The Chedi

Our trip to Thailand was wonderful! Our hotel, The Chedi, was peaceful and relaxing, especially because it was so empty! The weather was gorgeous, as usual. It was a nice change from Hong Kong, which has been interminably grey and dismal.


The Chedi 


Matt in our Cottage at the Chedi 

The one thing about The Chedi was that it is a full service, luxury, 5 star hotel. I have never stayed at a hotel like that before and I don't think Matt has either...The only reason we stayed there is because they were having such a phenomenal deal on rates due to the post-tsunami tourist slump. So, Matt and I figured it would be a good opportunity to see if these luxury places are actually as great as all of our Hong Kong friends say they are. In my opinion, the answer is a resounding NO. Don't get me wrong, it was a wonderful trip and I loved having fresh baked biscuits left in my room at night while I was at dinner, and I loved having a never ending fruit bowl filled with exotic, delicious fruits. I loved how our cottage overlooked the ocean and was cleaned and organized by the staff everyday. I also liked the convenience of having the hotel take us to and from the airport, and how they reconfirmed our flights for us and carried our bags for us. The problem is that along with all of these perks came the "annoyance" of having a full service staff. I don't want them all to know my name and ask me how my day/night/previous 5 minutes was. I don't want them hovering around waiting to refill my wine glass with an elaborate flourish, and look mortally wounded when I try to do it myself. I don't want them to call me "madam" and act so subservient. It makes me feel weird. I just want to do things myself unless I ask for help, I want them to joke with me instead of act like a servant, and I don't want to have to keep responding to questions about how I am feeling and how my day is.


The Pool at the Chedi 

The other problem with nice hotels is that they are usually secluded and on private beaches. The good thing about this is then you don't have annoying hawkers trying to sell you every imaginable trinket and doodad. The bad part about this is that then there is no action! I want to see other people besides the fat white bloated rich people that were staying at the Chedi. I want to go into town, eat at lots of different restaurants and see lots of things. The Chedi was quite far from everything and the taxi ride to get around was 45 minutes. I think most people that stay at these hotels hang out only at the hotel, do the hotel's "planned activities", eat at the hotel restaurants, and then they leave. This is ideal if you have kids, are exhausted from the stresses of your daily life, or are scared of the outside world.

The biggest problem for me was the food at the hotel. It was absolutely delicious! Every morning we had a full breakfast buffet with the most beautiful display of tropical fruit that I have ever seen. In addition to that, they had homemade pastries and bread, and you could have anything made that your heart desired. I had pancakes and French toast most mornings. But aside from being delicious, the food was very boring. The token Thai items on the menu were very bland and westernized. Most things on the menu were Western, like deli sandwiches, Spaghetti Marinara, and Caesar Salad. Why would I want that in the country with some of the most delicious food in the world? In Thailand, the quality of food served by the street stalls is phenomenal. The ingredients are fresh and delicious, and the seasonings are spicy but not overpowering. It is a delicate sort of spiciness. Matt and I went to the night market one night and had the most amazing meal of Tom Yum soup, a deep fried fish with chili that we picked the meat straight from the bone, and a cold spicy seafood salad laden with squid, prawns, scallops and onions. Delicious! All that and two large Singha Beers for less than 8 US dollars.


Matt and I at the Night Market 


Night Market 

So in the end, which do I prefer, luxury or budget travel? For the time being, budget, by far. Maybe when I am old and tired, or when I have babies in tow, I will start doing the luxury travel thing. It was a good thing to try though...now I know what the whole luxury thing is about and that I truly enjoy the independence, freedom and excitement of a more simple travel style. That being said, our 4 days in Phuket at the Chedi were fabulous.