On a recent holiday to Phuket where we stayed at Dusit Thani Laguna Phuket, I decided to take a cooking class with my three teenage sons – a bonding experience as a family and a chance to make our family holiday more memorable by learning a skill that can extend the travel experience well beyond the week we had there. So, the four of us signed up for an afternoon cooking lesson on how to make some classic Thai dishes.
It was very convenient having the cooking class in the hotel – we had a lazy morning sleeping in, enjoyed the amazing buffet breakfast, and had a swim in the pool followed by a light lunch and it was time for us to walk over to Benjarong for our cooking class.
Benjarong restaurant is located within the Dusit Thani Laguna Resort and is set in a beautiful teak house of Thai design surrounded by lush gardens and overlooks the lagoon which winds through the world class resorts that pepper the area. Benjarong serves Royal Thai cuisine made with recipes that have been passed down for generations using fresh produce sourced from the area.
We were welcomed with a delicious drink made from pea flower and given Dusit Thani cooking aprons. The aprons are included in your cooking class package. The classes are not daunting large groups but more intimate small groups allowing for one-on-one learning. In our class, it was a group of six – a perfect size. The small group meant I had a lot of interaction with the chef, which was great because I had many questions about the ingredients.
We had a cooking station per two people, complete with an induction cooktop, pots, and pans, and all the fresh ingredients required. As we were taught how to prepare each dish, the chef explained in detail each ingredient, and why it was included in the dish.
Surprisingly all the dishes were quite easy and fast to prepare, and we were surprised to learn that the dishes could easily be made at home. My sons and I for the next hour were busy chopping the ingredients and cooking Thai dishes under the patient guidance of the chef. The cooking class is about one hour long, and afterwards everyone sits down to enjoy the freshly prepared meal in the beautiful restaurant. It was a great experience as a family, learning to cook our favourite Thai dishes. It’s something I’d sign up for again, next time we are in Phuket.
What we learned to cook:
Tom Yum Goong – The famous Thai soup made with lemongrass, fish sauce, chili peppers and kaffir lime leaves. Beautiful hot and sour flavours.
Pad Thai Goong – One of our family favourites when we dine at Thai restaurants, and now we can now cook this at home.
Thai Chicken Green Curry – Another Thai classic, this creamy curry was surprisingly easy to make.
If you are in Phuket, be sure to take a cooking class at Benjarong for a fun, delicious experience.
To download a factsheet on Dusit Thani Laguna Phuket, click here.
More from Dusit Thani Laguna Phuket
If you are looking to whisk your family to a tropical paradise, Phuket is just the place. Think beautiful beaches with turquoise waters, delicious Thai cuisine and lush, jungle clad mountains.
When visiting Phuket, my family heads north to Bang Tao Bay, to our favourite resort – Dusit Thani Laguna Phuket. It’s about 20 minutes drive from Phuket town and only 25 minutes from the airport. We’ve been coming to relax at this idyllic resort for 17 years.
If enjoying amazing buffet breakfasts with the family, reading a book by a sparkling pool while your kids have a swim, and sipping margaritas watching the sunset over Andaman Sea sounds like your idea of a good holiday, then you’ve come to the right resort.
Dusit Thani Laguna Phuket is part of the resorts that form Laguna Phuket. There are seven six-star resorts in Laguna Phuket, and guests at any of the resorts can access the facilities on offer in any of the resorts. All the resorts are top class, offering luxurious accommodation and facilities to the discerning traveller. Some are more suited to those travelling alone or as a couple, while others, like Dusit Thani Laguna Phuket, are perfect for families as well as couples.
The wonderful hospitality offered at Dusit Thani begins at the Phuket International Airport. You can book an airport transfer for a fee, and the hotel driver will meet you at the airport and whisk you to the resort in a cool, air-conditioned car. It’s a great way to start your holiday, so you don’t need to worry about taxis.
Hospitality is amazing at Dusit Thani. You will notice every single staff member will greet you with a smile at this resort. Some of the staff have been at the resort for many years – one staff we first met 17 years ago.
Dusit Thani Laguna Phuket is styled in unique Chino Portuguese architectural features common to that era in Thailand giving it an exotic but authentic feel to the resort. There are a few different types of rooms on offer – the clubrooms are good value and offer views of the Andaman Sea from the rooms, and they come with some lovely extras, such as complimentary cocktails in the evenings and high tea in the afternoons.
We always opt to stay in the club rooms, for access to the Horizon Club for the nightly cocktails and the view of the Andaman. The best part of Dusit Thani’s offerings is the fact that the Andaman Sea is just a few steps away from the hotel separated only by a stretch of lush, green lawn. The white sandy beach has plenty of sun loungers and beach towels, shaded by umbrellas. You can relax and gaze at the green aquamarine waters of the seas gently rolling waves or have a cool dip and a swim. The beach is perfect for families with young children as the waves are not large and the beach is private and safe. The resort is never crowded, even when at full capacity, so there are always loungers available to use at this resort.
The main pool is only few steps away from the beach, surrounded by swaying palm trees. We spent hours in the pool and enjoyed all our lunches at the poolside café. The café offers delicious burgers, pastas, and traditional Thai dishes, as well as cocktails and milkshakes. They also made amazing banana splits.
The resort has a variety of activities on offer –swimming pool, private beach, tennis court with a tennis pro offering lessons to all levels, fitness centre, spa, recreation centre, kids club, playground, and being a beach front resort – a variety of water sports. It’s a great place to bring kids – from the very young to teenage kids. There were various activities on offer for our family during our stay, including classes offering Thai language, batik and tie-dye, and Thai boxing. The resort also offers kayak lagoon tours and family retreats. If you feel like having a family tennis lesson, make sure you pack your tennis shoes, and book yourself a tennis lesson with the hotel’s own tennis pro. If golf is your preferred sport – head out for a 9- or 18-hole play at Laguna Phuket Golf Club at the resort.
Angsana Spa offers world-class spa facilities that will leave you pampered head to toe and luxuriously relaxed. But if you want a quick massage with a view of the Andaman, take a stroll along the beach and you will find Thai ladies offering massages right next to the beach.
Befitting a six-star resort, the restaurants on offer at Dusit Thani are world class. La Trattoria, the Italian restaurant, is an award-winning Italian restaurant with an extensive wine list. The menu is impeccable and sure to please even the fussiest Italian food lover. There is also Benjarong serving Royal Thai cuisine in a romantic setting overlooking the lagoon. The beachside barbecue on the beach offered by Casuarina Bar is always a treat. Eating freshly grilled prawns freshly caught on the day from the Andaman, dipped in the spicy-sour chilli sauce washed down with an icy cold beer on the beach while watching the sunset is heavenly.
We enjoyed our nightly cocktail hour on the balcony at the Horizon Club, watching the stunning sunset listening to the live band and played chess before heading out to dinner.
If you want to venture out to the bright lights and the activity of Patong, you can venture out for the night or two for some shopping fun, as it’s not too far a drive from the hotel. There are also some lovely restaurants right outside the resort – within walking distance.
After a stay at Dusit Thani Laguna Phuket, you’ll fall in love with this resort and its staff – and you’ll find yourself planning to come stay here again -- we did. It’s a resort where guests come back again and again, in fact its return visitor rate is phenomenal -- look at our family, we’ve been coming back here over and over, for 17 years and counting.
