We took a family vacation to Thailand when the kids were 4, 2, and 1 years old. We had an idea our time on that side of the world was winding down so we wanted to make sure we got in visiting another country before we left the Middle East. If you haven't read about part 1 of our trip, check it out here.... or if you just don't remember reading about it go check it out!
This post will be all about our excursions and exploring Thailand.
I mentioned in the previous post that we were staying at the same resort as several other families from Saudi so we chose to go on a few excursions together to make them a little more "private".
Our first outing was to explore the Phi Phi Islands. These are well known islands in Phuket. We took boat rides to each spot. We kept Brooklyn in her carrier for the ride and she ended up falling asleep. Miles on the other hand had to be watched like a hawk due to his enthusiasm to hang over the boat!
At each stop, we could get off the boat by walking through the water, hence us needing all the help and extra hands, and would climb to different spots around. We toured the islands by foot and saw huge trees and beautiful scenery.
We were all able to swim in the water and jump off the boats. The kids were all about jumping off the boats and the water was crystal blue/green.
One of the stops was at monkey island. We did not get off the boat, but were able to get close enough to throw bananas at the monkeys and feed them some lunch! They entertained the kids with every catch, movement, dance, jump, etc. Totally worth the 15 minute stop.
We were able to get out and snorkel around the area which was half entertaining half there's nothing down there to see, but hey, you're snorkeling in Thailand waters.
Our last stop was at Rang Yai Island where were were able to get off the boat, relax, and play on the beach. The kids loved the freedom. Miles and Gavin took off with the kids exploring the sand and water while Brooklyn took a little nap before enjoying the beach front. It was beautiful! Even the men goofed off a little bit.
One day we hired a private driver for the day and went on an Elephant Trek. I had no idea what to expect, but it exceeded any expectations and was an AMAZING experience. Our driver got lost, which made us late for our excursion, but thankfully they were waiting for us and we made it just in time for the beginning of the Elephant Show. We got to watch two elephants kick a soccer ball around, they painted on canvas, played music with a few instruments.... VERYentertaining!! After their show we had the opportunity to feed them bananas. During this trip, Miles was 2yo and Brooklyn was 1yo and we weren't sure if they would willingly feed them, but they did and LOVED it! They couldn't hand those elephants bananas fast enough! It was fun to watch them squeal every time the banana disappeared.
When we finished feeding them, it was time to learn specifics about various elephants, how they act, what they eat, etc. We basically got a lesson on elephants. In our minds we just couldn't wait for our turn to get on an elephant! Eventually, a group of elephants came strolling in and we waited our turn to climb on. Brooks and Gavin rode an elephant together, called "Teno"- I think it meant watermelon, and I had the two little ones. It was pretty awesome riding on the back of an elephant. The views were spectacular through the jungle. It took a little while to get use to sliding from side to side as the elephant moved around, but after a while you quit feeling like you were about to fall off! Overall, soooo glad we didn't let having little kids keep us from doing this and for sure is something we will remember FOREVER!
The next part of our day was at the Big Buddha statue. They were doing major renovations to this area, but it was still feasible for tourists to tour. We went to the Big Buddha because we wanted to see the temple and get an idea of their culture. This is one of many Big Buddha temples found in Asia. When we arrived we found that it is considered a religious area and women were asked to cover up in certain ways... shawls were given out to use as skirt wraps or to cover shoulders up. We saw animal sacrifices EVERYWHERE inside smaller temples that were scattered throughout the area. Coins were all over the place being dropped for public donations to help with the building renovations. Inside there were countless resources of their religion, way of life, acts, and more. You even had the opportunity to be blessed by a monk--- we walked passed that area and didn't participate. The rest of our tour had some incredible statues and we watched some talented men carve very descriptive drawings into wood. Overall, we were glad we went and saw the temple and got an idea of the Thai culture. 
Next up, we needed lunch! We were tired, exhausted, and starving!! We headed into Patong and found a Hard Rock Cafe, plopped down, ordered tons of food, and stuffed our faces! We were pretty delirious, too and just goofed off. After lunch, we went shopping the streets and did some major bardering for deals and left pretty happy. Eventually it stormed and the kids were done.. not to mention, Brooks and I had been wearing kids in backpack carriers ALL day and we were done! What a fun, filled day!
Our last big outing was with our Saudi friends, again, and I'm soooo thankful we had all of them to experience this with. Not to mention all their kids around helped keep our kids entertained and their mommy's and daddy's were HUGE helps to us wrangling 3 kids on the boat! The weather wasn't great and rained off and on throughout the day, but that didn't stop us from feeling hot and muggy! The kids didn't seem to mind as long as they weren't wet, so we stayed below deck most of the boat ride.
Today our trip was to Khao Phing Kan then Phang Nga Bayotherwise known as "James Bond Island". This island was featured in the 1971 James Bond "The Man with the Golden Arm", thus making it a popular tourist site. This is now the 2nd James Bond place we have encountered on one of our trips and yet I don't even know Brooks and I have seen either movie.
We took a boat ride to several areas where we could check out the scenery. At one location we got out and rode kayaks through the caves, which was amazing. There were cliffs everywhere, limestones, and breathtaking views. The kids enjoyed the kayaks and so did I since we had our own "driver" and didn't have to do any of the work.
Miles totally fell asleep during our kayak ride. In order to get through the caves you would have to lay down and there were even locations where the cliffs were so low, they would brush across your body while you were laying down. But it was AMAZING!!
Brooklyn LOVED the freedom of playing in the water and finally being out of the carrier. We brought our kids life vests but found it was easier for them to function on the long boat rides wearing their floaties, however Brooklyn was so little she couldn't wear her vests AND be strapped into the carrier, so she stayed in the carrier onto Brooks. At some point, she started crying and wouldn't stop so he undid her and this is what she did the whole time. Keep in mind she was 15 months old and LOVED playing in the water.
Our group!!
After kayaking the area we were sent to a drop off where we could explore the actual island. The kids hiked up a few areas and were fearless.
At some point, we noticed a few foreigners pick Miles up to take pictures with him and I don't think I've ever seen Brooks run so fast up a mountain to grab our child. We weren't that far behind them, but let the boys explore since all the other big kids were with them, but we felt like at that point we needed to intervene. Sadly, we are so use to other people wanting our kids that it wasn't anything new. Check out the guys face facing the camera-- looking at Brooks.
The moment we waited for-- not really.. but it was the photo op moment! James Bond Island.
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| from the movie |
For lunch we stopped on an exclusive island where people live, go to school, and stay away from the hustle and bustle of the mainland. This island, in my opinion, was awful. It was gross, the people lived in huts that were built above the water, on stilts, and broke my heart to see their living conditions. However, on the flip side of this community was a built up restaurant and shopping area where the tourists would go for lunch before finishing their tour. Hmmm.. Part of what we learned is this is an exclusive community, where you have to be a member of one of the original founding families to live there. They are all muslim and keep to themselves. However, they had NO problem using their children to come out and encourage us to
Afterwards, we were back on the boat and the kids got some play time. If you asked Miles back then what he loved he would say "jumpin off boat!"
Our last night we decided to head out just the 5 of us and take the kids to a show called Phuket Fantasea. It's a performance style show with flying dragons, fire spitting, animal performances, etc. The show and the grounds it was held on was HUGE and a Disney/carnival style experience. I'm not gonna lie.. there were parts of the show that we were covering the kids eyes because it was a little much for them to see, but the dancing elephants were AMAZING! The kids did an awesome job sitting through the show and not wanting to leave. It really did keep your attention and was worth going.
Overall, it was a great way to end our trip!
People often ask if we would go back to Thailand again, and if I'm being honest, probably not, but not because we didn't enjoy it or we didn't think it was good enough. We kinda have the attitude of we came, we saw, we conquered, and now move on. The memories we made their were AMAZING! Our kids can always say they rode an elephant or we can say we've been to James Bond Island.. LOVE the memories and it was a great, great trip!! Next time, we would just want to experience a new place in Asia.
ลา ... จนกว่าเราจะพบกันอีกครั้ง
(Goodbye, until we meet again)
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