Time Travelled: September
Accommodation: Le Meridien Phuket Beach Resort
Address:  29 Soi Karon Nui, Tambon Karon, Karon, Phuket, 83100, Thailand
Phone: +66 76 370 100
Website:  http://www.lemeridienphuketbeachresort.com/

Le Meridien was the first resort I stayed at ever whilst overseas, and it left a lasting impression.
It is a massive resort which boasts its own private beach on a secluded cove (500m in length) on Phuket’s south-western coast (so no locals can crash it) and is so clean and calm.
There are 10 restaurants and bars, two large swimming pools, a spa and also a children’s play centre, so there is no excuse for good food or relaxation. The resort is only a short tuk-tuk ride away (5kms) from Patong and Karon.

There are plenty of recreational activities to participate in, such as mini golf, a driving range, archery range, fitness centre, bocchi ball court, nightly live band, tennis courts, squash courts, cooking classes… the list goes on! Also, when I went, there was a baby elephant that would visit the resort everyday – it was so cute (his name was Lucky) and I would get kisses from him each time.

The pools are something I haven’t seen before, they have two large pools on-site; the large lagoon style pool is 60 metres by 90 metres with reclining chairs surrounding it. Then there is a smaller lap pool which is 26.5 metres by 11 metres, with a small children’s paddling pool also close by with the pools operating from 7am – 7pm.
You can order food and drinks directly from your lounge chair when using the resorts pools anywhere from 9am – 5pm and all drinks and meals are perfection.

The rooms are beautiful, very comfortable and all equipped with air conditioners to accommodate the searing heat you can be hit with, especially if you have never endured such humid weather before. Beds are comfy and spacious, bathrooms come with everything you need (remember, do not drink the tap water, or use it to brush your teeth – you’ve been warned) and they provide you with fresh bottled water daily to accommodate brushing you teeth – TIP: ask for a few additional bottles, then store these away in your fridge; voila! Free drinking water too!

Now to the good stuff; food! As previously mentioned, there are an abundance of dining choices to be had whilst staying at Le Meridien, whether it be for breakfast, lunch, dinner or simply to snack. The choices range from Japanese, barbecue, wood-oven cooked pizzas, Italian, plus a pub too!
The wood-oven cooked pizzas are delicious, as well as the barbequed meals. The buffet breakfast has a wide variety and caters for all tastes. The Khao Pad at Tonson Bar was my go to meal all day every day – salivating just thinking about it!

Whether you are going away as a couple or a family, this is a great resort to cater for everyone. It is close by to Patong and Karon, without being in the hustle and bustle and dealing with all the noise surrounding the other resorts. Would I stay here again? Absolutely!

PROS: Super friendly, very clean, free fresh bottled water, food is beyond amazing.

CONS: Price can be a bit steep – depending on time of year.