Exploring Phuket: Elephant Sanctuary

While exploring the area near our condo, we discovered a business nearby that sold various excursions and activities for tourists. We ended up befriending the business owner, Bau, who was very helpful in arranging activities for us. At the top of our list of tours was a visit to the nearby elephant sanctuary. Elephants are a big business in Thailand, and we learned a lot about how some of the businesses mistreat the animals. We made sure to visit one of the reputable places that strive to care for elephants that have been rescued from bad situations. It was an amazing sight as we drove up and saw these animals up close.

After an initial "meet and greet" with the elephants (haha) we joined a large group for an organized tour of the sanctuary. We were given the chance to make the elephant food mixture and then we all walked together to feed the elephants their lunch.

After feeding the elephants, the group was given the opportunity to bathe them in a huge mud pit. It was the highlight of the afternoon for several of the group members, but I'll be honest -- this didn't appeal to anyone in our family, ha! Collin, Kevin, and Kaitlynn braved the mud pit for a quick minute and then came right back out. I was personally surprised at so many of the larger group who had no problem getting all muddy and up close with the elephants in the pit. No, thank you. Ha!

The elephant sanctuary was a really neat experience for our family and one we won't soon forget. And being that the elephant is the national symbol of Thailand, it was the perfect excursion for us to see and experience in Phuket.

Exploring Phuket: Thai Food and Beach/Pool Fun

On the first morning in Phuket, Jeff and Kevin explored our condo area and discovered the hotels nearby where we could enjoy breakfast. After they found us a good spot to eat, we all set out for a morning walk to have some food and see the area. It was our first time seeing the pool and beach in person, and it sure did not disappoint. So pretty and peaceful!

We were able to get a good view of our condo resort and the surrounding area. Right past the resort were these fun rope swings along our walk to breakfast that Connor and Kaitlynn ended up enjoying all week.

The hotel where we ate breakfast was small but offered an American-style breakfast buffet along with Thai dishes as well. The cook-to-order omelettes were the big hit but we all enjoyed the Thai egg dish and daily pastries as well. We ended up eating breakfast there every day of our trip and got to know the hotel workers. Even by expensive hotel standards, our all-you-can-eat breakfast buffet was only about $50/day for all 6 of us. We always left with full bellies and big smiles.

Since it was our first full day in the area, we decided to hang around the condo, enjoy the beach/pool, and explore the nearby shops and stores. It was a relaxing and bonding day for the family. So many laughs as the kids challenged Jeff to a swim-off followed by countless shoulder pyramids and flips. They ALMOST managed to get all 4 kids in a pyramid. So close!

Maybe one of my favorite memories of the entire trip was our first Thai lunch on the beach, just a short walk from our condo. We just walked over, sat down facing the beach, and enjoyed authentic Thai dishes that were all delicious. Well, except for Kaitlynn...she stuck with chicken nuggets most of the trip, ha! I asked our waitress to take our picture and I just couldn't love it any more. Sunkissed faces and big smiles with our toes in the sand...the perfect first day as a family in Phuket followed by a drink on the balcony watching the beach sunset.

Exploring Phuket: Our Airbnb Condo

Most of my friends who recommended Phuket for our vacation had all stayed in luxury resorts in the area. Phuket is a popular tourist destination and there are many resorts that are perfect for families which are inexpensive by our standards. Unfortunately, by the time I booked our trip, most of the accommodations for our 6-person family were either crazy expensive or all booked up. After much debate, we ended up using Airbnb to find a beautiful 4-bedroom condo with direct beach access and onsite pool. I wasn't sure what to expect, but it turned out to the best decision for our trip. We had a ton of room to spread out with a spacious living and dining area, bedrooms and bathrooms for everyone, a kitchen with full size appliances for our snacks, and a spacious balcony to take in the gorgeous view of the beach, cove, and even the famous Big Buddha in the distance. Amazing!

The condo building was situated on the beach with 3 levels of homes. Our unit was on the top level -- easy for parking but with a steep set of stairs to the beach. We got a great workout in each day when we made our morning trek for breakfast at a nearby hotel.

All of the units in the resort shared a nice pool at the base of the complex, and from there it was a few steps down to the beach. Along the beach just a short walk away were some hotels, restaurants, storefronts, and even a beachfront massage area. We became very familiar with all of the nearby vendors and visited them often during our stay. There was even a 7-Eleven store with groceries and a cash machine. It was a neat experience to walk up and down the beach, stopping for a meal or a massage anytime.

By the time our trip was over, we were all in agreement that staying in the condo led us to a more authentic and unique vacation experience overall. I didn't know what to expect, but I honestly couldn't have imagined a better trip! Much more to come.

Next Stop: Phuket Thailand

It was only a short 1.5 hour flight from Singapore to Phuket, Thailand. We were all so excited for the week ahead and couldn't wait for the fun to begin. When we made it to the airport, we had a taxi waiting for us which turned out to be a mini-bus. The kids were thrilled to spread out and RELAX (inside family joke, haha)!

It was an interesting ride from the airport... So much to see and take in! We finally made it to our condo and met our Airbnb host, but we were in a rush to head out so we didn't stay long. We wanted to visit one of the night markets which was only open on weekends so this was our one chance. Our driver took us to the Chaofa Variety Weekend Market, and it turned out to be my favorite market of the week. We sat down outside, had our first of many amazing Thai meals, and then shopped well into the night. Collin and Kevin really got into the shopping, looking for fake Rolex watches or "Rolies" as they called them. And Connor had a funny encounter with one of the Thai shop owners who didn't appreciate his constant squeezing of the annoying, honking, rubber chicken. Her repeated phrase of "I tole you get OUT!" became one of our many family jokes for the rest of the week.

The market was super crowded late into the evening. We decided to take a break while we waited for our driver to return for us. We sat down at one of the restaurants and took in the surrounding chaos. It turned out to be a fun first night for us in Phuket and we couldn't wait to see what the rest of the week had in store.