Dreaming of lifelong holidays?
Spending your working hours with thoroughly happy people right beside the pool bar?
And being the one who can make them even happier by organising unforgettable diving and snorkeling experiences on the Andaman Sea? Yes, that’s running the Sea Bees Dive Shop at JW Marriott in Khao Lak! This part of the world is so relaxing with its endless beachfront and stunning vegetation and that’s why I love it.
We always try our best with all our customers but you do get the occasional guest who is not “happy”. Like the nicely tanned German who dropped into our shop a few days ago and told me how disappointed he was with the weather. Now, as it is the monsoon season, he had expected it to be raining a lot more; he had wanted to experience a real tropical downpour! But all he was getting was sunshine. I had to assure him that we did have a monsoon season!
A young couple from China also comes to my mind. Eager to go snorkeling on our comfortable boat spoilt by our famous cook and with the clear waters of the Similan Islands waiting to greet them. I then made the mistake of asking the one and only wrong question: “Can you swim?” Imagine their horror as their dreams fall apart. But to my astonishment, this moment did not last very long and they came up with the only logical solution: if they could not go snorkeling because they could not swim, then they would go diving instead! Now that was a challenge…
And then there are the Indian weddings that are popular at this time of year. Ever been to one? Hundreds of guests, continuous partying and dining and so many brightly coloured outfits vying to be the best. What an amazing sight!
Obviously, during these weddings, business is a bit quieter on the watersports front but the celebrations and sheer amount of guests still keep me busy with other items from our shop and, as it’s a wedding, the guests tend to be quite merry sometimes! Hic !
But mostly, being able to watch the guests arrive at the beginning of their holiday in a rush of activity and watch them slowly relax, walk a little slower each day and help them achieve some great memories is the best part of my job.
As you can see, my little “Island” is not as small as it seems at first and very different to the hustle and bustle of Phuket. You meet so many interesting people from different countries and cultures and I very much enjoy my life here. Thanks to all our guests. See you again soon!