Vacation Highlights

Dave and I enjoyed an amazing and relaxing vacation in Thailand. We stayed at the Apsara Beachfront Resort & Villas. The resort was on Khao Lak Beach. Here is a picture of the resort from the beach.

It was a very quiet and secluded area of Phuket. We were about an 1.5 hour drive from the airport. The closest hotel/resort was a little over a mile away. Between the two resorts we could walk the beach and often not see anyone. We would usually walk about 2 miles down the beach in one direction and pass three resorts and maybe a dozen people. It was so quiet and peaceful.

About a half mile in the other direction was a little cove with several Thai longboats. We would walk that direction daily so I could take pictures.

Besides enjoying long walks on the beach, we enjoyed lounging by the pool at our villa.

Fabric in Thailand is excellent quality and low price. Therefore, it is very reasonable to have clothing made to order. We decided to have a few custom items of clothing made for each of us. It was a whole new experience for both of us. We selected pieces we liked from style magazines and then picked our fabrics. We were measured and the clothes were made to order! We returned a couple times to have the clothes fitted perfectly. The fabrics were “Armani” brand and the manufacturers (seamstress) were budget prices. My skirts and dresses look like Banana Republic or J.Crew and I paid Target prices. Dave’s suits were the same. I’ll be sure to mention when I/we where them and snap a picture.

The food at the resort was delicious. We decided last minute to upgrade to the all inclusive option. For less than $50/day per person we had all we could eat and drink. I should mention most drinks started at $5.00. We had everything from fresh fruit, Thai staples, pizza, seafood, etc. Plus, wine, beer and cocktails.

The customer service at the resort was beyond superb. We were always greeted with a happy hello. At our favorite restaurant on the resort, they would reserve our dinner table each evening at 19:00. Our favorite bartender quickly learned our drink order. We truly felt like we were living the life of luxury.

The resort grounds were immaculate. Beautiful gardens, lush palm trees and sparkling pools were everywhere.

Evening sunsets were also a highlight. With such seclusion, it was hard to always find a person to take our picture. Fortunately, I bought a ¥100 selfie stick before we left. I was able to turn it into a makeshift tripod and with the use of my Apple Watch, I could snap our photo! A few of my favorites.

We celebrated Christmas, Dave’s birthday, and New Year’s Eve. All were fun. My favorite was definitely Dave’s birthday. We had a private dinner under a cabana on the beach. While we ate dinner, a live band was playing in the background. After dinner, we danced on the beach and before too long, the band sang happy birthday to Dave and brought out a cake. To top off the evening, they brought Dave a wish balloon to light. It was a perfect evening. I was so happy and had so much fun, I felt like it was my birthday!

One last little thing I want to mention. Blame the science teacher in me. On the beach were these tiny crabs called sand bubbler crabs. They come out of their burrows at low tide and create tiny sand bubbles as they search for food. It was so interesting how they made perfect little circles around their burrows.

The beach was covered with them during low tide. They would get to work and put bubbles everywhere. It was pretty cool. I took a short video. When I zoomed in at the end, you can see the crabs running around.

This vacation was truly a trip of a lifetime. We enjoyed the opportunity to relax, take long walks on the beach, talk and laugh. We had no schedule or agenda. We just enjoyed time together.

Now that we are back in Japan and have returned to our routine, I will have more adventures to share. Thanks for waiting patiently while we took a couple weeks to relax.