Ban Karon

Phuket was on our itinerary from the get go. However, when Myanmar was canceled, our one-day visit turned into an overnight. And with that overnight came docking privileges at the Deep Sea Port while RCL’s mega ship, Spectrum of the Seas, had to tender its nearly 5,000 passengers.

With an all-day Oceania tour scheduled for our second day in Phuket, Mui and I decided to take it easy today. He researched resorts on the island and we settled on Grand Centara on Karon Beach … a 45-minute tuk-tuk ride from the port, including a stop at an ATM to pick up Thai Baht for today and our upcoming ports in Thailand.

To use the resort facilities, we knew that we’d need to purchase day passes … the cost of which would be applied to any food and beverage purchases. We took care of that in the lobby. Then, a golf cart came to take us to the spa, where we each had a delightful 90-minute massage at a fraction of the cost charged by the Aquamar Spa on the ship.

By the time our treatments and relaxation in the spa were over, it was getting on towards 1:00p. A quick walk around the property to acquaint ourselves with the facility. A quick look-see at the beach where the surf was pounding the shoreline … it was apparent that there would be no swimming in the sea today. Then a tasty al fresco lunch of Thai food at the Coast Beach Club & Bistro.

We wrapped up with some R&R in the quiet zone near the pool until the light breeze was no longer able to keep us cool. Time for a dip … or two … or three in the pool. Even with the water warm from the sun, it was a refreshing way to end our time at the resort.

Another tuk-tuk returned us to the port … stopping along the way at a grocery market to pick-up some delicious and aromatic mangos … at a mere $1.20 per kilo. How can you pass up that deal 🤪Read more