The Real Deal: Round-trip airfare to Phuket on Cathay Pacific Airways, transfers by van, four nights' hotel accommodations, breakfast daily, a 90-minute massage for one person, and fuel surcharges and hotel taxes, from $1,399 per person — plus $86 in airport taxes and fees.
When: April 15–May 15, 2009; add $50 for May 16–June 14; $150 for now through April 14; $500 for June 15–25.
Gateways: L.A.; add $50 for San Francisco, New York City; $125 for Boston, D.C., Las Vegas, Phoenix, San Diego, Seattle, Philadelphia, Portland, Ore.
The fine print: Does not include airport taxes and fees of $86 per person. Based on double occupancy; single supplement is $650. Based on travel Monday–Thursday; a $25 per person surcharge each way applies for weekend travel. The massage is only good for one person per villa; add another massage for $129. Use tour code HKTBNT-SPCP10. Read these guidelines before you book any Real Deal.
Book by: No deadline; based on availability.
Contact: GTS Globotours, 800/988-4833, globotours.net.
Why it's a deal: In a recent Kayak search, we found a $1,072 round-trip flight between L.A. and Phuket in mid-April (Cathay Pacific). The hotel accommodations would normally cost a staggering $727 per person, including taxes. So if you booked independently, you could expect to pay about $1,799 per person. You'll save more than $300 by booking this package instead, and you'll get the airport transfers and one massage thrown in — a nice incentive.
Lodging: Spend four nights at the Banyan Tree Phuket, about 45 minutes from the airport. The resort is a perennial favorite of luxury magazines and hotel-review websites alike, thanks to its beautiful pools, lounge areas, and views of the Andaman Sea. You'll stay in a deluxe villa decorated with Thai accents. The villas each have a private garden and a whirlpool. Breakfast is served on the hotel's terrace, and it's a short walk to the beach. If lounging on the beach and by the pool isn't enough to fill your days, the hotel can arrange scuba and snorkeling tours and guided tours of the island for an additional fee.
More: Upgrade to a pool villa for $90 per person per night. Add a three-night trip extension through Globotours to Bangkok from $499 per person.
Before you go: U.S. citizens will need a valid passport for travel; a visa is not required. For more on Thailand, visit the official tourism site, or the U.S. State Department's travel fact sheet.
