Favorite Vacation Spot - Phuket, Thailand
In September 2005 we fly to Hong Kong (from Beijing where we were living ) for a long weekend and went to Hong Kong Disney with the children. It was a wonderful time and we hope to go back someday. The children visited and dined with Mickey and Minnie Mouse, Goofy and Pluto, Chip and Dale, Buzz Lightyear, Sleeping Beauty, Mulan, Winnie the Pooh and Tigger too!
We stayed at The Peninsula in Hong Kong after our stay at Disney and had high tea. What a joyful experience!! We did not get to see much of Hong Kong as the city was in the middle of a monsoon! We flew back to Beijing for one day and repacked for our two-week trip to Phuket, Thailand.
Phuket, Thailand
Sheraton Grande Laguna
One of our life experiences, for sure. Thailand is beautiful and the people are amazing. We had the best vacation of our lives thus far. We stayed at the Sheraton Grande Laguna in a Private Pool Villa. The villa was located along the lush fairways of the Laguna Phuket Golf Course, the two-story three-bedroom villa had spacious living area enhanced by a private garden terrace with Thai sala and swimming pool. Complimentary butter croissants were delivered to the villa in the morning and a complimentary full a la carte breakfast at Puccini Restaurant or full buffet at Birds of Paradise Restaurant or via room service was offered everyday. Each evening a Thai dessert was delivered (we did not care for these too much).
The children thrived in the sun there and made a new friend with a baby elephant, Ning Nong, which was in residence at the hotel. My daughter rode Ning Nong every morning and absolutely would refuse to come down from her. She loved Ning Nong and by the end of the vacation had taken to calling her "My Ning Nong".
We hung out at the beach in the morning then came back to the Villa pool and visited other pools, then lunch and my daughter to bed, then more pool, then beach, swim and dinner. Every day the same except when we went elephant trekking and sailboating to James Bond Island.
They put little cards on your pillow telling you that each day of the week has a special color in Thai lore. Loved it. The service is incredible.
Everyone was so happy there (especially my husband) and so smiley; nothing was too much trouble. Swimming, swimming, swimming at our villa pool(we had a pool with our villa-our very own)
Walking on beach. Swimming in all the pools available throughout the Sheraton. At the beach looking for shells, chasing the waves. Eating, room service and we even had a private chef cook for us on our last evening – absolute heaven!
We bought our son a squirt gun and he had a ball. Our daughter would float around all the pools. We went to the "sand pool" where they have water volleyball and kids could play in sand on the "shore" of the pool.
We also went to Canal Village on the little barge-like lagoon boats that come and go every 20 minutes. We had delicious coffee and ice cream galore and a wonderful spicy Thai dinner twice. I was able to purchase a gorgeous pair of wooden, hand panted sandals for myself and my daughter(she still tries to wear them).
By the Grande Villas, there is a little private area that is for the guests of the villas. It is right next to a little Puccini restaurant and every afternoon they bring out complimentary plates of fresh fruit and you can serve yourself iced tea, iced lemongrass water or fresh water. Every evening they serve complimentary hot hors d'oeuvres and tropical drinks ( you almost didn't need to eat dinner).
We went to another resort in the Laguna Beach area – the Laguna area has 5 resorts {Allamanda Laguna, Dusit Laguna Resort, Banyan Tree, Laguna Beach Resort, and Laguna Phuket Golf Club}. Laguna Beach Resort had a waterpark and waterslides, so the kids had a ball, we spent the day there.
One evening we went into town to see the Chinese New Year Festival! So much food, fun and people! Much, too much for the children. We purchased two carved elephants to remind us of the baby elephant for the children and a Thai xylophone.
This was a very happy place to vacation . . . peaceful and serene . . . I don't like to vacation to the same location, EVER. But, here, I would happily return! My third child was conceived in Thailand . . . perhaps we need to return if I ever have a chance of getting pregnant again! Thailand was one of our life experiences, for sure. We had the best vacation of our lives thus far. (but I do have more countries to visit and reserve the right to change my mind)