Opinion
I dipped my toes into resort life and found a microcosm of excess
Shona Hendley
WriterWith a nonchalant, “I’ll try anything once,” attitude I agreed to my husband’s choice of destination for a recent family holiday to Khao Lak, one of Thailand’s busiest tourist hubs.
The choice of destination had more to do with using the soon-to-expire luxury travel credit we were issued when, thanks to COVID-19, the Spanish trip we had planned for our 10th wedding anniversary had to be cancelled, than a burning desire to lap up the world of five-star living. Still, I gave the tick of approval for a holiday to a destination that wasn’t high on my bucket list at the type of accommodation I had avoided for as long as I had enough money to afford to stay at one. Yes, I was going to a resort.
My doubts about resorts long preceded their portrayal in The White Lotus.Credit: HBO/Foxtel
I have nothing against Thailand or Khao Lak in particular (it was a spectacular place). I do, however, have ill feelings about resorts, a sentiment I possessed before this holiday and well before watching White Lotus. And having now spent time inside my own version of the show, my sentiment is firmly cemented.
As someone who grew up modestly, perhaps my dislike comes down to the money. Because let’s be honest, even with a credit or using a travel offer site, resort holidays are still expensive.
And while mine was not quite a White Lotus level of extravagance, it was still – as the website promised – luxury. There was a day spa, there were multiple pools (including a beach adjacent infinity pool), and there was a swim-up bar. There were shade-covered lounges dotted around said pools, multiple restaurants, and a #beachswing for the perfect “no filter” shots. There was a private beach that only resort guests could access –meticulously raked and cleaned by a team of dedicated employees daily – and an abundance of cocktails.
Shona Hendley takes a swing at a resort holiday in Thailand.
I can absolutely understand why for some people resorts – especially all-inclusive ones – are attractive. You can relax with a book next to the pool that you never actually swim in, order a martini at 10am, wear the light-as-a-feather designer kaftan purchased from the overpriced resort boutique, and eat multiple courses at every buffet service just because you can. In theory, what’s not to love?
Well, quite frankly, a lot.
Aside from the 10 extra kilos you pack on from your week of indulgence and a sizeable dent in your credit card from shopping at the aforementioned resort store, or the 1000 baht spent on “non-inclusive” cocktails that staff somehow fail to mention until it comes time to check out, there are absolutely zero holiday stories to return home with.
And this is my major gripe. I love travelling and discovering new places, especially countries I have never visited before. But what appeals to me about travelling to new places is the travel part. And by that, I mean not sitting by a pool for 90 per cent of the holiday.
To me, travel means leaving the enclosed sanctuary of the resort walls and venturing to local villages, nearby cities, jungles, islands; really whatever geographical points of interest are in your vicinity. But with a resort holiday, the greatest point of adventure seems to be travelling to and from the airport in the air-conditioned courtesy limousine.
I am the kind of traveller who wants to learn about different cultures, values, and ways of living. I want to immerse myself in once-in-a-lifetime experiences, make memories and taste authentic, local cuisines that aren’t featured on Wednesday night’s “around the world” buffet special.
After my out-of-the-ordinary aversion to resort life subsided and my common sense returned, I struck a compromise with myself and informed my husband that although we would stay at this resort and could partake in its offerings (because who am I to turn down a daily massage?), we would leave the resort to do the kinds of explorations described above every second day.
And that we did. On our “days out” we visited rescue elephants at a local sanctuary. We rafted down a river that wound through jungle trees and spotted snakes wrapped around their branches. We swam underneath waterfalls, snorkelled on a coral reef and explored the streets of Thai cities and villages.
Three months on, I look back at the holiday photo album and find myself skipping over the obligatory beach swing shots and sunset shots taken from the infinity pool with my overpriced margarita. Instead, I look at the images of the experiences we had outside the resort walls and know that these (much cheaper) memories are the ones that will stay with us for years to come.
Shona Hendley is a freelance writer.
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