PHUKET

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Sharing some holiday snaps of my recent trip to Phuket, and a travel journal for the first time on my blog.

Trisara is the resort that I had on my wishlist to visit for a very long time, so when hubby and I started our holiday planning this year, we quickly locked down our holiday destination to be Phuket so we got to stay at Trisara. It is a world leading luxury resort that is highly popular among the celebs and their rooms tend to be fully booked out during the holiday season. It is situated at a very secluded area of Phuket which is far away from Patong (the main tourist area). We booked our stay for 9 days, with the Oceanfront Pool Villa directly from the website, though the price is higher than going through hotel booking websites but we got some extra offers from the package including VIP airport pickup etc.

Flight

Booking a flight to Phuket was more challenging. We wanted to have direct flights as we have a 3 year old toddler, and Jetstar is the only airline that has direct flight to Phuket from Sydney. As we booked the business class, the entire check-in and departure were easy and quick, and the flight attendants were lovely and attentive. Since it is a budget airline, the seats in the business class are not the flat beds. Personally I think they are just slightly better and more roomy than the premium economy seats from the better airlines such as Singapore and BA.  Food was also better than expected, as there were 3 menu options to choose from, and there were lots of snacks and drinks offered throughout the flight.

VIP Airport Transfer

As soon as we got off the plane, we were greeted with 2 attendants from Trisara. They took care of all the luggage, and led us to the VIP airport exit lane so we skipped queuing at the customs and immigration. It was the most amazing and quickest airport checkout I have ever had! Once we got out of the airport, the Trisara chauffeur was waiting for us and greeted us with refreshments and some icy cold towels for the hot Phuket weather. The drive to the resort from the airport was 20 minutes, and the driver spoke fluent English and made a few introductions along the way.

Resort Check-In

I was pretty much amazed by Trisara’s services the minute I stepped into the resort.

We arrived at the resort around 9pm feeling tired, but we were sent to our room straight away instead of going into the reception for checking-in. Upon arrival, there was a lovely Trisara hostess waiting for us in front of our villa, she was very welcoming and friendly and instantly bonded with my boy. When we stepped into our room, literally everything we could ever thought of having was ready. It was so thoughtful of them having the baby cot, bottle sterilizer, baby bath tub and amenities organized before we even made a request. She offered us a room tour (yep it was a big villa!), and welcomed us with another round of refreshing icy drinks, fruits, and chocolates, and also prepared lots of cupcakes for my boy.

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Breakfast

Of course the breakfast is the most important meal of the day on vacation! I always look forward to spending some relaxing quality time at the breakfast. The restaurant is located oceanfront, and every table has a beautiful ocean view. The breakfast is divided into half – there is a self-serve bar for continental breakfast including varieties for pastries, cereals and Asian dumplings, and there is the A La Cart for hot breakfast with English, Thai, Japanese and Chinese choices. What I like the most is the juice bar for custom orders, and I normally get them to make a pure green juice with a blend of veges!

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Ocean Front Pool Villa

Such an amazing room – I love the Balinese aesthetic to it and it still looks modern and up-to-date. The room is big enough for my son to run around the whole day without feeling crammed. The private infinity pool is the highlight, as it is big enough for a proper swim and also ideal for chilling out. There are complimentary fruits, nespressos and local flowers replenished every day.

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Play and Eat

For getting around in the resort, you can either walk, or take their buggies which is our main ‘transportation’ during our stay. Everywhere in the resort is heavenly and totally instagrammable! They have a private beach that is voted as one of the world’s top beaches, and there is a big infinity swimming pool by the beach where you can relax. As a family with little kids, we have spent a lot time in the public pool area as they also have a little kiddy swimming pool with very shallow water where my boy absolutely enjoyed playing.

Other activities they provide include daily yoga, Pilates, lots of water sports, Thai cooking classes, well-being classes etc. For kids they have a dedicated kids room that is filled with toys for all age groups.

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Overall the service and hospitality at Trisara was impeccable and flawless. I have stayed at many luxury resorts/hotels, and Trisara is by far the best in terms of hospitality. Every hostess knows our name everywhere we go, and we are always greeted with the warmest welcome and help. They are very attentive with every little details, and this is the only place where I feel they look after our stay beyond our expectations. At one point I had even sent a driver to purchase some nappies for my boy at midnight! The daily house keeping and evening turn down services begin as soon as we leave the room without asking! And they are done before we get back with everything fully replenished and tidied. I really can gush about it forever, but I better stop here so stay tuned for part 2 which I will talk more about the food, shopping, and my holiday looks!

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I had a wonderful vacation at Phuket for 10 days which I am currently organizing some pictures to post soon. It never feels long enough but that’s what makes our vacations so special in our lives (well unless you are a celeb or a global jet setter blogger!) As for me, I am happy with our holidays every 6 months, and I thoroughly enjoy the entire planning process including what to pack! This post is for sharing the skincare products that I brought with me on holiday. Since the destination is a hot tropical island, I brought lots of lightweight hydrating and brightening serums/lotions, and because I love taking pictures I like to have products that keep my face looking firm and lifted so more photogenic… Last but not least, lots and lots of sunscreens are a must.

My favorite beach bag is bought here

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CLEANSERS

Using the Bioderma Micelle Water (travel size) for makeup removal. I love the Ren Rosa Centifolia Cleansing Gel so much so I bought a full size of this. It’s a rose-infused gentle gel cleanser with a fresh rose smell that feels extremely soothing and refreshing which makes it a perfect morning cleanser. It doesn’t strip any moisture off, and keeps the skin supple and fresh. Dermalogica Daily Microfoliant is one of  my HG cleansers for night time use, so I have to bring a travel size along with me. It’s a cleanser and an exfoliator in one that purifies the skin and deep cleans the pores without feeling harsh and drying on the skin. The Clinique Clarifying Lotion 1 is a refreshing toner for sweeping away any dead skin cells, and completely removes last traces of dirt and oil collected in your pores. In such a hot weathered place, I prefer to use multiple cleansing products just to keep my skin very clear and clog free.

SERUMS and MOISTURIZERS

I prep my skin with the Sulwhasoo First Care Activating Serum – it’s a highly potent treatment lotion that immediately hydrates the skin and boost the benefits of other skincare products, (detailed review here). Followed by the luxurious Chantecaille Bio Lifting Serum (reviewed here). It’s hydrating, soothing, anti-aging and provides a lifting effect to the face. During the day, I also apply the Tracie Martyn Face Resculpting Cream which is their signature product from the line. This is the travel friendly size which was made exclusive for Net-A-Porter. It can be used on the face as well as on the body for an immediate sculpting and firming effect. I have quite mixed feelings about it, as it works much better on the body than on the face for me. If you are after a face firming lotion for less than $100, nothing beats the famous Clarins Shaping Facial Lifting Total V Contouring Serum.

MASKS

I have dozens of paper masks with me (a mix of high and low end) on holiday, as the plan is to use at least one per day. As ironic as it sounds for spending most of the day at the beach and the pool during vacay, I don’t want to be tanned because my skin is prone to pigmentation! So every 2 nights I use the Sulwhasoo Snowise Ex Brightening Mask (reviewed here), It’s the best brightening mask I’ve ever used, as it definitely prevents my face from being tanned under long time sun exposure, and it helps to brighten up by one to one and a half shades after long term use. For hydrating and instant radiance boost, I like to use the SK II Facial Treatment Mask. A budget friendly brand is the Korean SNP Masks. I have used lots of theirs animal masks and liked them all. My favorite has to be the rabbit – it’s a multi purpose product that serves as a brightening beauty mask as well as keeping my 3 year old entertained by having a rabbit-faced mommy!

SUN PROTECTION

Using the french drugstore brand LA ROCHE-POSAY as they are rated very highly in a Japanese beauty magazine. Overall they are pretty good. The UVIDEA XL Melt In Cream SPF50 PA++++ is for the face that has a milky lotion texture and is non-greasy and feels light weight on the skin without feeling like having sunscreen on. The Anthelios XL Ultra Light Fluid SPF50 (best seller) is for the face and the body. It is slightly richer, so I use it on my body as well as for my son as the formula is made for sensitive skin and feels light on the skin so it doesn’t clog the pores and leave a white film on the skin.

BABY

Highly recommend the LA ROCHE-POSAY Baume B5 Soothing Repairing Balm for babies/toddlers. It helps to heal sensitive skin, rashes and insect bites.

 

 

 

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