To say our first visit to Thailand was “amazing” would be an understatement. In fact, we were completely blown away by the beauty, food, and of course the kind and friendly people. But what really made our visit so memorable was our amazing stay at the Phuket Marriott Resort and Spa, Nai Yang Beach. What a first impression of the country!

We had chatted about visiting Thailand a few times in the past, but the timing never seemed to be right. So when we found ourselves planning a special trip to Australia in November we figured since we were going to be in that general part of the world (although not close by any means lol), we decided why not also visit Hong Kong, Thailand, and Indonesia – and are we ever glad we did. Although 4 days in Thailand was not nearly enough time to see all that this amazing country has to offer – it did give us a taste of it’s beauty and left us planning when to return next (for a longer period of time of course)!

When we started planning our trip to Phuket, we weren’t sure what area we wanted to stay in. There are so many different areas that each offer different things, and trying to decide where to spend our precious four days proved to be quite the challenge. Personally, I love staying at a quiet, more secluded property and then enjoy taking day trips to visit the busier areas, so when we decided on Phuket Marriott Nai Yang Beach it couldn’t have been a better choice.

The resort is located a short 10 min drive from Phuket International Airport and instantly you feel like you’ve been transported to paradise. The property itself has a very calm and relaxing atmosphere and while the beach itself is public, the stretch located directly in front of the resort is so secluded that you instantly get a very private feel. In fact the staff told us that the majority of people who come to this resort are here looking to relax and get away from it all. But, if you do want to see more – it is completely accessible to anywhere you want to go.

A 20 min stroll down the beach will take you to the town of Naiyang where a vast selection of location restaurants and shops are at your disposal. An hour taxi ride North will take you to Phuket Town where you can explore the local culture or catch a ferry to the famous Phi Phi islands (like we did one of our days). And an hour taxi ride South will take you to Patong Beach which is suppose to be quite the place. We didn’t make it there on this trip, but hope to see it on another trip.

Phuket Marriott Nai Yang Beach hosted us for our four-night stay, and upon arrival upgraded us to one of their Beachfront Pool Villas. We definitely didn’t expect to be treated to this exceptionally private space but were more than grateful for the opportunity. Inside our villa we were greeted with a selection of local fruits and a few traditional Phuket snacks like Taro Sesame Puffs, Sweet Rice Krispies, and Black Pepper Cookies – all so delicious and best eaten with a cup of tea before bed.

The 200 sqm villa was steps away from the beach and Andaman sea, and waking up to that view each morning was beyond breathtaking. The one-bedroom villa – complete with a soaker tub, his and her sinks, a king-size bed, and sofa and dining area –  opened up to a private garden complete with our own plunge pool, an outdoor lounge area, and garden that spilled right onto the white sand beach. I loved waking up each morning, brewing a cup of Nespresso in our room, and taking it outside to sip by the pool and overlook the beach. This is what an ideal vacation to me is all about :)

The beach itself was an experience all its own as we’ve never visited a destination that has a daily tide schedule. Included in our welcome package was a tide table so we could know when the tide was in or out, and it definitely proved helpful to plan our day and beach time. When the tide was out, you could walk for miles toward the Andaman sea and even visit Pling island which is a small piece of land that has shellfish, birds and a big tree which is usually covered by in the middle of the sea!

The hospitality we experienced at the resort was second to none!  Yes, I understand we were being hosted by the property, but the level of service, friendliness of the staff, and overall treatment we received is actually what the resort is known for and what continues to bring guests back year after year. They pride themselves on genuine Thai hospitality that is extended to each and every guest – and this alone would bring me back again for another visit! A small detail that highlights this and definitely worth mentioning is when we left early one morning to head to Phi Phi Islands – the kitchen staff kindly packed us breakfast boxes and cold-brew coffee to take on the road with us. This certainly set our day off to a great start!

We had an opportunity try out each of the property’s 3 dining outlets and have enjoy drinks by the pool and at the bar. From the first drink we had on the afternoon we arrived, to daily happy hours that we looked forward to each day – we were instantly hooked on the deeply local flavours of passion and dragon fruit – and couldn’t get enough.

I also have to make mention of the breakfast at The Andaman Kitchen restaurant. We are huge fans of Marriott breakfasts and this one might have just blown all of the others out of the water! While you had your traditional western breakfast options (all done exceptionally well), there was  an entire section dedicated to Asian flavours and hubby had a field day eating his fill of soup and noodles every morning. The wake-up juice shots, assortment of fresh fruits, and delectable pastries were the first things I gravitated towards each morning, along with the Signature Crab Curry Omelette that we had made-to-order each day. I’ll never forget those flavours of crab, coconut and curry – absolutely delicious!

We had a late flight out of Phuket on our last day so the resort kindly extended us a late check-out, and then let us use the courtesy lounge complete with showers, towels and a comfortable area to change and organize ourselves and luggage. This was such a huge help since we didn’t fly out until after 9pm on a red-eye flight to Melbourne.

We had such an amazing time in Phuket and would highly recommend visiting the Phuket Marriott Nai Yang Beach on your next visit to Phuket. We can’t wait to return!

*We were hosted by Phuket Marriott Nai Yang Beach, however, all opinions are always my own.
*Resort photos courtesy of Phuket Marriott Nai Yang Beach