Phuket - what a holiday!

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When the journal of great travel is written, containing tales of exploration and confronting the unfamiliar, our family holiday in Phuket will not feature in its pages.

Instead, ours was a holiday dedicated to just hanging out together, moving easily through days punctuated by relaxed meals, swimming in the warmth of a tropical sun, strolling along the beach, silently admiring the sunset, and evening cocktails in palatial surrounds.

Georgia and Byron took it all in their stride. They loved the pool. Byron learnt that he could direct the spray of the decorative pool fountains (turtles) to squirt people, especially when they seemed to have a camera. Georgia loved the little Islands and their spa jets, not inaccurately naming them "Bubbleland".

Swimming in the pool was a precursor to invading the local ice-cream parlour and getting their character ice-cream treats - The Little Prince, and Sweet Princess.

Simone was indefatigable in her pursuit of ever-more pleasant dining and drinking experiences. Lunch would find her on a restaurant balcony overlooking the sea; in the evening, drinking cocktails beside a large and beautiful water feature that seemed to flow to the sea. Dutifully, Georgia, Byron and I tagged along.

Being far from the over-populated ranks of their toys, Georgia and Byron were delighted with Pez Disney character lolly dispensers. These small treats provided multiple joys - occasionally they would yield lollies, and always they provided the companionship of a friend created from a child's imagination. Georgia's favourite was the Donald Duck dispenser. She favoured it over the others and would carry it to bed. One day, returning from the pool, Georgia came through the front door and called out "Donald, we're home!"

Byron quickly invented games, such as sneaking into the bathroom and turning on the bath taps, and waiting with an expectant smile for our stern response before bolting to the balcony with Simone and / or I in pursuit.

The week went too quickly. There were many things that made our holiday wonderful, and any one of the many times Georgia and Byron fell asleep on our shoulders would, in itself, make it a special time to remember.

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