Clean, easy and family friendly are our requirements for a getaway with our 18 month old son Liam. So we decide to head to Phuket, Thailand for family beach getaway as this meets our easy requirement. Only a 90 minute plane ride from Singapore, followed by a still manageable 50 minute car ride from the airport to Karon beach, we try out the brand new Novotel Phuket Karon Beach Resort & Spa.
Karon Beach is a laid back part of Phuket that is close enough to the action with an endless selection of restaurants, shops and spas, while still far enough from the less desirable characters at Patong. The golden beach stretches far into the distance with sun loungers dotted across the beach, along with a small collection of sun seekers. Without the chaos of other Phuket beaches, Karon beach meets our next requirement: clean.
For our last requirement of family friendly, Novotel Karon Beach Resort is exactly what we’re looking for. Three large pools gives us choice when decided where to splash around and the kids pool with a water slide gives us something to look forward to when Liam is older. In the meantime, floating in the water and running under the water umbrella keeps him perfectly happy.
For a vacation to be truly family friendly, not only are there activities for kids, but also the parents. This harmony starts at Novotel Phuket Karon Beach’s Kids World where one side caters to toddlers with a ball pit, ride-on cars, boxes of toys and hourly activities, while the other side is where older kids can play pool, foosball or chill out in circular pods while playing video games. Best of all baby sitting is available for when mom and dad want to start enjoying their favourite activities (besides spending time with their kids). While the kids play supervised in the kids club, adults can enjoy a couples massage at the spa, a drink at one of the pool bars or one of the many fitness activities put on during the day.
At the end of the day after all family members are thoroughly exhausted from a day of swimming and soaking up the sun, we realise this vacation meets all 3 of our requirements plus a bonus one: a whole lot of fun.
Rooms
We stayed in one of Novotel Phuket Karon Beach's Suites that is perfect for families with a separate bedroom and living room along with a pullout sofa bed. This gave our little guy Liam lots of room to run around as well as a balcony for us to relax on.
Other rooms to consider include the Deluxe Family Rooms that have bunk beds as well the Superior Plunge Pool rooms.
Dining
For a truly easy vacation, you don't have to leave the resort to get a good meal. There are 4 different dining outlets with a variety of cuisine to choose from. Breakfast is served in Horizons where a buffet complete with a great western selection is available including eggs station, pastries, pancakes, fruit yogurt and much more. Our favourite part of the breakfast is the fresh fruit juice and child friendly plastic plates and cutlery. How did they know our son likes to throw his plate on the floor?
For lunch, sit poolside at either Joe Kool's or Champions Sports Bar. Both offer an international menu while the sports bar has the addition of tvs to watch your favourite sports from around the world.
Dinner time gives the additional option of TAi Restaurant. A spot to choose from a variety of Asian cuisine. We dined on sushi, pork ribs and meatballs. An eclectic mix that will keep everyone happy.
Novotel Phuket Karon Beach Resort and Spa
568 Patak Road, T.Karon
A.Muang Phuket
Phuket, Thailand 83100
W: www.novotelphuketkaron.com
This was a hosted stay. As always, opinions are our own.
