phuket, thailand // travel diary

📍Ella Bed Hotel

These photos are from March 2020… yep, right before the world starting closing their borders due to the pandemic. Only a few weeks after we landed back in Australia, Sydney went into complete lockdown, so it was our last international trip for several years! Thankful that we were able to enjoy a few amazing weeks in Thailand before it all went down.

The first leg of our trip was in Phuket. We stayed at ELLA Bed Hotel for 3 nights and it was in a great central location, in a relatively quiet side street, just a few minutes from the beach end of Bangla Road.

The hotel room that we stayed in was minimal and modern - I loved the contrast of the concrete walls with warm wood and soft fabric textures. There is a bar downstairs, which means that we were able to check-in late without any issues, but also meant that it was extremely noisy on one of the nights. If you’re out late anyway - this obviously won’t be a problem for you! Also, there are no doors to the ‘bathroom’ and the shower is completely visible, which wasn’t a problem for us as a couple, but something to be aware of if you are travelling with a friend!

We then travelled further south to stay at Sugar Ohana Poshtel for 2 nights to have a more laidback beach experience complete with amazing local food markets. While the beaches (Kata and Karon) were just as crowded, the vibe of the area was definitely more laidback and relaxed.

📍Karon Beach

Sugar Ohana Poshtel is beautifully and thoughtfully designed throughout with a light-filled cafe on the ground level. It was also centrally positioned within walking distance to beaches and restaurants, as well as night markets. 2 nights here was the perfect amount of time for lazy beach lounging and lots of mango shakes (usually together).

📍Mae Somchit Kata Fresh Market

jess x