I arrived at Changi Airport Terminal 2 at 11.40am for our flight at 1.10pm. As meal will be provided on plane, we did not grab any food at the airport and went straight to the boarding gate. I took Singapore Airlines this time round and was pleased that there was no delay in boarding. I was already at my seat at 1pm.
The flying time to Phuket was about 1 hour 35 minutes, excluding the aircraft taxiing. I got a window seat where I can stare out from the airplane window, looking out at the astonishing view as we ascended higher into the sky.
We were soaring higher, with the landscape beneath us still visible and at the same level as the clouds.
This plane was on a smaller scale with only 6 seats in a row (3 by 3), it was formally a SilkAir airplane with narrow seating and no in-flight entertainment. The only difference was the free check in of baggage and complimentary meal service. Since this was just a less than 2 hours flight, it was fine for me.
I was served with the meal after 40 minutes of flying. I had Creamy Chicken Penne served with a bread, Magnum Mini Classic, a bottle of mineral water and apple juice. The timing was just nice, the cabin crews started clearing the tray once I finished the food.
I can never get tired of the window view, it was so magical to be on the top with fluffy clouds beneath us.
I did not exchange additional currency as I still have Thai Baht left, my previous exchange rate was S$1: 24.60 baht.
We touched down at Phuket International Airport at 2pm local time in Phuket, an one hour behind Singapore. Clearing the custom was swift which took left than half an hour, but we spent quite an amount of time locating the Grab pick-up point as we don't want to go their cab.
We were on the right track initially but missed the signage and found ourselves walking further away and in circles. After nearly 20 minutes of finding, we found the pick up point and the time was already 2.45pm. When you come out from arrival hall, turn left and walk straight until the next block.
The journey from airport to our hotel in Phuket Old Town was exactly an hour drive and the fare was 684 THB (or S$27.80). Halfway through our drive, it was raining heavily. The rain ceased when we were reaching Phuket Old Town.
We were staying at Novotel Phuket City Phokeethra for two nights at S$266.46. It is a 5-star hotel in Phuket Old Town that spread over 18 floors with 180 rooms and suites.
Novotel Phuket City Phokeethra
40, 5 Chanajaroen Road, Tambon Talat Yai, Amphur Muang, Phuket 83000, Thailand
It was a common sight in Phuket to see the overhead cabling wires along the road. During the one hour ride from airport to hotel, one thing that struck me about Phuket was the absence of office or commercial buildings, the views were mainly villages or shophouses or vacant land. The people here live a laid back life.
I was impressed by the service the moment I reached Novotel Phuket City Phokeethra about 4pm. The bell boy came to retrieve our luggage from the car and carried it to the concierge.
I had Green Tea Lemon at 95 THB (or S$3.86), we spent half an hour at the lounge immersing at the scenery, sipping our drink and enjoying the traveling moment where we can disconnect ourselves from our laptop and mobile screen (except for taking photos).
Estrela Sky Lounge
Novotel Phuket City Phokeethra Level 18
40 5 Chanacharoen Rd, Tambon Talat Yai, Mueang Phuket District, Phuket 83000, Thailand
Operating hours: 4.30pm to 12am daily
We returned to our room to ready ourselves for a trip to Central Phuket Floresta, the largest shopping mall in Phuket. We went out at 5.30pm and took a Grab ride which was 14 minutes drive from our hotel at 285 THB (or S$11.59). To our surprise, the Grab car that arrived was a spacious van, resembling a mini-bus and in different car plate number from the app.
Central Phuket Floresta housed many luxury and renowned fashion brands that we are all familiar with. There was not much sales so the items were not exactly cheap, so I did not spend in clothing purchase.
It was nearly 6.15pm and time for dinner, we walked around level 3 where many of the restaurants were located. We eventually settled for Thai Brasserie by Blue Elephant, wanted to try out the authentic flavours of local cuisine.
The interior of the restaurant looked modern and inviting with a blend of yellow and blue elements - yellow chairs against vibrant blue walls. The price of their creative Thai cuisine may be slightly higher than the other Thai restaurants as they used fresh and premium quality Thai products.
The 3 pieces Prawn Cakes was priced at 380 THB (or S$15.45) before service charge and tax. Though it was expensive, the quality was good and the portion was generous as they used tiger prawn. It was deep fried with bread crumbs to achieve the crispy perfection. It was juicy tenderness on the inside and crunchy on the outside. It remained crispy even after some time.
I had Phad Thai Vegetarian at 280 THB (or S$11.38) before service charge and tax. The stir fried rice noodle was loaded with many ingredients like baby corn, carrot, broccoli and beansprout to create an injection of flavours. The portion was too huge for me and I couldn't finish the generous serving.
Phuket is a food paradise, one of the highlight of our vacation was to indulge in delicious food.
Thai Brasserie by Blue Elephant
Central Phuket Floresta, 3rd floor, No. 304, 199, Tambol Vichit, Amphur, 83, Chang Wat, Mueang Phuket District, Phuket 83000, Thailand
Operating hours: 11am to 8.30pm daily
Time to burn off the calories with more shopping with plenty of shops surrounding us. We crossed over to Central Phuket Festival to check out the other connecting shopping mall. I gotten some beauty products from Watson and Miniso for my friends as souvenir, and snacks from Tops Supermarket for my family. I tend to buy more for others than myself whenever I travel.
I got a pack of Lotte Koala Mango from Tops Supermarket at 100 THB (or S$4.07) for home consumption.
It was 9.10pm and we finished walking around the two malls. The wet floor outside hinted a rain during our time in the mall. We took Grab ride back to hotel at 324 THB (or S$13.17).
We were back in hotel, here's the night view from our balcony. This marked the end of my day 1 in Phuket, a day filled with long car ride, food delight and shopping.
No comments:
Post a Comment