Bob Travel » Phuket

Slacking in Phuket

admin — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 16:55:40 +0000

I’m writing while looking after three children whose mother, I like to call Slacker Mum, is spending nine days swanning around Thailand and staying at a Phuket resort while I’m stuck in Bangkok. Actually, I’m not writing this while I’m looking after the children. I’m writing this while I recover from watching the children. My shattered health needs to be taken care of in a private sanatorium in the Alps. That’s where nothing like domestic duty is never mentioned and I’m brought some wonderful smelling chicken soup by a very attractive Swedish nurse.

But, I’m still here in Bangkok trying to make sense of the lessons I learned during the time I spent in charge of the children, who aren’t mine I might add. The first lesson was if I was going to be the Slack kind-of-Dad, then there will be a time when my wife goes off to Phuket without me and in those first few minutes after she’s gone is where the tricky moments take place. Some very disturbing displays of emotion that reflected ill on my children’s faith in my abilities to guide and nurture them.

But, weirdly enough, everything worked out. Slacker Dad did the school runs, which is probably not a surprise to other females, but for me were a frantic and unseemly last-minute wind storm of random shouting about inefficiency and punctuality. Yet, what I found the first morning were three children, present and accounted for, dressed, hair was brushed, teeth cleaned and me trying to figure out how to fill in the extra time this splendid array had afforded me. I made them ride bikes to school. Naturally, that didn’t last long, being how cold it was outside.

I did also manage to figure out that the kitchen does need to be dealt with everyday, but the laundry can wait for a few days. But the greatest problem was the mess, mine and the three children. We were a messy lot, sloppy. So, I set down some very strict communist rules, like the one about reading at the kitchen table, that one, I must admit, only applied to me. I did notice though, with only one command giver in the house instead of the bounce back and forth several times between Slacker Mum and Slacker Dad, that my commands were acted upon immediately. At first I thought I was hallucinating at how fast things got done with only one shout.

Slacking in Phuket is a post from: Bob Travel

Phuket FantaSea

admin — Tue, 26 May 2009 19:06:26 +0000

There are many attractions on the island of Phuket that explore and celebrate the rich culture and heritage of the island and the people. One that emphasized the history as well as the city in the modern technological era of today, is FantaSea. Thailand’s magnificence and charm are showcased, as well as the ancient traditions, through the use of this technology. This is a theme park that spans one hundred and forty acres and is located conveniently close to many of the best hotels. Phuket has many different theme parks however FantaSea is certainly the most popular. The theme park is filled with a wide assortment of activities and many stages that provide entertainment each and every day of the week.

Festival Village is one of the sections of the park that is alive with games, carnivals, shopping markets and tents wherein artists sell their handicrafts and artwork. The large four thousand seat restaurant, Golden Kinnaree, offers not only a buffet with a large range of traditional Thai recipes, but with cuisine from many other countries around the world. There is a magic show, reminiscent of the David Copperfield shows in Las Vegas, Nevada USA, called Fantasy of a Kingdom. This show stages various grand themes, all surrounding the beauty and the grace of some of the most loved and well known myths and legends, magic and mysteries of the country. This is a technological extravaganza, a feast for the eyes as well as the soul and the mind.

Another high-tech performance space located withing the park, is the Palace of Elephants. Elephants have been involved in Thai culture for decades, both as work animals and as sacred and worshiped animals. This theater seats up to three thousand people, and the shows are much like circus shows with incredible music made more so by incredible acoustics of the building. There are tigers, and elephants, Thai dancers, acrobats, light shows and pyrotechnics that thrill the audience as the dine on the fine cuisine of the Island. This is a trip in and of itself and should be an experience the entire family will enjoy and remember.

Phuket FantaSea is a post from: Bob Travel

Asia’s Best Island Escape

admin — Sat, 21 Mar 2009 02:34:50 +0000

Thailand’s most famous island, Phuket, has been named the “Best Island in Asia” by TripAdvisor.com. TripAdvisor is the world’s largest travel online community. They recently released their list of the “10 Best Island Escapes” and Phuket finished at number 8 – the only Asian destination on the list.

Phuket already holds the distinction of the most popular island, with more visitors flocking to its incredible beaches and tropical forests than anywhere else in Asia. Located about 860 kilometers south of Bangkok, Phuket is actually a collection of forty individual islands and is connected to the mainland by a bridge.

The beaches are the main draw for this amazing region that was once the home of rubber and tin plantations and an important trade port for China with India. The island has beautiful white sands, limestone cliffs, and tranquil waters on the Andaman Sea. The waters around Phuket are popular with divers from all over the world and other water recreation such as parasailing and boating are common. There are many luxury hotels on Phuket, as the rich and famous are drawn to this island paradise which is also home to some of the hottest nightclubs in Asia.

The island is home to a number of nature and animal preserves. Sirinat National Park and Khao Phra Thaeo National Park protect the natural beauty and wonder of the island while giving visitors the opportunity to see those wonders up close. The protected areas also include several marine parks which extend out into the ocean to preserve the marine life such as coral, jellyfish, and other species.

The complete top 10 Island Escapes according to TripAdvisor:

Maui, Hawaii, United States
St. Lucia, Caribbean, North America
Santorini, Cyclades, Greece
Puerto Rico, Caribbean, North America
Jamaica, Caribbean, North America
Bora Bora, Society Islands, French Polynesia
Bahamas, Caribbean, North America
Phuket, Thailand, Asia
Turks and Caicos, Caribbean, North America
St. John, U.S. Virgin Islands, Caribbean

Asia’s Best Island Escape is a post from: Bob Travel