The quest to put together your perfect itinerary that matches in harmony with your travel buddy, incorporating luxury with the spice of a messy adventure, a dreamy Thai stay that can hold and create special travel memories all the while casting relaxing spells throughout your stay – it can sometimes feel like looking for a invisible needle in a haystack!!
I know the feels,… really, and so here I am back at it again to bring you a hands down spectacular 4-night trip in Khao Lak Thailand with Khaolak Merlin Resort.
I’ve been to Thailand for about 4 times within the year and clearly, there is a reason why the Land of Smiles never disappoints. This time around, my sister and I decided to have our reunion in beautiful Phuket to bring us together. The decision to travel up north to Khao Lak was because we have both been to Phuket before and spent time in the Southside so respectively, we wanted to experience a new destination together – oh and how I bless the travel gods for having Khao Lak enter in our itinerary.
We found Khao Lak Merlin Resort first while researching for resorts which we were both then aware that this gem of a place existed. I remember looking out my window, sleepily, after a 2-hour drive from Patong and seeing this Thai haven unfold, I instantly knew I would love my stay here. Open and wide halls unfold on entrance where you are greeted with smiling sweet staff to welcome you to your home for the next couple days. Given cold towels to refresh our souls from our journey and a fresh pomegranate juice to nourish our bodies, we were then both whisked away to our room and I remember looking over at my sister and we both looked at each other reading each other’s minds (sister telepathy) – we immediately felt so happy to be here.
Upon entering our Twin suite, we were completely at awe with the space. Plush beds for each of our own, a private balcony with pool & ocean views, a lounge couch and table for personal comforts, and my favorite – a MASSIVE washroom with a sparkling clean bathtub and shower. We were taken cared for with a special high tea time with little appetizers and snacks to welcome us. Quickly unpacking our bikini’s, we decided to waste no time to check out the other facilities of the hotel and to close off the day at the beach of course. With a multiple of pools to swim and lounge in private beachfront access, and exclusive beachside restaurant and spa, you have everything you could need to be in pure bliss. Surrounded by 15 acres of lush tropical garden, it truly felt like living in an unspoilt rainforest beach amazon.
At sunset, we headed to their Veranda Beachside Restaurant where we had a exotic feast including a selection of seafood dishes. Its airy terrace in front of the beach is an ideal location for bonding moments over shared food and the ocean waves rippling in. My sister and I chatted for hours on hours, eating delicious food and tropical cocktails – catching up on all the time we hadn’t had together, the laughter reminiscing on our memories together at childhood, I felt so happy in my heart to be sharing that moment with my best friend at Khao Lak Merlin.
Whenever the Thai starry night sky rose upon us we’d sink into the plush plump beds every night with the best sleep and lots of dreams!! It’s hard not to catch up on some good nights rest when you’re at Khao Lak Merlin – listen closely with your balcony door open and you could easily hear the ocean whisper.
On sunrise: We would wake up rested, bright and early… eager to see what would unfold for the day at Merlin. First things first, Breakfast.
Every morning my sister and I would always get hyped about what we call “Breakfast Timeeee ~~” extra emphasis on the enthusiasm and I’ll get right into the why. We would literally wake up early (on our own terms!) to enjoy all the time we needed to just eat at the breakfast buffet. As big foodies, we loved the breakfast selection at Merlin which was delicious, of quality and flavor, and diversity with options to pick and choose. They literally had almost everything you could think of in the buffet. With a balance of Thai to Western dishes, I enjoyed combining these two cuisines together, see photo below, though the photo does not do the breakfast itself justice. It was magnificent on all levels.
My Favourite “Must Do List” at Khao Lak Merlin + Beyond.
Sukko Spa, Thai Massage
You haven’t experienced Thailand just yet without a Thai Massage! My sister hadn’t experienced one before and it was on her list for things she wanted to experience while on this trip. Khao Lak Merlin pampered the both of us in a 60 min Body Scrub + 60 min Thai Massage. If the ambiance of the spa isn’t enough to put you in a state of relaxation than the treatment will definitely put you under a peaceful spell.
The Body Scrub helped to exfoliate and polish the entire body followed with the iconic Thai Massage leaving you relieved, relaxed, and skin baby smooth when your treatment is finished. Both sis and I feel straight into a nap while getting our pamper on.
Eco Tours, Seeing Elephants – I have been wanting to see an elephant for as long as I can remember. With Thailand known for its horrific trekking tourism, I wanted to seek out an organization that didn’t harm the elephants for the sake of making a profit from tourists. I came across EcoTours, which you can book directly at the lobby at Khao Lak Merlin Resort, which switched out of trekking 4 years ago.
Eco Tours brought us to their camp where four beautiful elephants live with their trainers. We were able to feed these precious giants and even bathe them!! I had a chat with the owner of the business as well, and she told me that she switched out of trekking way before it was a “thing” to do so – everyone thought she was crazy for switching out of it. I’m happy to be supporting the journey of treating animals better for tourism and hope to see progress in the future. If you wanted to interact with elephants while in Phuket, try out Eco Tours instead of trekking!!
Grab a Scooter, There are Places to See and Things to Experience:
Rent a scooter down the street from Merlin for 200 TBH a day which is definitely worth the flexibility to explore the surrounds of what Khao Lak truly has to offer.
First stop, jump on your scoot and drive 20 minutes to Coconut beach with its crystal turquoise waters and big shady palm trees to lay under. The perfect place to spend the entire day by the ocean, going on seashell hunts, soaking in that Vitamin D, and taking photos on bamboo swings. Don’t be fooled by the clear water though, as it’s home to lots of jellyfish!! Careful of getting stung, but you should be found with a quick dip.
Next, head out to Rawai Muay Thai for a two-hour session of Muay Thai. Every time I go to Thailand, I make it one of my priorities to train. I’m a big fan of this sport and what better place to grow and learn the techniques than in Thailand! Rawai is great for all levels looking to practice and fully indulge in this art form recreational, for fitness, or for competition.
You’ll probably be hungry after that huge training session at Rawai, head on out to the local Bang Niang Market for some shopping and dinner. You’ll find lots of great finds from clothing to pad thai, jewelry to kitchen utensils – you name in!! Remember to bargain as well and start off with under 50% of the amount you are willing to spend.
Overall, the four days flew by like the most refreshing breeze on a hot summer day.
Khao Lak is a very special place for anyone looking to experience all that Thailand has to offer. I’m so happy with this trip here, it has got to be on my top 10 trips I’ve ever had. Even better, I got to spend it with the most important person in my life, my sister. Special thanks for Khao Lak Merlin Resort for bringing the sister bond closer and being the magical space where our special memories of a lifetime were created.
Until next time friends, see you in the next post x
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