Friday 20 June 2014

Mandarava Resort and Spa, Karon Beach, Phuket

The boyfriend and I decided to take leave over the Labour Day public holiday for a short getaway. It has been almost half a year since we last traveled together and this Phuket trip was a much needed break. We chose Phuket because we wanted a short trip to a beach destination and we thought Phuket would be a good choice.

The next tricky bit was to choose where we would like to stay. Patong Beach was definitely the center of all activities with a crazy nightlife, but we did not want to be too close to the action. In particular, we wanted a resort which was calm and peaceful, so that we could have some satisfactory sleep.

After much research, we decided that we wanted to stay along Karon Beach. It was about ten minutes to Patong Beach so all the activities were easily accessible. The next step was to choose a resort and we settled for Mandarava Resort because reviews on Tripadvisor were good. We took the metered taxi from the Phuket Airport to the Mandarava Resort and the hour long trip cost us 920 baht. 


Mandarava Resort was located on a hill and the climb up the hill was draining under the scorching Phuket sun. The walk from the main stretch of shops along Karon Beach to Mandarava Resort took ten minutes and we were sweating buckets each time we made the climb. This is perhaps the reason why the resort provided a free shuttle service to Karon Beach at various timings. If you are staying at Mandarava Resort, be sure to catch the free shuttle service to Karon Beach and back to avoid the long arduous walk.

Check-in was not smooth and we only managed to get our room at 3 pm even though the front desk promised us repeatedly that our room would be ready by 2 pm. The resort was tiered with some rooms located at a lower region, while others were perched at the top of the hill. Our room 2105 was located at the higher region so we were immensely grateful for the shuttle that took us from the lobby up to our room. 

The room was large and airy, with a balcony which overlooked the Mango Pool. We settled in, took a shower to rid ourselves of the sweat which had accumulated in the Phuket heat, and headed to the Mango Pool.



Happy hour at the Mango Pool was fantastic. There was a 50% discount so cocktails were 120 baht instead of the usual 240 baht. Swimming in the pool, drinking cheap cocktails and beer, and watching the setting sun was a lovely moment. 



As it was honestly really tiring to climb up the hill to the resort with the hot sun beating down on us, we made it a point not to leave the resort once we returned. This meant that we had to settle two dinners in the resort. Thankfully, the Chomtalay Restaurant in the resort served reasonably priced food which was really quite delicious. The view from the Chomtalay Restaurant at night was also breath-taking and so romantic.




We ordered a la carte items on our first night. I had a phad thai while he had a spaghetti. Both were quite delicious. On our last night in Phuket, we went for the couple set dinner which cost us 1100 baht. Not the cheapest definitely, but worth every baht. The appetizer with salad and satay was so yummy. I also really liked the stir-fried dishes and the coconut soup which was surprisingly savory. 








Breakfast was also in the Chomtalay Restaurant. A beautiful morning with the sea in the distance and the lush greenery on the slopes.



The selection for breakfast was good. There were the usual sausages, bread, pancakes, baked beans, cold cuts, and fruits. There was also an egg and bacon station, and a noodle station. I was particularly fond of the streaky bacon and hot noodle soup. 



I love the sunset happy hours in the Mango Pool, the delicious food served in Chomtalay Restaurant, and the beautiful view from the Mandarava Resort. However, the long climb to the Mandarava Resort from Karon Beach and the lacking front desk service are both sticking points. 

Read about Patong Beach here and about Karon Beach here.

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