Travel Log: Settling in Sala Phuket

After 4 beautiful days at Pearl Indigo Resort, we moved on to Sala Phuket Resort. http://www.salaresorts.com/phuket/

It was about 20mins drive away from where we were originally. Sala is actually nearer to the JW Marriott compound really, about 5mins drive away but I personally think its MUCH nicer than JWM.

One is welcomed by the wide water pond like feature, with the sleek black reception counter overlooking it, with several cages enclosed with glittering tearshaped crystal hangin from withinI like how the whole reception area opens up to a long stretch of open air and greens, straight through all the way to the beach front. It's pretty, zen like, and reeks of nothing but tranquilty and peacefulness.

We arrived about 1.30pm and we got upgraded from a pool villa to a one-bedroom pool villa - for free. Fantastic!

The first villa we had was Villa 67 but we decided to swop for another similar villa the next day. Reason being we had a huge tree at the former villa and the birds were freaking noisy early in the morning -chirping away like at 5am. So much for being close to nature, not a great idea when u want to sleep in. The next villa 76 was MUCH better. Everything else was status quo, minus the birds and dropping leaves into the pool from tree.

I fell in love with the villa. The pool was nice and lengthy.

The rooms comes with french doors that opens out from the master and the living room.

The 2 rooms are divided by a solid swing door. Each room is equipped with its own TV and DVD/CD player and minibar. The rain-shower and toilet were all outdoor. I thought it was really quaint. I like showering outdoors but it was abit odd and inconvenient having to leave the comfort of the room to take a leak outside. Especially so when you rose from the middle of your sleep in the middle of the night and you have to stumble out, wrestling the blackout curtains, and unlatching the door, and then ambling out to the loo. I wish they had provided some candles so that I can keep the are lit instead of being forced to leave a night lit on wasting electricity.

Truth be said, there actually wasnt alot of insects but I (was) am paranoid. I grew up being a bitie-magnet so I tend to overimagine their existence, and one track mind to eliminate them. Esp in tropical where bities and mozzies are common. However, thank to my personal vendatta against all bitie things and vigilance in keeping the mozzie coil burning continously at the door and loo area, we were safe without a singular attack. Other than that, everything else was perfect.

Venturing out of the villa, we have 2 lovely adult pool. One being a straight deep lap pool. Lovely! The other side was also a long pool but mixed in with shallow bits for the kiddies. There were mattress laid out all comfy for one to doze in esp with the continous beach front wind blowing inwards. It was absolute paradise! In between, while hanging by the pool, they serve free longan tea drink, and around late noon, staff go around dishing out free fruit popsicles.

There was only one restaurant here but they do ok though not fantastic.

The spa and massage was ok. They had the usual steam and sauna room which I didnt use. The rooms were nice but the therapists were average. I thought those at Indigo were much better skilled. I didnt try the private ones out at the beach that is a fraction of the cost (400baht/ hr).

It was another lovely 4 days at Sala. As most of the guest would have their own pool withing their villa, most people didnt hang out by the pool. There werent much americans again, and most of the crowds were from Europe and Korea, mixed with couple of Thai locals.

It was only towards the last night when we head to JWM for dinner did we realise why we hardly saw any Americans. All of them were holed up in JWM. The place was swarming with them of all shapes and sizes. The minute we entered the lobby till we finished our dinner, voices, laughters came crashing at us from all angles at all times. The booming scene here was drastically and contrastingly different from our serene accomodation, where the birds alone made more noise than the human occupants.

The crowd at Sala were mostly couples. All nice quiet folks, without any tantalising scandalous story to spill.

I had a Mr Muscle-man Adonis lying next to me one day. I thought he looked really weird and out of proportion when he stripped down except his trunks. He was all beefed up on the upper torso, but with his teeny weeny tight white-trunk, the proportions was all wrong. He prob thought he looked marvellous, but personally, he looked gross to me. He looked ok with his boardshorts on but in that underwear thingie, it looked like he was being squeezed from waist downwards. Not a cool look. Perhaps beefy guys are just not my cup of tea. I like mine with a small inch of love handle to hang on to....

I didnt do much except hanging out some day at the pool, beating my husband at most card games. At one point, I couldnt resist yelling "VICTORY" while doing my victory dance and suddenly I heard a lady clapping, cheering me on. I turned around and this girl around my age was shouting from the end of the pool "Yeah way to go girl!!" I laughed while my poor partner suffer in "public defeat". Later before the girl and her bf left, she walked over explaining she had never won her boyfriend in any card games and thus, it was absolute delight when she saw me thrashing my husband. Finally, she find some comfort and taking delight in my husband's misery. Haaa haaaa. Her bf gloated and proudly declare he would never be beaten of course. It was funny.

There was another family, a Singapore woman with her Indian husband. While it was a common sight for anyone growing up in Sg, it must be a relatively unique and unheard marriage combination in Korea. The 3 korea couples had walked up to the family and asked to take their pictures. I guess they are gonna go home and tell their friends about this "rare" sighting.

Speaking of the Koreans, the men there must be the only race who didnt mind being seen with paper mask plastered all over their face in public places. I was so amused I had to take a shot at the guy with the mask on while he was busy with her camera.

I thought it was really funny when I see the Korean girls going "Oppa Oppa" and fussing over their boyfriends with sprays, cosmetic products, big shades, lip balm, lotion and all. It wasnt sissy or anything but still, it was kinda strange to see a man so comfortable laying there and be "pampered" with all the products as their gf get to work. My husband would personally never be caught with anything on his face apart from lip balm and sun screen. As a typical outdoor auzzie bloke, he would rather lob his head off than be caught dead with a mask on, ever. "Metrosexual" terminology is lost on him.

Much that I wish my face could be spared, unfortunately it turned brown after the week despite my best efforts with large flapping hat, sunscreen and staying half in shade. I lost the natural shine on my face, to be replaced by oily skin now. I forgot how tropical weather isnt exactly my best friend. I hate the heat drawing my zits back on. Brown is not a good look for me. Drats....more new freckles too. Sigh. Well, at least I had a heavenly week!