5 Days In Phuket With The Adelaide Fitzgeralds

Patong Beach - Phuket 10th-15th Nov. 2005

I didn't think that I would be seeing my brother and his family quite so soon. I already said my goodbyes. Bruce, Cathy and the kids had a trip booked to Bali in November. For the second time now in 3 years they cancelled their trip because of bombings. They are clearly not meant to go to Bali. So they changed their travel destination to Phuket. It just so happened that I also would be in southern Thailand at a similar time.

Holiday Inn
For 5 days I was a very regular visitor to the Holiday Inn where Bruce & Cathy were staying. So much so that the hotel staff really thought I was staying there. I sometimes just left temporarily wearing one thing and came back half and hour later wearing something else. I think it looked better when I walked in and out with one or more of the kids. The Holiday Inn is a great resort directly across the road from Patong Beach. It was significantly damaged following the tsunami almost 12 months ago but has since been rebuilt. A new restaurant by the pool re-opened while we were there. My accommodation (Golden Beach Guesthouse) was about a block back from the beach about a 5 minute walk from the Holiday Inn. It had a pool too (okay it was a green slimey fish pond with no fish living in it!).

Karon Beach
The kids enjoyed their first tuk tuk ride to Karon Beach. Had great Thai food at the Dino Bar & Restaurant. The kids and I played Dinosaur mini golf which adjoined the resaurant. I may have lost my club for part of the game when it slipped down between some rocks. It was a fantastic set-up with loads of dinosaurs and some with moving parts, caves, an erupting volcano and you even had to dodge the dinosaur pooh!
When we left there was a baby elephant in the street. The elephant was extremely hungry and searching for food. Jack fed the elephant some cucumbers.

Sea Canoing
We all enjoyed a sea canoing trip to Phang Nga Bay and Hong Island. Our guide took us through a bat cave in to a lagoon. Cathy got weeed on by a bat. The lagoon was just beautiful. We also saw a monkey and a walking fish. At Hong Island we had to lay down in the canoe as we were taken through some of the hongs so we didn't hit our heads.
James Bond Island
Not the Islands real name but made famous by the movie "The Man With the Golden Gun" which was filmed there in the 70's. Had the most superb lunch when we got back on the boat - loads of seafood, chicken, rice and fried delicacies.
Naka Island
Jack swam very confidently to shore from where the boat achored (with his floaties on just in case). We swam and the kids had a go at paddling the canoes themselves with a bit of help.

Parasailing
I enjoyed the thrill of parasailing over Patong Beach. Great views as the sun was going down. My only fear was that I seemed to be coming down rather quickly and thought I was going to slam in to the sand. But the thai guy who came up with me (not attached to anything - he just held on) wrapped his legs around my middle which somehow controlled the landing making it very gentle. I did watch other people and he did wrap his legs around every person that went up! Jack really wanted to go parasailing too and was crying because he wasn't allowed. The thai guys would have happily taken him up but I think he would have slipped straight through the harness and mum has the final say!

Phi Phi Island & Snorkelling
Some great snorkelling sites in the bays off Phi Phi Island. Jack freaked out the first time because there were just too many fish swimming around us. I think that had something to do with the food they were throwing off the boat. Kristy went off without a worry and Ryan just bobbed up and down in his floaties and life jacket.
Phi Phi Iland was very tranquil. Very hard to imagine a big wave sweeping over the island almost 12 months ago. Lots of rebuilding has certainly already occurred but there is still mounds of rubble of some buildings and housing where there obviously hasn't been the funds to be able to re-build.

A very enjoyable and relaxing 5 days.

---

---