FIRST IMPRESSIONS:

Our airport pick up was ready and waiting as soon as we got out of Phuket Airport. Rawai VIP Villas sent a large van, fully equipped with water, snacks/sweets and an incredibly kind driver to take us. Within about 50 minutes, we were in Rawai and checking in to our villa. We went to the reception area to handle formalities and give a deposit (their deposits are very affordable compared to most hotels!), and then we were lead to our villa. 

Since our flight got in at night, we couldn’t really explore the grounds of Rawai VIP Villas and nearby Rawai Park, so we had to wait until the morning for that. The location, however, is just a 2 minute walk from Rawai beach which has loads of restaurants, shops, bakeries, family marts, massage parlors, etc., so we knew that if we ever needed anything, we wouldn’t need to go far. 

OUR VILLA:

The Rawai VIP Villas has villas for large and small families/groups of friends. While we stayed in the 3-bedroom Lux Pool Villa, there are villas from 2 bedroom to 6 bedroom! You’re sure to find something that fits your family comfortably! 

The villas are completely private. We had our own garage, own pool, 3 bedrooms, 4 bathrooms and a spacious yet homely living and dining area, fully-equipped kitchen and a laundry room. 

The bedrooms are not interconnected so you have plenty of privacy— this is amazing if your traveling in a group of friends. All of the bedrooms have their own bathrooms and the living space is communal. The living room, dining room and kitchen are all in an open-space layout.

The pool is a proper pool, not just a small plunge pool, as in most hotel villa properties. Its quite deep as well, so get floaties for your little ones (which are easy and cheap to get in Phuket, you don’t need to carry it with you in your luggage). 

Its a fully serviced villa, so you have the best of both worlds— the privacy of an actual villa without any of the disturbances of a hotel, but also a services (like cleaning, water, etc.) whenever you need it. 

So you can get an idea of the 4 bedroom villas, have a look here:

And for the 6-bed ones, here:

DINING:

Rawai VIP Villas has one restaurant, Love Rawai Cafe, that is linked to it. It’s not a hotel; its a serviced villa rental (with some perks of a resort) so F&B is not their main priority. Love Rawai Cafe is the cafe that is nearby at Rawai Park. They serve breakfast complimentary for guests staying at Rawai VIP Villas and we went there a couple of times, but most of the time we were out and about from the morning, or at in the villa as we had a full fridge, microwave, stove and all of the comforts out own home’s kitchen there in Rawai. 

Even when we stay in 5-star hotels in Phuket, we hardly ever eat at the hotel— we love exploring different local restaurants. When in Thailand, this is an absolute must as the food is amazing, so the fact that there aren’t many restaurants on the property didn’t affect our stay. Just a 2 minute walk away are plenty of restaurants all along Rawai Beach, so we could easily go there as well if we felt like it. 

ACTIVITIES/ WHAT WE DID:

Oh this is a biggie. The reason why Rawai VIP Villas is so perfect for families is because there are so many activities for kids right there on the property. First of all, you have an entire pool just to yourself, you have Rawai Park just a few minutes walk away, you have the beach very nearby… I could go on and on. 

Our little ones went to Rawai Park nearly every day during our 5 day stay at Rawai VIP Villas. They had plenty of activities and play areas to keep the busy that they never felt bored of going there. They even sometimes do shows and festivals at the park.

In addition the activities on the property, Rawai has loads of things that you can do. Although we’ve been to Phuket before, this was the first time ever that we stayed in Rawai. Its definitely quieter than the places we were in before (Patong and Karon), but it has a very relaxed charm to it. Its near to a lot of islands, which are just a 20 minute boat ride away (and you can easily find long boats that will take you there). The islands nearby are great for snorkeling and scuba diving! 

Also, massages in Thailand are AMAZING. If you walk down the Rawai Beach road, you’ll see plenty of different massage centers. We tried out a few of them for things like foot massages, head massages, etc. There is also a spa in Rawai VIP Villas, and they do an amazing job! 

In addition to the activities in Rawai, I will soon be publishing The Ultimate Family Guide to Phuket which will have loads of activities and tips! Keep an eye out!

DRAWBACKS:

As I said before, its the first time that we stayed in Rawai, so it was a completely new area for us. Its definitely not as busy as Patong, Karon or Kata, so when we wanted to go out at night (especially once the kids already fell asleep), we found ourselves heading down to Karon or Patong for restaurants and hang out spots. We’d rent a bike and enjoy a 30 min ride down to Kata, Karon or Patong to explore new restaurants or nightlife in Phuket— don’t worry, we didn’t leave our 2 and 4 year old alone— our nanny stays back with them! 

BEST FOR:

Rawai VIP Villas is best for families, but it can also be amazing for groups of friends. If you’re traveling with friends and want to share a 4 bedroom villa, for example, you can have a room each. Each bedroom has its own key and the living room area has a separate key, so its perfect if you want to maintain your privacy but also be close to those you’re travelling with. Its great for families because you have plenty of space for little ones to run around and a lovely park/play area to keep them busy in. 

PRICE:

The price is also very affordable and its probably the best deal you will find in Phuket!! 

THE 3-BEDROOM LUX POOL VILLA  STARTS AT 17,910 BAHT ( AED 1,800) PER NIGHT (December 2018). 

FOR MORE INFORMATION AND UPDATED PRICES, CHECK OUT THEIR WEBSITE HERE.