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A home of my own on the Beach – Sol Beach House Phu Quoc

A home of my own on the Beach – Sol Beach House Phu Quoc

Monday, February 13, 2017, 07:37 GMT+7

After a quick one-hour flight from Ho Chi Minh City, I was picked up from the Phu Quoc International Airport by a kind gentleman with a warm smile and a crisp white Sol Beach House Phu Quoc polo shirt.

Handing him my luggage and following him to the car, I made a mental note to ask where I could purchase a shirt for myself.

Hardly leaving time to settle into my seat, we pulled up to the resort – for the first time in my life, when a resort said 15 minutes from the airport, they meant 15 minutes. Walking into the expansive open-air lobby, I was greeted by name and handed a refreshingly fruity welcome drink in exchange for my luggage.

As the doorman walked me to my spacious sixth-floor junior suite he told me about the extensive list of activities happening around the resort. With paddle boarding, cooking classes, meditation and so much more, my head swarmed with how I would be able to fit it all in!

Bidding the doorman farewell with thanks, I entered my room to see the beautiful vista of endless sky and sea and made a mental note to spend one sunset of my trip on my balcony. Pulling my attention to the room itself, I discovered the crisp white linens, comfortable sofa and striped beach chairs I could use for my sunset viewing.

dukTTjKZ.jpgJunior Suite with view of the ocean

Itching to get in the crystal blue pool below, I grabbed a beach towel, my sunglasses and a book and set off for the lobby. Greeted by smiles from everyone I passed, guests and staff alike, I was soon filled with the welcomed sense of ‘home’. Coming from Ho Chi Minh City’s concrete jungle, the resort’s surrounding grass and palm trees instilled a true connection to nature on my walk towards the infinity swimming pool.

I fell in love at first sight with the beautiful poolside Bali beds, putting my things down and slipping into the pool – the final piece of the puzzle to make me forget the emails waiting in my inbox. I can’t be sure how much time had passed in my mesmerisation with the beautiful blues surrounding me when I suddenly felt my stomach growl. How could I have forgotten lunch?

Deciding to leave The Kitchen, the resort’s all-day dining, until the next day’s breakfast, I thought I could do with something sweet, healthy and adventurous. Leaving everything including my towel on the Bali bed, no one seemed to mind my dripping bathing suit as I ordered a fresh fruit smoothie and a few savoury street food style dishes to tide me over until my Mediterranean-style seafood dinner at OLA Beach Club.

After lunch, as I bent down to pet another guest’s dog, also a welcomed guest at Sol Beach House, a hand-written sign caught my attention – I was just in time to take part in the afternoon’s meditation session. I easily found the designated area and got in the zone: relaxed, undisturbed, at one with nature and myself.

Getting back to the Bali bed where I’d left my things, I ordered a poolside cocktail to reach maximum bliss. I was also just in time to check out the smooth, groovy, toe-tapping tunes put on by the in-house DJ. Just as the pool area became ‘the place to be’, however, my eyelids started getting heavier and heavier, I’d have to go to bed soon and instead come back the next day.

qfhLKBQk.jpgSweet ocean-side setting for two

I slept with the balcony doors open and awoke early to the call of the sea. Following a quick bite at the breakfast buffet, I walked a few kilometres down the beautiful white sand beach. Heading back to the resort after a few hours, I decided to treat myself to a foot massage – restful, healing and entirely relaxing.

Feeling up for an adventure with loose muscles and an open mind, I enquired about paddle boarding. The kind and knowledgeable staff noticed me struggling beyond the waves, and joined to give me some pointers until I got the hang of it. Physical activity was never more fun!

I spent the rest of my second day in and out of the pool, checking out the resort’s activities and dancing to the DJ’s tunes at sunset. The following day, as we pulled up to the airport and the doorman handed me my luggage, he said, “I really hope you come back to see us soon.” Suddenly I knew I’d become part of the Sol Beach House Phu Quoc family. I bid him farewell, checked in for my flight, raced to the waiting area and immediately booked my next holiday at the resort.

"Please visit www.melia.com  for more information or to make a reservation"

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