If you are in Nai Harn Beach and want to watch the perfect sunset over the Andaman Sea, go and visit the bar/restaurant called Mahasamutr. You walk past The Nai Harn Hotel and keep walking for another 500m and you will get this lovely hidden spot. They serve excellent food and drinks and have fabulous views of the sea and it is pretty near perfect when you sit there with a cocktail of your choice and watch the sunset over the ocean. It does not get much better than this.
After we spent a few days in hustling and bustling Bangkok we went to the airport to spend a week on the lovely island of Phuket. We urgently wanted to do nothing more than sleep, eat, sunbathe, swim, and relax. It took us a while to decide on the right hotel and I was anxious to see if it lived up to my expectations. From Bangkok, there are plenty of flights to Phuket daily and it only takes an hour on the plane. From the airport, we had a car waiting for us which drove us down to the southwestern tip of Thailand's biggest island to the Nai Harn Beach Hotel where our much anticipated week of R&R finally began.
The hotel we chose to stay at is called (link: https://www.awin1.com/cread.php?awinmid=10074&awinaffid=727981&clickref=The+Nai+Harn&ued=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.tripadvisor.com%2FHotel_Review-g1231757-d302529-Reviews-The_Nai_Harn-Nai_Harn_Rawai_Phuket.html text: The Nai Harn Hotel )which is part of Leading Hotels of the World. This five-star hotel is located on beautiful Nai Harn Beach together with one other hotel, a few restaurants, and shops. It is one of the quieter beaches of the island and felt perfect for what we were looking for. When we arrived someone took care of our luggage and we were handed a delicious fresh juice while we did our check-in. We were then taken to our room on the 4th floor with fantastic views of the bay and the Andaman sea. Our room was very spacious and modern with a big terrace and a beautifully appointed bathroom. I especially loved the sunbed on our terrace where you lie down and just take in this amazing view. The main restaurant is located in the middle of the complex and feels like the heart and soul of the hotel. It looks very modern and light and is mostly open plan with the option to close the sides if the rain starts, which it did on occasions. We had breakfast here every morning which was absolutely to die for. Just imagine starting the day with a view of the ocean, tasty dishes, fresh fruit and juices, and the coffee specialty of your choice. The quality and taste of the food were excellent and we looked forward to our start to the day every day! During our first few days, we moved from breakfast to the pool and on the beach, followed by a visit to the lovely hotel bar and dinner... The perfect way to unwind and the perfect hotel to be looked after. Beautiful to look at, in a perfect spot on the island, excellent food, very well-appointed rooms, and lovely staff. Look no further...
After a few days of not moving a lot, we decided it was time to get up and explore. We rented a scooter and drove around the southern part of the island. Our first stop was at Laem Promthep, the southernmost tip of Phuket and a great viewpoint of the Andaman sea. Beautiful during the day and stunning at sunset where it gets really busy. Afterwards, we drove past Rawei beach and on to Kata beach where we stayed to go swimming and sunbathing for a while. On our way back we stopped at Yanui beach for a dip in the water and a photo of the picturesque scenery. Definitely, a must-do - renting the scooter and just driving around... Excellent! On another day we booked a trip to Phi Phi Islands with the rep located at our hotel. We were picked up early at 7.30 AM and taken to the port in town. It was raining all morning and we were offered the option to re-book the trip for the following days as it didn't look like the weather would be improving much for that day. We only had a few days left in Phuket before heading back home, we decided to go on the trip despite the weather. We were given rain covers and joined the rest of the people on the boat. It takes about one hour to get to the first island where everyone got of the boat to have a look around and take THAT photo that everybody has of their visit to Phi Phi island, the superstar among the Thai islands. Well known from the movies it is worth a visit but it is visited by many people and quite touristy. Afterwards, they took us to a lagoon where we jumped of the boat to swim in the water and by then the rain had thankfully stopped. Snorkelling and lunch were on the agenda next which was a nice experience. On our way back to Phuket we stopped again at another island where nobody lives or stays overnight and people only come during the day. Beautiful for swimming and taking fabulous pictures. If you are in the area and have ever been to the islands I would recommend seeing it at least once. It is a little too touristy for my liking but it is worth seeing it.
It was Sunday and I read about this great Sunday market in Phuket town. It only takes place on Sundays and we were lucky to experience it. We took a taxi from our hotel and went there during the afternoon after a few hours by the pool. The market is called Lard Yai market and is located in Phuket Old town on Thalang Road, in the middle of the renovated Portuguese district. Locals and tourists alike visit this market to eat, to try, to drink, and to shop. The street is lined with shops, restaurants, and coffee places. And the food stalls are all set up in the middle of the street and it is perfect to walk by, watch how the dishes are being prepared, and try whatever takes your fancy. We ate a few things on offer and shopped, and really enjoyed the local scene. A great way to spend the afternoon and experience a typical Thai market. It opens at 4 PM every Sunday and closes at 10 PM. Loved it!
If you are in Nai Harn Beach and want to watch the perfect sunset over the Andaman Sea, go and visit the bar/restaurant called Mahasamutr. You walk past The Nai Harn Hotel and keep walking for another 500m and you will get this lovely hidden spot. They serve excellent food and drinks and have fabulous views of the sea and it is pretty near perfect when you sit there with a cocktail of your choice and watch the sunset over the ocean. It does not get much better than this.
