Ubiquitous

Phuket, Thailand

09 Nov 2009 No Comments

by Ubiquityin Globetrotting Tags: Phuket, Thailand, travel

My first trip to Phuket was sometime in April last year during the Thai New Year (Songkran). Our stay was too brief for a lasting impression but one thing we do remember was our memorable stay at a little boutique resort called Baan Yin Dee. Kicking off our ‘rest & relax’ holiday from Phuket, once again we booked our accommodation there for 2 nights.

Baan Yin Dee
7/5 Muean Ngen Road, Patong Beach, Kathu, Phuket, 83150, Thailand

Perched on a steep hillside, Baan Yin Dee overlooks lush greenery and the infamous Patong Bay (paradise to some and hell to others, yet you can’t deny the throbbing atmosphere exuding from the huge selection of restaurants, bars, shops and more). Escaping the hustles and bustles of the main street, the hotel is located in a quiet area but is still within a bearable walking distance to the beach.

View of Patong Bay from Baan Yin Dee

Weary from the flight and an hour drive from the airport, we were received with warm hospitality from the pleasant hotel’s staff at the reception and checked into our rooms.

The entrance of our room; doorway on the left is the sleeping area & doorway on the right is the bathroom

Our huge king-sized bed

Living area opposite the bed

Our equally spacious terrace

The terrace

Entrance of the bathroom with wooden sliding door

His mirror & sink

Her mirror & sink

The granite bathtub

The size of our room (Deluxe) with the tastefully decorated furnishing was a great value at a very reasonable price. An added plus is the bathroom, which is amazingly large complete with a bathtub big enough for 2, separate shower and his and hers vanity area. Every day fresh orchid was placed at every possible corner providing further charm to the room.

It is impossible not to fall in love with this quaint hotel and if it wasn’t for the cascading swimming pool, we would never have left the room.

Cascading swimming pool

2 good hour by the pool and the sun begins to set around 6:15. We slowly head back to our rooms and arranged to meet for apéro at 8:00 at the hotel’s fusion restaurant (also called) Baan Yin Dee.

Serving a fusion of European and Thai food, the restaurant provides an extensive gourmet menu to satisfy your taste buds. Appetizers to main course and even dessert, aside of the discerning visual delight, each dish delectably excites your palates. The only downside is their limited choice of wine.

Baan Yin Dee is also the 1st restaurant in Phuket to entertain its’ guests with the grand piano. Crooning every evening, the pianist belts out love song as guests enjoy their meals.

When all the guests have left, I decided to request the song, “I Just Called To Say I Love You” from the pianist. It was meant to be a surprise for Fred but it turned out an even bigger surprise when I rocked the mic.

"I just called, to say, I love you..."

Besides the live entertainment that the hotel provided, the place was barren. Either the guests retreated early to their room or head on down to the main street. We opt for the latter…

Like all night owls, Soi Bangla awakens when the sun sets. That’s when Patong’s liveliest party zone becomes closed to traffic and ready for action!

Famous for its raunchy nightlife, Bangla goes all out to entertain with girls, beers and music that increases in volume as the moon rises. Jammed most nights year round, it’s actually totally unthreatening and lively place to walk around as bars compete for customers.

The girls aim to please; dancing around poles, engaging in banter or coaxing customers to play simple bar games. The objective is to entice customers to buy drinks and hopefully, take them away for the evening.

Almost all of the bars are outdoors so the music from each one is deafening! Beer bars occupy most of the street’s length with several a-go-gos and a few pubs, restaurants, discos and shops rounding out the attractions both on Bangla and down its side street.

A-go-go bar

Locals & tourists milling about finding the perfect watering hole

After a couple of hours bar-hopping to find a perfect spot, we gave up and went back to the hotel for a good nights’ rest. We spent our second and last day in Phuket by the pool and as soon as the night falls, we headed back down to Soi Bangla for dinner and some drinks.

Drunken People Crossing

Check back soon for the next entry on Krabi, Thailand!