since we were visiting Bali during it’s rainy season the beach surf was rough. So the water was pretty far down. I wish I could say that the beach was beautiful and maybe it is but maybe we just got there at the wrong time. The sand was quite clean though.
When we got back to the resort our villa was ready. Every villa at the resort has a name. Yante lead us to our villa named Banyu. It was right across from the reception. When she opened the wooden doors and lead us in we walked on a stone path with water running around. As I recall “Banyu” means water. It was really nice and we could see the villa and the swimming pool and also a small pavilion for private massage sessions or for lounging around. The place was awesome and my wife and I were so impressed. It’s one of the top 3 fanciest resorts we’ve ever been to on our list.
Super comfortable king sized bed…
Yante opened the doors to our villa and started giving us a tour. The rooms are decorated modern Bali style and very clean. The place looked new and so well maintained. The villa had a total of five rooms. Two of them are big bathrooms followed by a massage room for an even more private massage treatment, the spacious living room and the bedroom with a luxurious mattress. And we really were impressed. So impressed that my wife and I are planning to copy the design of this villa for a home in the future.
Just so much space!…
Outside of the villa is a big garden with the sound of water running creating a soothing atmosphere. And there’s a nice area to sit and lounge around outside by the swimming pool. I was the only one who used it though as the weather was on the cool side since it was late January. It wasn’t cold though the temp was a comfortable mid 70 degrees it wasn’t pool weather to my wife. Good news is because of the cooler weather there were no mosquito either.
A nice healthy breakfast served by a happy butler. A great way to start the day!
Breakfast was included in our room rate. It’s not buffet style but they have a select a la carte menu of items such as fresh baked bread and croissants. Fresh yogurt with granola, platter of fresh fruits and eggs cooked to your liking. Extras like bacon and sausage were extra charge though. I especially love their super fresh coffee served in a plunger. Indonesian coffee is one of my favorites! A breakfast menu is located on the living room coffee table and we can order our breakfast by phone. And the food is delivered to our table by a friendly butler. You just tell them the time you want to eat and the butler will carry your food straight to your villa right on schedule.
I also planned a romantic dinner for my wife one night. Jamahal offers guests 3 course dinner which can be served right in our villa again with personal butler service. And for an added touch of romance the butler lit torches that surrounded our private garden. I did take pictures but they came bad because I forgot to pack my flash for my camera. For all the guys out there, trust me, as a man planning a honeymoon in Bali, setting up a romantic dinner on steroids will earn you a lot of brownie points for dumb things we do in the future.
If you’re probably wondering what is around the area for tourists the answer is there isn’t really much. I’ve taken a stroll outside of Jamahal alone. It’s not easy to walk along the sidewalks because the area is not so developed. But if you walk further down you will see a lot of shops and markets catering to local Indonesians. I know a lot of travelers prefer staying near a mall with plenty of tourists conveniences. The nearest mall that I know of is in an area called Kuta, just north of Jambaran about a 30 minute taxi ride. Personally I prefer the local markets and experience the local vibe.
Still, Jamahal Private Resort is awesome! But sure, getting upgraded to a huge villa is a bonus and saving a ton of money can skew my opinion towards favorable. But I have a feeling even if I didn’t get an upgrade I would still very much enjoy our honeymoon trip.
Read reviews and find discounts for Jamahal Private Resort.
Mar 15, 2013 |
Hua Hin – One of our favorite beaches in Thailand…
The last time I visited Hua Hin was about 4 years ago with my wife and her younger sister. So my wife and I was thinking its about time to go back and check out one of Thailand’s fast growing seaside resort. We went to Cha Am last week where I made a review of Puktien Cabana Beach Hotel too and since I have just a week to go before I head back to the NYC why not enjoy the first reason why I came to Thailand the first place, its wonderful beaches.
But this time we wanted to invite her best friend and two kids who were on school vacation. It’s the very first time we had young rambunctious kids in our car on a 4 hour drive. So we’ll take this chance as a practice run for our own kids.
We decided to book the same hotel we stayed in 4 years ago. Its called Casa Del Mare Hua Hin (Update 2018 – Casa Del Mare is now called Escape Hotel Hua Hin) and the hotel is located right on the main road and about a short 5 minute walk to the beach accessible by the hotel’s beach entrance.
When were first stayed at the Casa back then it was newly renovated. And quiet too. We felt like we were the only a few handful of guests. On this latest visit we noticed a big difference. Lots of local and foreign guests this time.
We booked 2 rooms that were next to each other and when into our rooms on the ground floor with a terrific view of the pool. The rooms were in great condition, neat and clean and quite spacious. Everything was in perfect working order.
Though 4 years ago when I booked 2 rooms next to each other, we were given rooms on the second floor and the balconies had a door to join both rooms. Which is great for families so everyone can hang out in one large space right on the balcony with comfortable seating area.
Our room…
Our room…
Our room…
Our room’s porch…
There’s no joining door on all of the rooms on the ground floor
However, all of the rooms on the ground floor have porches that swing open and locked with a simple wooden latch. So guests on the ground floor have quick access to the pool.
That’s one of the best things of all I like about Casa Del Mare. All of their 46 rooms have a view of the beautiful pool and garden. There’s no need to pay extra just to have a room to sleep in with a view of the pool like you would have to in most other hotels. I paid about $110 USD a night which includes a buffet breakfast coupons for everyone.
Compared to other hotels in the area where we stay by Hua Hin’s beach a room at the Casa is an absolute bargain. It’s peak season rates now and a superior room with breakfast will set you back about $140USD which was the rate I found on the hotel’s website.
However I found discount rates for Casa Del Mare’s superior rooms with breakfast included through Agoda.com that were about $30USD lower than booking through the hotel’s directly. With taxes and all I ended paying $110USD per room.
Literally right next door is the 5 star Intercontinental on the same beach and staying there would cost 3 to 5 times as much. So the Casa Del Mare is a 3 star shining gem in a patch of diamonds and I highly recommend staying there.
Speaking of the pool the kids couldn’t wait to jump in. Barely 10 minutes after check in, I heard the kids out in the pool squealing and splashing around. And I gladly joined in too. My wife and her best friend didn’t join because they didn’t want to tanned because it’ll darken their skin. So you’re wondering why bother going to a pool or beach if one is afraid of getting dark? Don’t bother asking, it’s just a Thai thing. I’ve learned to stopped asking questions a long time ago.
After an hour in the pool the sun was coming down a bit so we all decided to take that short stroll to the beach. When the ladies parked themselves on the beach chairs the kids and I went over to the beach. It was loads of fun. And it reminded me of the times my dad used to take my brother and I to Coney Island. In hindsight sure Coney Island’s beach and water couldn’t hold a stick to Hua Hin. But being with my dad made a world of difference.
The kids and I had a blast in the water as we we’re getting tossed around by the rolling waves as the surf came.
And I was amazed that they were not afraid of going deeper even though the water to me was shallow to them it was quite high and getting higher with each successive wave. Just an hour ago the little girl name Mew didn’t believe his brother Dew when he told her the kiddy pool was shallow. Both were getting bolder while the waves were coming in more frequently so I decided to call it a day so for safety. We stayed at the beach for a t
But the timing went down perfectly because the weather got a little cool and everyone was starting to getting hungry. There was one place to go where everyone else headed at night and that’s the Hua Hin Night Market right in the center of the city.
We decided to hire a taxi which in Hua Hin is basically the common 3 wheeled tuk tuk with no meters. The drivers quote a rate which is usually based on distance. But the average is around 100THB. Casa Del Mare provides a one way complimentary shuttle service too but the service ends around 7pm. So we were too late to take advantage of the free service and we didn’t want to drive either since we were worried we couldn’t find parking. So we just hired a taxi who charged us 120THB.
After walking around a bit at the Hua Hin night market we picked the same restaurant we ate in 4 years ago. Somewhere along the way, the restaurant’s food quality went downhill. Or it could’ve been the head chefs night off. The fish we ordered wasn’t fresh. And the large plate of khao put buu had only a few pieces of crab.
The biggest mistake was ordering the steamed whole crabs. We’ve never ordered crabs there in the past so we had no clue that the crabs were going to be terrible.
They steamed the crabs not to order but have it cooked way beforehand. Fresh cooked crab won’t have a strong fishy taste and a shell that literally tears apart like paper. Well we learn something new every day. And that is to avoid any restaurant that displays precooked crabs out in front of a restaurant.
Afterwards we did another quick stroll and ended up at the 7 Eleven where we bought a bunch of ice creams and then roti from a stand to drown out our dinner disappointment. It was getting a bit late and the kids had to get some rest as well as the grown ups from the long day so we took a taxi back to our hotel.
The kids wanted to stay in our room and play with our iPhones but we told them it was late and time to get some sleep. And besides, my wife’s best friend is deftly afraid of ghost. To make a long story short, Thais probably believe in evil spirits more than others and the prospect of someone committing suicide or a murder in the exact same room she was staying at is a high probability. Lucky the kids didn’t put up much resistance and went back to their mother’s room.
One thing certain about at any room in any Thai resort is that you will come across mosquitoes. Housekeeping staff keeps the doors wide open so there is plenty of chance for the blood sucking invaders to enter the room. There is nothing more in this world that hate more than mosquitoes who seem to have a personal vendetta against me.
After squashing as much as I could before sleep there were a few hidden away in Ninja mode. As soon as the lights go off they come out and sucked some blood from my knuckle. Doesn’t it feel worse when they bite you anywhere near a bone joint? So in the middle of the night I turned on the lights and waking my wife up from her restful sleep. It always happens, mosquitoes never bite her but go straight for me, what’s up with that?
So she tells me there’s a mosquito zapper in the closet. She only noticed it when she opened it to get the hair dryer. I’ve never used a mosquito zapper which basically shocks the little bastards. It’s shaped like a small tennis racket and is battery powered with a light beaming out to spot the suckers easier.
It took about a good 30 minutes to find the Ninja mosquito and when I did, I used the zapper. I lined up the electric net, pressed the button to activate and tapped the sucker. It fell right on my bed where I crushed disposed of it. There was no more after that so it was the last. Sweet victory.
This mosquito zapper is awesome…
Casa Del Mare gets major kudos for keeping these mosquito zappers around. It has made it’s way to my Top 10 most important inventions of the world behind toilet paper. I even made note of it on their comment cards in which now someone from the hotel is looking at and thinking I’m an idiot.
When morning rolled in we were woken up by the kids knocking on our porch door. It was breakfast time and they were hungry and ready to storm the breakfast buffet. And there was much improvement on the variety of food choices compared to 4 years ago. They have french toast, pancakes and of course eggs cooked to order. Fruits, yogurts, breads and Thai food were also available.
After breakfast, what else was there to do? The kids knew, they were already in their bathing suits and right after eating they went straight to the pool. Forget about waiting after eating and swimming. Check out time at the Case Del Mare is 12pm so they had a few hours to play before we headed back to our rooms at around 11pm to pack up and head back to Bangkok.
Sign leading to the Casa Del Mare on 25/2 Petchkasem Road…
Recommended by Agoda and Tripadvisor…
I like this hotel and I’m quite the creature of habit so whenever my wife and I visit Hua Hin we’re definitely going to stay at Casa Del Mare Hotel again. They provide free wi-fi internet access too I have to add. And the connections are quite good. There is a spa which we’ve never tried though on arrival we were given 20% off vouchers. Maybe next time. Casa Del Mare has a lot of great reviews coming not only from me but from Agoda customers and tripadvisor. And their kudos are well deserved.
Through the years Hua Hin’s beaches and slow pace has not only attracted the attention of Thai middle class but many foreigners who have chosen to run out their clocks and retire in Thailand. There’s a decent hospital plus plenty of sun and affordable condos and houses. I can see why one would choose to uproot themselves from whence they came and decided to plop themselves down in Hua Hin’s sunshine and surf. I can see why one would want to buy a second home there. I’m tempted too. But maybe sometime down in the near future.
Mar 10, 2013 |
A lot of people say that Cha Am’s beaches are not the most beautiful nor cleanest in Thailand. I agree with that statement to a certain point.
Cha Am is not that far off away from Bangkok, which is just north west, about 2 hours and 45 minutes by car. So a lot of “the stuff” will still make its way to the waters of Cha Am. So you won’t find that crystal clear Listerine blue you’d find in Phuket and Samui.
That said, I still like heading down to Cha Am for a little beach getaway. Sometimes Bangkok can get a little crowded, so it’s always a treat to go somewhere and just chill out in peace.
This time around my wife and I drove down to Puktien Beach which is the northern section of Petchaburi province. Cha Am and Hua Hin’s beaches are so easy drive to. You don’t need a GPS because the highways have English signs. From Bangkok we hopped on the highway via toll expressway. Follow Dao Khanong which is highway route #9 to Samut Sakong which leads to highway #35. Finally connect to highway route #4 which leads down to Cha-Am and Hua Hin. Sounds like a lot but Thailand has a pretty good highway system.
When we arrived tho this part of Cha Am we noticed it’s not area that’s ready for loads of foreign tourists. You’ll mostly see locals on a short family weekend holiday instead of a family from Australia. And I prefer the less crowded touristy places with jacked up prices. So I like Puktien Beach just the way it is. But I can see perhaps in a few years the area will get to see more development.
I just heard that Fitch ratings has increased Thailand’s credit rating back to BBB+ from BBB. Not sure exactly if that’s a big whoop dee do but it can’t be bad for Thailand’s near future. So perhaps foreign investors will start pumping some cash into building up Cha Am’s tourism infrastructure.
But I hope they keep the resorts small. For this trip my wife and I stayed at a beach side resort called Puktien Cabana Beach Resort.
Entrance
Resort Reception
Beach View Cabana
A Happy Camper
Our Cabana (after a night)
Small Private Pool
There’s also the Puktien Sea View Residence Hotel which is a separate hotel just a little ways down from where we were staying all under the same owner. This hotel is in a traditional hotel style setting.
The only difference is that all of the rooms at Puktien Cabana Beach Resort are all closer to the beach and the rooms are as the name implies cabana style.
It’s not an expensive hotel as far as it goes for staying at a beach side resort. But we got these vouchers for a free night from our insurance broker. But we paid 1400THB extra to upgrade to a cabana with private pool and a can’t beat view of the beach. And it was worth it.
But either way, you can check Agoda.com to see if you can get discounts for Puktien Cabana Beach Resort.
The area surrounding both properties is quiet and you’ll find a few locals running small shops and beach side restaurants.
We chose one of the smaller restaurants which had no customers but neither did the larger restaurants. So we took a chance and dove in. Yeah, the food didn’t taste so good but at least the ambiance was nice. Wasn’t exactly cheap either though, we had a plate of fried rice, larb gai, vegetable stir fry and shrimp tom yum and the bill came out to 300THB.
Then we headed across the street to one of the few small shops to get 2 sticks of ice cream and 4 cans of Singh beer. The cost, 300THB. Yes folks, that’s pricey. No I’m not exactly complaining, because it’s a quiet area where the shops don’t make a lot of money because they’re probably only busiest during weekends.
The shop where we bought our beers and ice cream…
After dinner we dropped of our beers and ice cream back at our cabana fridge and took a stroll along Puktien beach. There were only another couple with their kids so we were basically alone. And the sun was coming down and the weather while not exactly cool it was breezy and comfortable as we watched tiny birds chase after tiny clams running for cover. I tell you, walking on a beach barefoot with the sundown on my back and holding my wife’s hand was wonderful.
A walk on the beach to end a great day…
When we got back to our cabana we plopped ourselves down on the sun chairs, popped open our cans of beer and devoured our ice cream. None of us said a word as we just chilled and watched the ocean and time past by. Life is good! No, wait… life is freaking awesome!
