Exploring Phuket: Our Airbnb Condo

Most of my friends who recommended Phuket for our vacation had all stayed in luxury resorts in the area. Phuket is a popular tourist destination and there are many resorts that are perfect for families which are inexpensive by our standards. Unfortunately, by the time I booked our trip, most of the accommodations for our 6-person family were either crazy expensive or all booked up. After much debate, we ended up using Airbnb to find a beautiful 4-bedroom condo with direct beach access and onsite pool. I wasn't sure what to expect, but it turned out to the best decision for our trip. We had a ton of room to spread out with a spacious living and dining area, bedrooms and bathrooms for everyone, a kitchen with full size appliances for our snacks, and a spacious balcony to take in the gorgeous view of the beach, cove, and even the famous Big Buddha in the distance. Amazing!

The condo building was situated on the beach with 3 levels of homes. Our unit was on the top level -- easy for parking but with a steep set of stairs to the beach. We got a great workout in each day when we made our morning trek for breakfast at a nearby hotel.

All of the units in the resort shared a nice pool at the base of the complex, and from there it was a few steps down to the beach. Along the beach just a short walk away were some hotels, restaurants, storefronts, and even a beachfront massage area. We became very familiar with all of the nearby vendors and visited them often during our stay. There was even a 7-Eleven store with groceries and a cash machine. It was a neat experience to walk up and down the beach, stopping for a meal or a massage anytime.

By the time our trip was over, we were all in agreement that staying in the condo led us to a more authentic and unique vacation experience overall. I didn't know what to expect, but I honestly couldn't have imagined a better trip! Much more to come.