Sydney to Khaolak, Thailand - April 2016

View of Sydney Airport from Rydges Hotel where we stayed overnight so we could be at the 

airport early for our flight to Singapore. 

Chilling out at Singapore Airport - my favourite airport

Loved the free foot massage machines

On our way from Phuket Airport travelling north to Khaolak in Thailand

Our driver who picked us up at the airport as part of our package deal to drive us one and a half 

Hours to Khaolak

Water views along the way

Driving through to Khaolak

Sunset by the time we arrived at the resort 

Late afternoon traffic

Travelling to Thailand via Singapore was a long haul.

  Because we needed to be at the airport by 6 am we opted to stay at Rydges Hotel at the airport on the previous night.  The hotel was really good with a nice comfortable quiet room with restaurants and bars downstairs so we did not need to leave the hotel for dinner.

We were flying Singapore Airlines and had an uneventful 9 hour flight apart from having two children 4 yrs and 6 years directly behind us. They settled down and kept their feet off our seats after we spoke to mother a couple of times.  Our stopover at Singapore was two hours or so.  We spent the time looking through the airport shops which are lovely and I loved the goldfish pond and the free foot massage machines. 

We transferred to Silk Air for another hour or so to reach Phuket about 5 o'clock in the afternoon.

Our transfer car was waiting for us to drive us an hour and a half to Khaolak and our resort.

It was dusk by the time we arrived at the resort and dark by the time we got into our villa.  If was a very long day.

Likewise on our return journey we had similar transfer times and flights. We left the resort at 11.00am on Tuesday Thailand time and arrived in Sydney at 6.00am on Wednesday morning Sydney time.

We luckily came home with Singapore Airlines on the 380 Air Bus where we had excellent seats and no children behind us.  The economy service on Singapore airlines was excellent and I would equate the comfort to premium economy on other airlines I have travelled on. 

Next time we may consider a direct flight if the cost factor is not over the top.

Beyond Resort Khaolak, Khaolak, Thailand - Guest amenities -April 2016

Layout of the Beyond Resort Khaolak

Blue markers are guest facilities (restaurants, spa, gym, front desk

Orange marker is our villa

Looking back down the water feature from the restaurant end of the resort

Walkway to restaurants and beach

Walkway to the beach

Walkway to the spa and gym

Spa and gym

Our friendly massage girls at the spa

In the gym where there are extensive training equipment for those inclined

Looking down the walkway to the villas from the main entrance

Walkways to the restaurants

Lawn area leading to the beach restaurant

Swimming pool area leading to the beach

Beach Restaurant

Beach restaurant

Bougainvilleas along the walkways

Breakfast buffet restaurant advertising weekly events

End of the water feature down the centre of the resort

The Tour Desk advertising - we could book any of our Thailand Tours through the tour desk who liaise with Eco Center in Khaolak. Shuttle buses pick up guests from all the resorts in Khaolak to share the tours.

Front Entry to the resort where we could wait for shuttle buses etc.

Front desk foyer - tour desk behind the white doors in the background

Monitor lizard in the water feature at the resort

The Beyond Resort Khaolak is just what the doctor ordered if you want a quiet restful, chill out holiday.

The resort is beautifully laid out and easy to get around. The staff are friendly and helpful and respond very quickly to any requests. 

Some of the staff have difficulty with our language because we speak too quickly but overall we could make ourselves understood.

The Resort has a no children policy which suited us for a quiet holiday. We could move around the resort in relative privacy especially near the villas that are designed so that you rarely get a glimpse of your neighbors. 

The beach area was surprisingly quite considering the number of guests rotating.

The resort is 14 kilometres out of Khoalak and and hour and a half fast travel from Phuket Airport so it is isolated from a lot of the Tourist hype.  If you want to party at nightclubs or travel in noisy groups etc this is not the place to come.

The free wi fi throughout the resort was a good bonus.

We booked a couple of day trips, one to the North of the country and one to the South so we got a good overview of the country around us.  Other than that we spent the most of our time using the resort amenities and a couple of shopping trips to Khoalak. 

We converted our half hour massage vouchers to a full hour and used our free meal vouchers at the Beach Restaurant.  We did not go to the up market restaurant which was another choice, but we understand from talking with other guests it was very nice. 

This resort gets the thumbs up - good value for money.  We booked the resort more than 12 months ahead through Luxury Escapes.  Initially wanting to come in March, we changed to April as there is a daily surcharge depending on the time of year. April gave us a surcharge of $50 each a day during our stay - so that was an extra $1,000 payable on arrival above the advertised price - so that is a fine print you need to look for.

We got in just ahead of the rainy season so from our point of view we were there in perfect weather - hot days and balmy evenings, so perhaps the surcharge was worthwhile to catch the good weather.

There were predominantly German guests, some Dutch, some Australian and other places. We got to chat with some of the Australians some of who were on their second or more visit. One couple from Canberra who work around the world, check in a couple of times a year for a rest. Another couple of ladies who spend a lot of time travelling the world were on their second visit. Another young couple ere celebrating their 10th wedding anniversary and a holiday from their 3 young children. 

I would recommend this resort to anyone needing a break from the hectic life.  Previously a lot of our holidays were very structured on a day by day basis with a rest day thrown in here and there.  This time we wanted a good break and that is what we got.  

Book early to get the option of a good villa.  Some of the more expensive villas were closer to the beach, and even on the beach with their own swimming pool. We were very happy with the villa we had and I cannot see an real advantage of being any closer than where we were. 

Check back through my previous posts for an in depth report on our holiday.

Beyond Resort Khaolak, Khaolak, Thailand - Our Villa Accommodation -April 2016

Our private patio overlooking a little garden and kept private by hedges between villas

Looking out to the patio area 

Looking through to the dressing room

Huge comfortable bed

 

Our welcome letter

Lounge area in front of the bed

Make up/computer/cafe bar with espresso coffee machine/refrigerator big enough for a couple of bottles of wine. The refrigerator was stocked with a couple of complimentary beers and a selection of soft drinks which was restocked every day.  We were also given a complimentary cake every day to have with coffee. There are supermarket shops around so we could have stocked the refrigerator with our own choice of food if we wished. Opposite this area was a dressing area with wardrobes, a safe, clothes rack, dressing gowns, slippers and sarong.

Huge bath room including large shower on the left, double vanity bench and toilet on the right

serviced daily

Lounge area in front of the king size bed

Raised ceiling in the villa giving a feeling of space

One of the flowers in our private garden

Our villa number was 2202 and was on the lakeside of the resort 

Private pathway to reach our villa

Huge water feature in the middle of the resort

Walkway down to the beachfront

This is the layout of the resort - our villa was the Orange Dot. We did not have very far to walk to reach the restaurants, swimming pool and beach front.

Our villa was not disappointing, having plenty of room for two people and it was in a very convenient area of the resort - not too far from the restaurants and beach.  The air conditioning was very efficient as it needed to be in such hot weather. Mosquitoes were an issue at dusk so insect spray was a must and doors needed to be kept closed at night.

The bed was comfortable with the villa having ample room for two people to move around without getting in each other's way. The lounge was not the most comfortable I have ever sat in but it was not an issue as we were outdoors for most of the time.

Complimentary drinks in the refrigerator was a bonus as was the espresso coffee machine.  There were plenty of power points for my computer equipment and the complimentary wi fi was a big bonus for me. 

Laundry service was also a bonus, not being expensive at 120 Bart for an average load and returned washed, ironed and folded in a basket the following day.

The rooms were very efficiently maintained every day and kept very clean. Towels were changed on request. We were also supplied with beach towels - again changed daily on request.

When we booked our stay at this resort with Luxury Escapes,( more than 12 months ahead) we upgraded to a 10 nights stay in a palm villa, including a package of two 1/2 hour massages per day each, two free evening meals and a cooking class.  

Overall we were very happy with our accommodation and the staff that looked after our villa. I would certainly consider a return trip in the future.