It just started to rain as I walked up from the Esplanade Train Station in Perth at 6.45am this morning, bit of a bugger having spent the last week sleeping in until about 7.30, and a big breakfast of lots of different things but mostly fresh fruit and some of the best scrambled egg I’ve had in a long while, accompanied by fifteen different types of bread (toast) one could ask for, including one for our European cousins that started out like floor tiles and ended up like even harder floor tiles!!!!

This was followed then by a swim in the pool, and catch the 10am bus into town for a bit of retail therapy, so was a typical day at the Merlin Beach Resort in beautiful Phuket.

I must say that the holiday did not get off to a very good start, as all who know us will attest to the fact that we are never late for anything and it was not the case I thought when we arrived at Perth airport a good two hours before flight time, I now realize it should have been three hours!

By the time we arrived they were queued up at the check in desks right out into the car park and it took us until the boarding light was flashing to get our seats, and there was a heap behind us, and as we had to pick up the DF we rushed up without checking our boarding passes, as a consequence when we got to boarding we realized we didn’t have adjacent seats so I was in the middle at the side, and Mrs. C was in the aisle seat of the centre, three rows behind me!

Anyway after a reasonably uneventful flight on Thai International, with a passable green curried chicken lunch, and a French Wine that tasted like cabbage water, thank goodness for a Singha beer to wash the taste away, then came the second down side to the holiday.

Unfortunately our flight arrived just minutes after a flight from I believe Singapore, as such we arrived at the Immigration Hall with the queue’s a mile long, and the flight before us was full of teenage students who just mucked about pulling faces at the cameras on the Immigrations Desks and the Thai Officials simply did nothing but waited for them to stop mucking around before processing them.

As a consequence it had taken us 6 hours to fly up from Perth and then Three Hours to get from the plane to the MBR hotel, not a very auspicious start to the holidays had it not been for the 2 for 1 Cocktail Happy Hour in the lobby bar that went some way to calming the frayed nerves, anyone that has tried the MBR’s “Around the World” Cocktail will understand just how calmed one can get after two!!!

Despite being a little out of town so to speak, and not having a swimming beach to speak off given all the rocks, we thoroughly enjoyed our stay at the Marline Beach Resort, setting the resort around the three pools, which were always sparkling clean, provided for all the relaxing swimming one could ask for, having asked for a ground floor room we were fortunate enough to get one which looked directly at the Pool Bar, and by the passage way alongside the big waterfall which led to the Direct Access Pool, so we had a choice of two pools within 10 meters of our room.

We, like most staying at the MBR, had booked the Buffett Breakfast, and as previously stated one could not fault it, having many choices and catering for all nationalities staying there, we tended to eat a hearty breakfast, which often meant we did not require lunch, giving more time for shopping and doing other activities.

We found the rooms to be big, clean and the king size bed comfortable, if just a bit hard but we prefer it that way rather than being too soft, and the service from all at the MBR friendly and efficient.

We would certainly stay there again, and can recommend it for those who don’t need to be right in the action of the main townships of Patong, Karon or Kata Beaches.

To be continued, BJC.

"French Wine that tasted like cabbage water"
No bias there huh

If only they would start serving Portuguese Vino Verde
Do not get me wrong, I love most Portuguese wines, but this "wine" is purple (do not cook chicken with it), served semi-chilled in ceramic bowls (presumably as glass cracks).

Glad you had a good one after the flight was over. Just be glad you did not go from Terminal 5 Heathrow - British Airport Authority: "The baggage system is working, really, it is, really."

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There are two categories of travellers, those that experience a country and those that take their home with them wherever they go.

Be warned, as with any forum, picking a fight with the admin guy is not recommended!

Hi there Markadmin,

I’ve had some good European wine, but being from the “New World” they often appear to be a little insipid, alongside our big bold reds and the like, but they all have their place, and I must say my BBQ wine of choice is a nice drop of red from Umbria!

I have been following the T5 Heathrow fiasco with some interpretation, as in October after our Med Cruise we are having to fly from Barcelona back to Perth via Heathrow, would you believe, so as to connect up with our Emirates flights, the only positive thing is that T5 is BA, so it may not impact too much.

Anyway if you lose your luggage on the way home is not as bad as on the way to your holiday destination!

Regards, Bruce