My wife and myself have spent two wonderful and totally different holidays as a result of our points membership over the past 12 months.
The first was in August at The Reef on the coral island of Gili Meno in Lombok, near Bali, and the second in a millionaires’ playground at the Royal Lighthouse Villas at the Boat Lagoon Resort, in Phuket.
The Reef is a holiday for the adventurous, requiring a boat trip to one of the three small coral islands off Lombok – by public boat from Bangsal Harbour in Lombok or a fast boat from Bali.
For the first time we were able to relax completely, well looked after by the management and staff in local Lumbung-style bungalows, that are fully-appointed with a kitchen, air conditioning and upstairs private balcony where you can watch the sun rise.
It was a time for cat-naps, swimming in the clear Indian Ocean and snorkeling just off the beach, or walking around the island enjoying the food and a beer in local warungs as well as watching the sun set on the other side of the island.
My thanks to the chef who provided a desert for my wife who celebrated her birthday during our week-long stay.
We followed this with a couple of days back on the Bali mainland at Sanur, the Royal Bali Beach Sanur which provided yet another variation on our holiday.The Royal Lighthouse Villas at the Boat Lagoon Resort we visited in February, is not everyone’s idea of a holiday in Phuket. It is located well away from everything, especially the madness of Patong Beach on the other side of the island. Instead it puts you in the middle of a millionaire’s paradise surrounded by expensive boats at jetties and being repaired on land at hard stands.
Staying at Royal Lighthouse Villas involves being accommodated in separate villas (with large rooms) among permanent residents who include lots of ex-pats. The villas back onto the canals and walking through the area is very pleasant. There is a walk to the pool, but that was not a problem. You can nitpick on petty things, but generally everything worked and was very clean.
There are several good restaurants within the complex, especially near the lagoon entrance off the main road.
Even Royal’s The Pantry near the main office is good value, with Thai and European at reasonable prices (though not as cheap as one would expect elsewhere). The Hard Stand Cafe is good at lunch and during the day (closes at 4pm).
There is a Italian Restaurant (for the locals) but nearby is a small Thai restaurant, iZaab, (around the corner) that is good value.
By the time you read this, a new supermarket will be open in the complex. Unfortunately, this will take business away from a small, family-owned supermarket (near the main road) but it should provide more than is needed for the small, well appointed kitchens in the villas.
You need transport to get to the beaches which are a long way away, while Phuket Town is about 10km away (300THB one way by taxi) or by blue bus found outside the entrance to the boat lagoon complex (30THB each person one way).
– Ken and Viv Matts