I departed from Hong Kong International Airport on a Friday evening. My arrival in Phuket was delayed by nearly one hour because of heavy traffic. Oh, what a long and tedious flight . . .
Nobody bothered to make an announcement about the delay. But it explains why – just as we were expecting to land – our plane started gaining altitude. We then circled the airport for the better part of 60 minutes.
A van was waiting for me, and I was driven to my hotel at Sirin Beach. I had also spent a couple of nights there about 10 months ago so I knew exactly what to expect – a contemporary villa with tropical modern touches, a fabulous bathroom complete with twin indoor and outdoor showers, a private plunge pool, and a terrace with a spectacular ocean view.
Last year, just after checking into the Paresa, I got an email from an editor asking me to undertake a rush project. So I spent most of my time there in my comfortable, well appointed room cramped over my laptop rushing to meet a deadline.
Still I was able to fit in laps in the hotel’s infinity pool, two Thai kick boxing lessons, and a Thai cooking lesson.
I was hoping that this time around, I would be able to spend more time enjoying the facilities and less time hunched over my computer.
To Be Continued
Copyright: Michael Taylor Pictured: The inviting infinity pool at Paresa will play a key role in Michael’s bid to keep off the pounds Photo Credit: Michael Taylor