Seastone Villa Phuket

The Unforgettable Pillow Encounter

Congested

On my recent trip to Phuket (The Racha Experience), we extended our holidays for one day in Phuket, just so much so to do what tourist do - shopping. While there, I stayed at Seastone. I choose this place for one reason, the pictures on web looks nice and it has a pool and 2 rooms which my friend could bunk in on my recent holiday in Phuket. To my dismay, I only realized it's another one of those property investment sort of real estate business this place is. People buy and make it their holiday homes, renting out the units while they are not here, hoping to make a profit selling in the future (if they ever do).

The bedrooms are large and spacious, the toilet very roomy. Between where the bed is positioned and the toilet is a an attempted to be a tasteful walk in wardrobe. Also in that same space is where a separated study is built. Left and right thus are 2 walkways towards the toilet featuring a large bathtub. As a result, you can run circles in your bedroom and toilet via these 2 connecting accesses. It's one of those places where you can play out your carnal fantasies, you the teacher chasing down that high school student in their tight shirts and skirts too short, then push them into the bath and continue your fantasy.

For relaxation after, you could jump straight into the lap pool located between your villa and the adjacent one. Its narrow, it's for laps. And it took me forever to figure out how to turn the pool filtering system on, which eventually I never did. The villa has kitchen facilities, so you can do your own cooking. It's pretty much self contained I would say, and unfortunately, in terms of what one can do there, that's about all of it.

For Small Cars Only

There is a lack of amenities in the establishment and the units are built smack one after the other, the feeling of congestion. For some strange reasons, the car porch is meant only for very small cars, so the front of our Nissan Teana jutted out into the road and yes, we were unable to close the gate. The road is narrow too much and if the opposite neighbor parks his car parallel front of his unit, reverse parking into yours would mean calls to the insurance company.

Breakfast was cooked in their main kitchen and served in our units. The quality was very mediocre. Most unforgettable while I stayed here was the pillow. Someone must have salivated gallons of secretions beforehand. The stench a mark in history burned into my memory. They should have a standard procedure in their makeup room routine to include smelling and changing pillows for goodness sake.

Breakfast

In the near vicinity, there will be nothing around and a drive to fun fun places such as Patong is going to cost you some 45 minutes. No taxis ventures in here, you really got to rent a car as we did. They tried their best to offer privacy and uniqueness but is a far cry of attaining those statuses. Comparing to what resorts of the same price levels could offer on Phuket which I had been, I would suggest staying here only if for some reasons, you really need to.

The Racha Experience

The Experience

The bay on Koh Racha

Racha, it's Thai word for King, and the experience lives up to her name. Woke up every morning in her lush rooms, opened them wide doors and there a full blown spectacle of layered ocean blue. The waves as they grew tall approaching the satin shores, into a concave wall of cyan blue so clear I saw. It was painting in motion, a canvas of saturated colors. The hue of blue permeated through me. And the breeze, enveloped me she did, ever reverberating, ever present. The morning sun, her slight tint of yellow reflected off all the white villas, the skies clear, saw for miles. The emotion came natural, a surreal feel of vacation can't describe in words. It was the place, the time, the setting so right. Paradise.

Fine Sand

7 years ago I was here. Her beach ridden with dead coral bits from the tsunami back then had grinded down into the finest white powdered sand my feet had ever walked. Clean, white, gentle wide shoreline enclosed in a pleasant bay we played. Waddled through receding waters after the waves broke shore, the easy incline made the retreat a prolong episode as the water thins out. My foot sank, in fine white they were embraced. My mind was just overcharged with the experience that there was nothing else that could pollute my thoughts. It was relaxation pure, there weren't a hint of work that could breach that sphere of peace I got. Unwind.

Getting to the Island

How we Arrived

Getting to this resort required a boat ride from Chalong pier. Getting to the pier from the airport was a hefty 800 Baht ride by airport limousine. Save yourself the trouble of hunting for a metered taxi, they may cost more and you may end up somewhere you may not want in the hands of illegal touts. Anyway the sign boards announce loud the standard pricing from the airport to the various destinations on Phuket, so pay attention to those and you shall be safe. These months, the rain should have stopped. But climate change in our lifetime made the weather unpredictable. Storm clouds built and bleak the sunny shores, the gust churned the blue oceans into choppy peaks. The ride was a roller coaster, don't eat too much before the 45 minutes journey thus. Voices heard, the trip provided by The Racha costly. But had you research and then you will appreciate the ride offered by the resort in her twin outboard private boats. Public operators charges the same to the island, but I bet they do not offer the same appeasing ride The Racha could. Large and spacious her boats were, this trip for me, laden with only less than 10 passengers on her two craft convey. Yeah, they could well have packed us up like sardines using only one boat, but that's the practice of other boat operators and not The Racha.

Days on the Island

Pirates?

As the late morning approached, like crabs on a migratory journey on Christmas Island, we saw hordes of day trippers marched and descended the slope side of the resort making their way onto the shore for whatever mating and spawning fantasy they had on their minds. Not too pleasant the experience as we had to share the secluded shores with them sometimes rather rowdy and rude crowd. They mingled and tried to breach the resort grounds, security was busy explaining to them the notion of private grounds. A mix of people from all corners of the world. Certain culture are born with over reactive salivating glands, and this particular flock walked and spew phlegm everywhere. Could be an inherited genetic defect. Some crowds were however well behaved and I was really impressed with them. There was a cheery bunch that looked like they came out of Pirates of the Caribbean. The Pirate Lord of the Indian Ocean and his crew actually carried with them plastic bags which they collected the beer cans after they had gulp its merry making contents down. They left the beach in the late afternoon leaving no trace of their visit.

So Bright....

Beyond 10 am, the beach will be a bustle of activities. Those hours left me flabbergasted at times at the sight of super bright luminous bikini swimwear the Asian ladies wore. They imitated all possible grace from b-grade magazines while the shutters clicked away. Bright colors in nature are actually warning signs to other predators that consuming them would be a bad idea because of poison, so those ladies were safe and were not eaten by sharks. The crowd merged into the rows of beach umbrellas and chairs on the left section of the bay. Those were rented out by independent operators who forcefully infiltrated the grounds desiring a piece of the profit pie. I do hope they do not grow beyond the rows of 2 which was already poisoning the tranquility and turning that corner into mini Pattaya. I was told during peak season, there could be up to 4 rows and that was disheartening.

Depending on the season, the waters in the bay will be a calm or choppy. This month of August, strong waves rolled in synch with seasonal winds that blew onshore. Snorkeling is not possible without smacking into rock formations or guzzling down salt water. But it offered a chance for many to try mini surfing, boards rented out again by independent operators who built an unsightly shack in the middle of the otherwise un-spoilt shorelines. Staff of the resort told me, during year end this part of the island will be flat calm as the wind blows on the other side of Koh Racha. However, during those good times, The Racha will have to move her floating jetty over. The jetty then becomes a platform for the day trippers to beach as well, the bay will be an infestation of moored boats. Snorkeling could mean smacking into hulls of boats and guzzling down diesel fumes if you venture out carelessly.

Floating in the Bay

The serenity returned later in the afternoon past 3 pm. The day trippers migrated back up the hill to the other side of the island where The Racha's floating jetty was located. When the last of the day trippers had left, The Racha deployed their band of beach cleansers cleansing up the entire shoreline. Such noble greatness The Racha, to keep the beach pristine and to clean up the carnage left by others. The beach belongs to the government, it is not private and deeply I wished it could be. We had to share her splendor for those few hours. Fortunately for us, we had the advantage to retreat back into the resort where her amenities plenty whenever we needed.

The Ongoing Battle

The Chinese have Came

Racha is idyllically located on the island within a bay blessed with magnificent white shores and inviting waters. Unfortunately, this spot is also exploited by many profiteers and the results are them bringing on the nasty day trippers so well documented in so many other reviews about The Racha. That was the only sour bit of the trip but come on, the world do not revolve about us. I could jolly well live with those few hours of unpleasantness by finding other things to indulge within the resort away from the mob. It is not the resort's fault that the crowd cannot be controlled, in numbers and in behavior. While I was here 7 years ago, the day trippers were significantly fewer. The mix of visitors, inclusive of hotel guests, were a majority of Caucasians and a small number of Japanese. This year, this season that I visited, just gazing out in idleness and between moments of thought, I was really lead to believe the Chinese was setting up Koh Racha as a base for their naval beach invasion.

Mini Pattaya

The local Thai profiteers will not give a second thought to the tranquility that The Racha tries her best to offer her guest. They just come and set up shop all over the place bringing filth and unpleasantness along, all they wanted is cash. Its though the negotiations must have been for The Racha and the independent businesses with the former trying to keep them in check. I wondered sometimes if the authorities in Phuket actually have control over these stubborn operators limiting what they can do and where they can carry out their shoddy business overcharging the tourist. I believe they come and they go whenever and wherever, evidence from the sheds on the bay which were left abandoned and to rot in the corrosive salty air. But looking on the bright side, these structures offered an interesting backdrop for any photographer with a keen eye for subjects, I did.

In tune truly with nature, fortunately no concrete jetty was erected on the island as permanent eyesores breaking the curvature of her bays. The only way for The Racha to get her guests on shore was the use of The Racha's floating jetty which I mentioned. Unfortunately, this means sharing the only way of getting on and offshore with the public. This could be quite a nasty landing experience for some if our arrival and departure coincides with the hours when the day trippers arrive and leave. Most of the marauding invaders were likely never educated on Archimedes Principle of Flotation and moral education during their deprived childhood. They did not make way for us trying to do our best from falling into the water with our bags and cameras on the unstable platform. Two of those idiots actually ran and stomped on the jetty in our opposite direction brushing rudely across and beside us in a hurry, throwing us almost off balance.

The Main Pool

I wondered how the security staffs could differentiate who was hotel guest and who not. Magically, they were able to allow me to waltz into the compound and not let the day trippers through. Management must have trained them to have photographic memory. It will always be an ongoing battle between The Racha and those surrounding who are always trying to expand their encroachment and make quick profit. I don't think this will ever change and my favoritism will always be with The Racha. The small operators are only keen in taking advantage of The Racha's environmental conscious effort to keep the bay in harmony with nature.

Retreating Back

Club Del Mare

The main pool overlooked the beach with her high construction above the diner. On the infinity edge we were and chatted. On occasions the sea breeze strong it grew and the water flipped unnaturally upwards into a spray of misty droplets that soared over our heads. A lap or two we sometimes did but most of the time we just lazed and sipped coffee or that gin tonic ordered we did. Other days we were in her garden pool that was adorned with tall trees that swayed gracefully in the wind. At times the sky grew dark and the rain fell heavy but that did not douse our spirits. What was different from 7 years ago was that now The Racha featured a third pool at the foot of a hill fringing the resort grounds. It was tastefully christened Club Del Mare and the food offered was equally tasteful. Meals offered were reasonably priced in tune with the portion, extremely good service and the exquisite settings. With many pools also means the chance for one to hide effectively should one need a break from babbling wives, she will take at least an hour to find you. And if you are lucky, the sun would be out and that could successfully drive her back into the villa leaving you in peace for the rest of the day.

Waters so Clear

With any tropical island resort means the possibility of a million bites from mozzies and sand flies. Amazingly, somehow the resort had this under control. Unlike other beach destinations we went, we do not need to drink insect repellent and have it ooze out our sweat pores just to potently prevent them bites. Giant monitor lizards occasionally stroll the resort grounds so in case you need an adrenaline rush, you could try capturing one and wrestle with them fun creatures. If you are a cat lover like me, there are aplenty of them that originate from a restaurant of classic wooden built nested at the foot of a hill on the right side of the bay. These island born cats accompanied the guest sometimes as they strolled the beach and I was tempted to test out if cats could surf. I was also surprised at the sight of a mountain goat that made its way every day to the small rocky outcrop above the water in front of Club Del Mare. There it lazed staring at us people, wondering if them bright bikini ladies will be consumed by sharks. Goat shared the view with me as I gazed into the horizon looking for signs of fin.

I'll be Back

Perfect

Other than additional amenities, nothing had changed compared to the first time I was here. Still The Racha maintained her captivating essence and her villas had not deteriorated from fine mist of the sea. Maintenance crew could sometimes be seen retouching the walls showcasing the ongoing effort management had put in to upkeep The Racha's charm. This will not be the last time I will be here. I had travelled 9 years to cover most shores in Thailand. I cannot find elsewhere luxury strategically located in front of a sheltered mesmerizing shore, the fine white sands that embraced me, they crystalline waters of the Andaman. I was living in a painting for those 4 days. The beauty of which I had captured forever as I did my pre-wedding photography session within. I did not protest the sum when my card was swiped because I knew it was going in for a good cause. We all should appreciate the effort it takes The Racha to maintain the sparkle of her environment even though it is not under her control. The results of which are for us to fully immerse, body and soul, and sink into the enchanted vista as one. Not many places here can balance the comfort offered by manmade infrastructures and the pureness of immaculate nature. The Racha, her amazing management did.

See here for full photo set under The Racha Experiece 2013.

The waves are string in August

Shack where boards are Rented Out

Abandoned for Now

The Rain Came

Day Trippers Came in These

Day Trippers Marching to Beach

The Bay from a Hill

So Wide, So White

Strolling When there are no Day Trippers

Looking Out

Day Trippers mixed with Hotel Guest

Happy Weekdays at Guti

It was a Thursday, and the journey was easy, way easier then leaving on weekends when getting to Hua Hin could take five hours in the nasty traffic. We left at almost 7 am and reached the resort at 9. Incredible the record time, but again, this was only possible on a weekday. I was there at Aka Guti, within the vicinity of Blank Mountain where springing up are the countless holiday residential developments, a large country club and the recently completed water park. I skipped the water park, we were there for a company team building trip. And yes, it was absolutely good. There were heaps of alcohol, lots of trashing about and silly things that went on which I will not blog about. What I want to transcribe, is just the Guti experience, a romance with the greenery, the scenery and the retreat the resort could offer.

The Pool in Villa

Set in our villa between the 2 sleeping rooms, the infinity pool I floated. Staring up the grey skies, the fine droplets fell all around. The circular ripples broke shape sides of me. I could just make out the outlines of clouds if I stared l long enough in stillness. These months were the rainy season. The view out and beyond into the mountains bordering the Kingdom, the pastures surrounding stretching wide. There at the edge of the pool I rested my head, the morning freshness I breathed.
The villas fringing the resort offered the best views, the sunset is spectacular I heard. Spending time sprawled on the breach chairs in the late afternoon, within the privacy of a villa, the smell of a hot brewed coffee from the Nespresso machine, with the skies transiting through the colors of dusk. I wished I did that but this trip those hours, I was in my meetings. Next time I will. These villas that offered the best views have two sleeping rooms that slept four in total. Each with its own large bathroom and a stone bathtub in a setting of bamboo walls. I am not sure if just a couple on a holiday are allowed to take these up, for if not one will have to take on the one bedroom villas which are nested higher up the gentle hills. The view would be overlooking the roofs of others.

The Common Pool

The pool within the villas are already sizable, but if it laps you want to do for that morning exercise, then the enormous hotel pool you will have to head to. Of infinity concept, the inviting water blends with the landscape beyond. Someone brought a ball and when there's a ball, any team of hot blooded Thai men will instinctively start kicking it around till it turns into a game of soccer. Ok no field, so instead they instinctively started throwing it about the water and turned it into a game of water polo. We were there breaking the peace.
Beside laid the eatery, a sumptuous buffet breakfast was served. A network of footpaths links the resort, the avenues through foliage a pleasant walk. The occasional golf buggy ferrying laundry and housekeeping staffs we had to made way for. As we stopped our chatter wherever we were at Guti, only the resonance of insects and birds we heard. The night before we sat in a group by the pool within one of the villas and played cards into the wee hours. The coolness of the air through our tropical clothes, the cold beer the accompanying contentment. In between our breaks from ranting about bad cards, only the enveloping calmness and the darkest of night beyond our orange porch lights.

The Pool in Villa

Weekdays at the Guti, other than my company dominating the resort taking up five of the villas, there were only one or two others taken up by other guest. So if it is privacy one wants, then weekdays will be the answer. So it is for the rest of the resorts in Hua Hin, and back again on weekdays I will for the enchanting experience.

Villa Front

The Breakfast

The Infestation of Hua Hin

Evason Hua Hin

What Happened to the Easy Drive

The Route

Getting to Hua Hin is a straight drive along Rama II till the end where one turns left on to Phetkasem, and from there on straight pass Cha-am and into Hua Hin. I remembered that getting there used to be an enjoyable drive of less than three hours. I remembered the smooth flowing traffic under pollution free crisp blue skies. Music accompanied our chit chats, the ever present hint of tyre noise permeating into our cabin. A pleasant drive with occasional stops at petrol stations for that snack or that toilet break, smiles on everyone's faces you met. I left home as usual on this trip, but this time I reached my destination only after an agonizing four and a half hours. The jams, started on Kanchanapisek, way before turning right on Rama II. Trucks laden the roads, pregnant with payload and slow, they do not stick to left lanes. They dominated all lanes without regards to faster moving agile cars. What was supposed to be a nice journey, turned out to be an antagonistic obstacle course. On Rama II, still the trucks infested the lanes, and on Phetkasem, the traffic filtered down to hordes of cars on a snail's pace. Why? Because of the long weekend where Vesak Day fell on a Friday. Discovery Channel can make a Great Migrations episode out of this in fact - Mad Thais on Long Weekends.

Within those hours, anyone would turn from pleasant driver to devil on wheels. We need to forget all the civic manners and adopt a combined performance made up of all the appalling driving behaviors from Kuala Lumpar, Jarkata and Ho Chi Minh city, with Bangkok inclusive of course. That way, you will move, if not, you become permanent parts of the roads most of the time. Most cars I witnessed executing amazing feats on the road are Beamers and the Benz, for some reasons success in business also showcased in success on roads. The worst traffic behavior, it is no wonder why in some countries, Asians behind the wheel are notorious for their disorderly manners. Drive wicked, use the service lane, cut into everyone's path and force your way in if it even means gaining just one car's length. Climb, the horizontal ladder of traffic that's what many did. Be wicked, reach your destinations in shorter times. We ended up stressed, angry and upset, the expression of the exhausted sprit I seen at petro kiosk. Be good and your trip to Hua Hin could take you into the night. Road rage or do a Driving Miss Daisy, your choice, your time.

Evason no longer Exclusive

The crowd at Breakfast

Evason, just a little beyond Hua Hin, on corroded shorelines she resides. A road separates the compound from the sea. Mention the word Evason and the picture of peace and tranquility comes into mind. No, not on a long weekend. What happened was a zoo. Coupled together with the sub two thousand Baht packages Evason is so widely promoting through websites such as Ensogo, the pickup for many of their most fundamental rooms resulted in a serenity breached. Bangkok families squeeze more than two into per room. Officially or unofficially remains an uncertainty. I was told the entire resort was actually fully booked for the weekend. I had trouble finding a spot to park my car.

Breakfast, it was a market. Crowds picked up and gathered in numbers when chefs were spotted ferrying the bacon to the stations. We wiped them out in no time, leaving many behind the queue with none. What's with Asians and bacon? Well, we perceive bacon as a precious rare food item from the western realms. The big pool viewing the sea, under scattered tall trees, the cast of bendy shadows. The breeze hot, of white clouds contrasting the blue skies the vista. Pleasant above but below the mayhem was. It was more like a water amusement park. And so I forgo that dip, and in my own villa pool a restful calm I had seek. This trip, for one night we picked the Evason Studio, for the next we picked the Pool Villa.

Evason Pool Villa - Bath

Evason Studio room, would not recommended it. If it is basic you want then the most basic room would suffice. The only different is the large balcony with a day bed outdoors, you lay in tropical climate and turn into a sweaty pile. Could be nice for wine in the night, but smacked tightly together the rooms divided by walls, little privacy there will be. But my second day was something else, the Pool Villa. Enclosed in high walls offering seclusion, an inviting pool was set within. Next to it the outdoor tub, encircled by a lotus pond she sits. The shower located next to the tub, in openness one baths under the stars. In the hot day not venturing anywhere to any attractions infested by the crowds, floating under the skies the cricks of nature accompanied my relax stance. One truly rest in a Pool Villa so this I highly recommend.

Great Breakfast Spread, Excellent Food

Asians and Bacon

Just too many People

Working by the Pool

Egg Station

Evason Pool Villa

Evason Studio Room

Evasion Studio - Day Bed Outdoors

Food Shortage

OX Restaurant

OX Restaurant - 12°24'16.20"N,  99°59'40.80"E

I had meals in this restaurant called OX previously. Where Evason is located, there aren't much restaurants around. So any establishments on a long weekend nearby will be packed like sardines. The non Thai and non English speaking crew guarantees to drive your frustration up a notch. The wait for food, two notches. When served the wrong food, that triples it. And when I tried to snap a picture of the rising moon set against the backdrop of the stunning horizon, the crowds kept getting in the way, so angry, so angry. This picture I shown, she (the big white one) was dominating the scene and refused to go away. For twenty full minutes she was posing away, like a mutant bull fly moving in circles on my LED screen while I watch a movie. By the time she went away, the best of lighting the dusky skies and the moon could offer was gone. And so I shall title the picture "Don't Eat too much at Hua Hin, or else...".

Arghhhh....

The Weekend Crowd

Gin Poo Restaurant

Gin Poo - 12°24'19.20"N,  99°59'30.00"E

The next day, we tried to lunch somewhere less crowded at a place called Gin Poo (meaning eat crabs). We ordered steam crabs. The waiter came back say "no crab left". We ordered fried fish in fish sauce. He came back later saying "fish finish". We ordered BBQ prawns, he came back later say "prawn finish". So we ate the only thing that was left - squid. Servings was small, taste was average, but the view of fishing boats moored along the river was great.

The Fishing Boats

Somewhere Good

Somewhere Good - 12°19'60.00"N,  99°59'51.00"E

The best meal I had was actually on an unknown restaurant, located at the corner of bend, a large wooden hut with several small straw roofed constructs. We were lucky we were early, at 11:30 we reached. The crowds soon came and many had to be turned away. The price was fantastically cheap for the quality of Thai food we have. I am a fanatic of fried rice, and this joint offers one of the best I had in a long time. The fragrance of the extra hot wok sealed the flavors of curry powder and crab into every grain of rice cooked to perfection for frying. In most places, the art getting rice cooked perfect for frying is scarce, fried rice usually ended up mushy but not here. Must try you must, must come again I will.

Huts

The Scene Beyond

The Limited Parking

So when is a good time for Hua Hin?

Never on a long weekend should one make any destination that needs to commute out of Phetkasem a choice for relaxing holiday. Unless, one leaves at ungodly hours such as 5 am in morning, the drive would turn you into a wild pile of fuming rage. The traffic had gone terrible lately with the increase of cars. This is thanks to last year's aggressive incentive schemes for first time owners, policy makers denies this of course. Anyways, all resorts will be cheaper during weekdays, quiet and private without the wild crowd. Heaps of resorts had sprang up all over Hua Hin, driving the migratory swarm even bigger. Trips to Hua Hin had always been good, too bad it is just not now.