This Thanksgiving we traded Turkey around the table to Tuna Steak on the beach with my first trip to Thailand. Adam had been to Thailand on business before but never to the beach destination of Phuket. It was just a short stay but as usual we managed to pack a lot in.We stayed at The Laguna Beach Resort which is just one of the hotels on the Laguna property. At first glance I thought our resort was too tourist-y as the beach front was blocked by shacks run by locals selling gifts, food and drinks. But even they couldn't spoil the clear blue sea and sandy white beach. In the end, the locals being so nearby was a great money saver as you could get a beer for 60 Thai Baht(US$1.80) from the locals and walk a few steps back to the resort pool where they were selling the exact same thing for 150 Thai Baht (US$5)... you all know how I appreciate a bargain!
The best part of the Laguna property is that you have access to all of the resorts regardless of where you are staying. The properties are connected by a large lagoon, giving all guest water front rooms. Free shuttles and ferries carry guest from one resort to another so we had the opportunity to check out the other hotels. We popped over the the Dusit Tani for dinner on Thursday night and enjoyed the relaxing sound of the waves just a few feet away as we dined.
The next morning I met Meena the baby elephant and fell in love. She was so tiny and well behaved. While I don't generally like animals being in a tourist environment, she seemed to be very well taken care of and liked the attention.
We spent the remainder of Friday relaxing on the beach and by the pool and had some good Tom Yum soup for dinner. We also checked out the Sheraton hotel where I met another baby elephant. She was a bit older and more forward. The trainer told her to give me a kiss and she wrapper her little trunk around my head and literally give me a kiss on the mouth with the end of her trunk! Haa haa! She gave Adam one too. Wish we would have had our camera then.
The hotel beach, Bangtao, had a good number of people on it but I hear that it is much less crowded that the very popular Patong beach just a few miles away. Adam wanted to explore outside the resort a bit more, but I was hesitant to go at night. After seeing town area again in daylight, I wish we would have taken more time to explore. The local life reminded me of a more developed version of the part of India that I saw mixed with the trashy beach areas of Florida, but there were some good parts of town to explore.
Saturday we signed up for a boat tour and snorkeling around Phi Phi Island (pronounced pee pee). Snorkeling is amazing. It was my first time and I loved every second. After about an hour ride by speed boat, we stopped in an area that was enclosed by the towering jagged rock islands. Even with other boats around it was very peaceful. We then went to the beach where they filmed The Beach with Leonardo DiCaprio, but it wasn't very exciting as it was overrun by tourists.
The hotel beach, Bangtao, had a good number of people on it but I hear that it is much less crowded that the very popular Patong beach just a few miles away. Adam wanted to explore outside the resort a bit more, but I was hesitant to go at night. After seeing town area again in daylight, I wish we would have taken more time to explore. The local life reminded me of a more developed version of the part of India that I saw mixed with the trashy beach areas of Florida, but there were some good parts of town to explore.
Saturday we signed up for a boat tour and snorkeling around Phi Phi Island (pronounced pee pee). Snorkeling is amazing. It was my first time and I loved every second. After about an hour ride by speed boat, we stopped in an area that was enclosed by the towering jagged rock islands. Even with other boats around it was very peaceful. We then went to the beach where they filmed The Beach with Leonardo DiCaprio, but it wasn't very exciting as it was overrun by tourists.
Our next stop was Monkey Island, as you can guess there were monkeys on shore, but this was also our first chance to snorkel. This was defiantly one of those times when I thought, I'm going to tell myself, I'm not scared and just go for it. I'm convinced that I saw Jaws at too young of an age as I cannot remember a time that I wasn't terrified of a shark sneaking up on me. I even regularly checked for them in pools as a kid, so swimming in the big ocean was a bit nerve racking for me. I strapped on the life vest and was ready to go, but let a few others jump in first, just in case any hungry creatures lurked nearby ;P Adam held my hand and as we swam around and I began to relax.
After about 20 minutes it was time to head to another island for lunch, hey I was just starting to get the hang of this snorkeling thing and it's time to go? But Bamboo Island, where we were given picnic lunches and plenty of time to relax, was probably the most beautiful beach I've ever visited. We swam in the surf a bit and just enjoyed the scenery. Lines that marked the evacuation route in case of a tsunami were a harsh reminder of what people in this region had been through just a short time ago. I couldn't help but think, was it a gorgeous, perfect day like this only a few minutes before the tsunami hit?
Our final destination was one of the best experiences of my life. We stopped in the middle of the ocean, with just a few other boats around, where the water was crystal clear and the coral reef was amazing. Sharks were really on my mind here, but I ditched the life jackets and let the water rock me into a blissfully relaxing state. The scenery was so breathtaking and I felt so weightless in the cool sea water. Colorful tropical fish swam all around and I even dove down a bit to take a closer look. We were very lucky that the weather was cooperating as we would have missed out on the part of the tour had the water been too choppy. (More Pictures)
I can't wait to go back to Thailand again.
Next stop: Illinois!! Where the harsh winter weather is going to kick our little tropical butts. But I can't wait for the warm hugs from the people we love most.
Our final destination was one of the best experiences of my life. We stopped in the middle of the ocean, with just a few other boats around, where the water was crystal clear and the coral reef was amazing. Sharks were really on my mind here, but I ditched the life jackets and let the water rock me into a blissfully relaxing state. The scenery was so breathtaking and I felt so weightless in the cool sea water. Colorful tropical fish swam all around and I even dove down a bit to take a closer look. We were very lucky that the weather was cooperating as we would have missed out on the part of the tour had the water been too choppy. (More Pictures)
I can't wait to go back to Thailand again.
Next stop: Illinois!! Where the harsh winter weather is going to kick our little tropical butts. But I can't wait for the warm hugs from the people we love most.
