"Tell me when we get there, Papa!" Phuket was a long awaited holiday for the family. Mind you, the destination changed a great deal of time as we contemplated on the best place to bring Josh and making sure he enjoys it. Kerala, India was top of our list but sanitation and the nature of the adventure we planned was not quite suitable for a 3 year old. An executive decision was made by yours truly to check out a resort I first stumbled upon several years back in Phuket. The Chedi. 
It's a boutique hotel suitable for young couples with some level of fitness, as the whole hotel hugs a hill and that translates to hundreds of steps to get to and fro the beach. Nevertheless, during the first evening there, we were greeted by the most beautiful sunset during our stay there. Nice welcome, Phuket!
We managed to get a few hours of fun on the beach after checking in, which for Josh was the only thing he was looking forward to. There are other things to do in Phuket and we didn't want Josh to associate this holiday with just the beach. 
What's a visit to a paradise island without island hopping on the agenda? There was a choice of Phi Phi Island and Phang Nga Bay speedboat tours. We opted for the latter and turned out a better choice as the sea was calmer on this side of Phuket. The sea was choppy to Phi Phi. 
Nice hat, Zizzster! The tour included a stopover at the famous James Bond Island featured in The Man with the Golden Gun edition. It was an ordinary enough island with not much beach to shout about. To see the island, a short hike is necessary. Sad to say, the result of carrying a toddler over steep rocks was not rewarded by an awe inspiring sight. It was just a big rock in the water. Hence I'm not posting it here.
Of course, safety is of concern when you are bouncing on open waters at considerable speed with 400 breaking horespower strapped at the back of the boat. The tour operator even had a life jacket for Josh. They are very organized up there in Thailand. Wherever we went in Thailand, Josh was given preferential treatment. Our tour guide took extra care of him as he reminded him of his own son. At the hotel, all the girls, be it waitresses or the front desk staff would play with him and give him sweets. Josh being the stud he is would act nonchalantly.
The final stop of the boat ride was on an island with beaches on either side. It was basically a long sand bank with a cafe. Here Josh was feeding the fish a banana. He really looked the beach boy that I wanted to be.
And again, another day at the beach was spent with me burying my son up to his waist. "Papa, this is for a little while only, right?" Afraid we might leave him on the beach like that. Our visit to Phantasea was not documented as there was no photography allowed in the main theatre. The main attraction was a good stage show with all the elephants and domesticated animals of Thailand doing a stunt or another. The story was of Thailand's famous lore involving a magical elephant. You also have a chance to take pictures with tiger cubs at the entrance for a fee, which I thought was a bit inhumane as the cubs were passed from one tourist to another at lightning speed.
To cap the visit, we had to take an elephant ride. It was called a mini eco tour which started with a hike to see a waterfall (boring!), stopped at a gibbon sacntuary (double bore!! especially when we weren't allowed to see them up close) and an elephant safari through a river and rubber plantation. In this last picture, Josh was actually riding on top of the elephant's head. The trainer hopped off his elephant and took this picture. I was quite shocked as I don't remember my license to include elephants as vehicles I am allowed to drive. Luckily Josh was able to steer the elephant without any incident. There was also a buffalo cart ride which was as exciting as riding in a err.... buffalo cart.All in all the family had a great time with Josh always talking about Phuket and when he could go again. It's hard to explain that a holiday is not an every weekend thing to do, that we need money, that we need to take leave... "But papa, I have money!" Pointing to the piggy bank we have at home.
