Our Trip
Oh, yes, Phuket. This is one of our favorite places to relax and visit with the elephants. We were leaving for Phuket, Thailand in February, 2008 in the middle of the worst snowstorm in China history. Shanghai didn’t get a whole lot of snow (maybe 6 inches) but you’d have thought it was 20 feet. We got to the airport at 6:30am for our flight and just as we were checking in, they closed the airport. Not a big deal as we just went to the business class lounge and figured on a couple hour wait for the airport to open again. The airport did open about 3 hours later but our plane had not arrived. Then 9 hours later (with 4 very cranky people) we were told our flight was cancelled. This is when the fun began. The airport staff had absolutely no idea what to do with us. We found ourselves weaving aimlessly through the airport following a staff person then waiting in a line that had no beginning. I learned a very interesting fact about Chinese culture that day. As long as there is a line, everyone is happy. It wasn’t until about an hour later that we found out there was no reason to be standing in this line and how we found out is Scott went looking for help. He was told there was another flight at 1:30am we could take but that we’d have to be at the airport at 10:00pm to make sure we were checked in. So fast forward, 34 hours later (delayed in Shanghai for snow and Bangkok for heavy rain) we landed in Phuket.
We stayed at the Laguna Beach Resort. We liked this hotel as it had a great slide for the kids in the pool. Well, actually Scott and I had a pretty good time on it as well! The rooms were nice and the breakfast good. They have a free shuttle into town and around the various resorts. Once we all caught up on our sleep we found Phuket simply amazing. It is an entirely different world with extremely nice people and beautiful scenery.
One day we put the kids in the hotel kids club and rented a scooter for $13.00 a day. We drove all over the island which was very interesting as they drive on the left side of the road there. At the time I had a very high fever so I had Scott take me back to the hotel to rest. When he dropped me off he went back out joy riding and wrecked the scooter. About ½ hour later he came back covered in blood, to find me miserable in bed and the kids still in kids club. I ended up going to the doctor for antibiotics and he for pain meds and to have his cuts cleaned out. You’d think that after that day we’d never want to go back to Phuket but the good really out-weighed the bad on this trip.
Fun Facts & Tips
Phuket is an Island located in southern Thailand. It's known for it's beautiful beaches.
Banyan Tree Spa is very close to hotel. If you appreciate a good massage you must take advantage of this experience. It’s unforgettable.
Our elephant trek through the jungle was with Siam Safari Nature Tours. They are a strong advocate for Eco-Tourism and have won numerous awards for their efforts.
We went on an Elephant Safari where we learned about monkeys, buffalo, how to make rubber, how to cook Thai dishes and then got to ride elephants through the jungle up to the top of a beautiful mountain overlooking the ocean.
If you rent a scooter, know that often there is no insurance and if you wreck the bike you pay for it.
We visited Phuket only four years after the devastating tsunami hit there. In Phuket alone we saw no signs of any of devastation. During our excurston to Phi Phi Islands we saw very little.
Phi Phi islands are very cool. We took a day excursion on a speed boat to the islands and did some great snorkeling. Kids need to bring their own snorkels. At the time they only offered adult sizes.
Welcome to Phuket, Thailand
This trip was all about long lay-overs in the airport. It was a good introduction to travel in/out of China.
Once we finally arrived at our hotel, the most amazing part for all was no doubt, the elephants. Elephants walked the beach, the pool area and outside the restaurants freely. I’d be sitting at the pool reading a book and look up to find an elephant in front of me! There were 2 elephants at the hotel that just walked around all day giving people rides and hanging out at the beach. They were not chained or restrained in any way. Both Sophie and Sean got to ride them and had a really good time.
We all enjoyed some awesome snorkeling and island hopping as well. All in all, it was a great trip and I’d love to go back to this area of Thailand but maybe stay at a different beach. There are lots of beautiful less touristy beaches in Thailand. But on the other hand, staying at the more “well know” hotels ensures we’ll see friends from school to keep the kids happy and entertained when we just want to relax.
A huge plus for us about the hotel location was the excellent food on the beach just outside the hotel at various restaurants. We ate most of our meals here for a fraction of the price of the hotel and we got to see the sunset every night while Sean and Sophie played on the beach.
Gotta love the Nascar good ole boy with the island beauty!
The spices and freshness of the Thai dishes was a real treat. They also know how to make amazing Mojitos and Margaritas (look for LuLu’s Bar right outside hotel) so Scott and I were happy.
When we arrived back in Shanghai, Chinese New Year was coming to an end and the big firework display did not disappoint.