We were so excited when my 20-yr old stepdaughter arrived in Bangkok to visit us for a couple of weeks. We had fun exploring Bangkok with her and she was a good sport dealing with all the drama that surrounded us as we tried to navigate the city with three young kids in very hot and humid weather. One of her wishes for her visit was to spend some time at a beach. After asking around and looking online, we decided to book a last minute deal to Phuket and got a great deal. We spent approximately $1000 for a 4 night trip – flights for all 6 of us plus 4 nights at a really nice apartment. We were so happy when we got to our place. Three spacious bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, a pool, gym, and a view of the beach from our balcony. After staying in a 2 bedroom apartment in Bangkok with all our cockroach friends, this was luxury.
Not surprisingly, we spent a lot of our time on the beach. The beaches were so beautiful, the water was warm, and there was endless sand to play in. All along the beach are food vendors selling all types of wonderful food and drinks as well.
One of our only excursions while in Phuket was to an elephant sanctuary. Ashley and the kids really wanted to see elephants. We did some research to find a reputable sanctuary to make sure that they treat the elephants ethically and responsibly (unfortunately some do not). No elephant rides, just feeding and bathing the elephants while learning about the role and importance of elephants in Thailand. The family that ran the sanctuary also explained a bit about the life of Karen hill tribes where they were from.
We all have our up and down days. This was not a great day for Riley, as you can tell from the picture below. Much like her mom, she can’t hide her mood. She eventually started to have fun but it was an uphill battle with her for the early part of the day. This photo below perfectly captures my memory of her mood that day.
Iain was the bravest one of the kids. He really enjoyed feeding the elephants bananas. Riley (below)…not so much.
The photo below is my favorite of the day. Ashley and Brett are both in their own worlds, so excited to be near the elephants. Riley is in such a bad mood that she refuses to get her photo taken. Ronan is trying really hard to be a part of this picture but he is completely terrified of the elephants. And then there’s me and Iain. We’re smiling for the camera like nothing else is going on.
At some point during the elephant mud bath, the wind picked up and the skies opened up. The temperature dropped fast and we were all immediately and overwhelmingly cold.
All in all the elephant sanctuary was a hit and probably one of those experiences that the kids will always remember.
The other memory I have from Phuket was all the wonderful meals that we shared. Not only was the food amazing but we got the rare opportunity to spend time with Ashley and find out what is going on in her life. We miss her and Meghan so much and it was just nice to talk over dinner and catch up on her life.
Such a beautiful place and such fun memories. It was a bit too touristy for our taste so I’m not positive we’ll go back but it was perfect at the time. We found some other beautiful beach areas in Thailand later in our travels that we will be sure to return to one day.