We decided to visit Phuket for our birthday month, September. It has been a long dream of mine to visit Phuket, and finally, we can. Luckily, our reservation at Anantara Vacation Club Mai Khao is still available. We booked that resort in 2019, and I am so grateful to the management for still keeping our booking open.
We flew via Air Asia, and it was really early; our flight was at 7:00 AM, and we had to travel from our residence in Pattaya to Suvarnabhumi airport for 2 hours. The flight experience was okay; it was only an hour's flight, so we were not that stressed if our baby was going to be bored on the plane.
When we landed at Phuket Airport, we were picked up by the Anantara staff. The staff are so kind and friendly. The drive to the resort is not less than 30 minutes, I think.
Anantara Vacation Club is located in Mai Khao; it's like 1 or 2 hours away from the town of Phuket.
Upon arrival at the resort, it was still fresh in my memory how amazing the experience was, from the moment we stepped into the reception until we checked out. Let me break this down for you.
The reception staff provided us with a welcome drink, explained what the drink was, gave us information about the resort, arranged activities for my baby inside the resort, and provided so many exciting details.
Then the bell boy sent us to our villa. Wait, we were in the buggy cart. Yes!!!
The resort is wide and big; there's no day that we get lost just to go to our villa or just to go to another place inside the resort. It's like a maze.
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When we arrived at our villa, the bellboy was kind enough to help us get settled—I mean, bringing our luggage inside, giving us a mini tour—and everything was so perfect.
I am so happy with how big, spacious, luxurious, and wonderful the villa was. We have two bedrooms and our own private pool. The villa is also equipped with full kitchen amenities. It made me decide that this villa was going to be my dream home in the future. It's so open, airy, clean, and minimalist—simple but luxurious. Everything I dreamed of a dream house, Anantara Vacation Club was giving it.
The resort itself has its own restaurant, and the breakfast buffet is so good. There are so many options and so many delicious foods, from western to Thai. Not only the food, by the way, but the service crew? "Perfect service," I mean, when we arrived, they made us feel so warm, not only on day one but throughout our stay.
You can check out my Villa tour
We also loved the burger in Anantara; my husband said it was the most delicious burger he ate in his entire life. That's how good it is, and he is not wrong. Even my picky eater baby loves that burger.
There was a main pool in the resort with kids pool and slides, there was also a kid's play room, sunbar, gym, yoga room, and maybe other hidden places in the resort that we haven't discovered yet.
In summary, Anantara Vacation Club is totally worth staying at while in Phuket.
Must-Visit Places You Can't Miss
There are a handful of places I want to visit in Phuket, like I already had planned it out in my itinerary but I did not plan for the weather. So basically, we just stayed indoors and did a lot of Food trips in Phuket.
However, let me share with you the places that we are supposed to visit; maybe it will help you as well in planning your Phuket travel.
Bay View Cafe at Sametnangshe Boutique
It is a little bit far but worth the visit, actually, you can stay here, they also have a cafe and restaurant with an amazing view of Phang Nga Bay rock formation. You can visit their cafe and restaurant even if you are not staying in the boutique.
Since we are not doing any island tours, this cafe is a great place to enjoy the astonishing view and have breakfast or lunch. There's no need to make a reservation with their cafe and restaurant; you can just walk in.
If you are traveling to Bay View Cafe at Sametnangshe Boutique with your own transportation, you can park it in their parking area, and they have a service transfer for 50 THB per person from the parking area to the cafe and restaurant.
You can also check their menu at this LINK
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| Photo from Cafe Story : รีวิวคาเฟ่ ทุกวัน |
Old Town Phuket
I know Old Town Phuket is already on your list, but just in case, just in case you didn't. It is highly recommended to visit the famous old town Phuket to see the vibrant colors of the streets. It's a lot, so I made this list of places where to go in Old Town Phuket, just to save time and to avoid getting lost.
I know getting lost in unknown places is challenging, and you might find an interesting place, but I am the kind of girl who always has a plan.
So below are my routes:
Phuketique (famous toast ) read my review below
Thaivetro Ice Cream ( local ice cream shop) read my review below
A Pong Mae sunee (Michelin Thai street dessert )
Soi Romanee Road
Thalang Rd
Phuket Baba Museum
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| Photo from Phuket 101 |
Naithon Beach Wooden Bridge
This famous bridge is all over Instagram if you look for #phuketbeach. I mean it is really Instagram-able, however, we haven't visited any beach in Phuket because of the unpredictable crazy rain.
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| Photo from bucketlistbums |
Banana Beach
This was also on my list, according to my Thai friend who had already been to Phuket, Banana Beach is so beautiful plus there are restaurants around so it's perfect for you to lounge. Again, we didn't visit this one.
Plane Spotting at Mai Khao Beach
This was the first agenda in my itinerary, however, a lot of changes happened like rain. Unfortunately, we also missed this one.
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| Photo from Phuket 101 |
I hope the list above fills in your blank pages on where to go in Phuket
Phuket's Foodie Haven
This part is where I am excited to share, as we only eat and eat in Phuket. We tried so many restaurants and cafes in Phuket and there are still more to eat but unfortunately, we only stayed there for 4 days.
But I will still share with you our best food experience, from a meal to dessert to local foods.
Mai Khao Local Seafood Restaurant
We stayed in the Mai Khao area, specifically around the expensive luxurious hotel area, where we could not find local restaurants or the usual cafeteria. But, I did my research there is this local restaurant Mai Khao Local Seafood Restaurant, that is nearby from Anantara Vacation Club, it's not walkable but very near when driving.
Plus, their menu is very affordable, and they have a lot of choices to offer. The Thai owner is very friendly; they open at 10:00 AM, and when we arrive at 9:00 AM, he lets us in and takes our orders.
The food is okay; let me be honest, it's not super delicious but not too bland; it's in the middle.
The surroundings of the restaurant are what I am most fond of. It is quiet and peaceful, and the restaurant is beside this huge and wide fish pond. And there are so many big fish in the pond. It's not your usual pond decoration, but it really has big fish.
I can say that if you are in the Mai Khao area and looking for a Thai local restaurant with affordable prices and a lot of options, I recommend Mai Khao Local Seafood Restaurant.
Summore Day
Of all the restaurants and food places we went to, my most favorite was the Summore Day. They are famous of their stunning view of the beach and mountains of Phuket, it is located uphill so it's so perfect place for viewpoints. However, we did not experienced this scenic view because we arrived at Summore Day already evening and it was raining heavily. However, this bad weather did not stop us for having a great dinner in Summore Day.
You know why? The words are undescribable, but their food? is truly delicious; even their Teriyaki chicken rice tastes so good, not your typical teriyaki chicken rice. We ordered the salmon and wrap, and it was all good. I also pre-ordered from them a small chocolate birthday cake for my husband. And did I say more? It also tastes so good—not too sweet, not too bitter or bland—it's the perfect balance.
Not only the food wows me, but the service is totally warming. Especially when we arrived in the restaurant raining, the owner of the Summore Day was so kind enough to fetch us in the car and bring us some umbrellas. You know I really appreciate small but top-notch service. During our dinner, they were so accommodating with us. I can say that if we are ever back in Phuket, I will surely return to Summore Day, not only to witness the scenic view but also to enjoy the best food and service.
Phuketique
We arrived at Phuketique around 8:00 PM I guessed, and boy! the queu is very long, but the service is quick so we did not stand in the queue for so long. It was really famous because eventhough the place is small, it is packed.
We get their classic toast with vanilla ice cream, and geez! It is really toasty. The kind of toast that is crispy on the outside but soft on the inside, along with the vanilla ice cream, It is really good; it is worth the hype and the wait.
Thaivetro Ice Cream
I saw this Thaivetro Ice cream when I was doing researched on where to go in Phuket Old Town, and Thaivetro Ice cream always popping out. It was like owned long before and it is still standing now. They have a lot of flavor, when I say a lot, it's really a lot. It's so hard to pick you know. We get the classic vanilla for our baby and rose beer for me. It is really good.
Something special in the ice cream? Just to be honest, I think for me, they just have a lot of flavors to offer. Maybe for a quick stop and a local food trip experience, you can visit Thaitvetro. But if you asked me if I would be coming back, I'd be back in Phuket. I think no.
Three Monkey Restaurant
I honestly, regret coming here. The food is okay, but for me it really comes down to service.
Once we get to Three Monkey Restaurant, you need to wait for a queue at their table. Let me break down with you why I don't like Three Monkey's.
The staff are not friendly or welcoming; I totally understand if they are exhausted or tired, but we asked for help so many times with the baby chair, and after talking to two waitresses, finally we have a baby chair. We dined at their indoor restaurant, and we wanted to check out upstairs to take photos and look around. We asked, like, three waitresses already, if it's okay to go upstairs, can we check out upstairs? They just told us, I'll come back. It was very awkward because I waited and nobody came back. Lastly, my husband charged his phone at the counter. I asked the receptionist where my husband's phone was because we were leaving, but she just responded to me like she was pissed or annoyed with me. I just asked kindly, friendly, and calmly. The service was not pleasant.
The food is okay, but the service was not welcoming.
Key Takeaways
Overall, our experience in Phuket and staying at Anantara Vacation Club Mai Khao was absolutely amazing. The resort exceeded our expectations with its spacious and luxurious villas, excellent service, and a variety of amenities.
The food scene in Phuket was also impressive, with standout experiences at Summore Day and Phuketique. If you're looking for a relaxing and indulgent vacation in Phuket, Anantara Vacation Club Mai Khao is definitely the place to go.
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