Haslemere Travel’s Managing Director, Gemma, took her family to Thailand, to discover the wonders of the Orient. Here, we find out more from our MINI BLOGGER, Gemma’s daughter Aurelia, why this destination is perfect for families.
HT: Hi Aurelia, we understand you went with your family to Thailand. Can you tell us how you got there?
AA: We flew from London Heathrow directly to Bangkok, with EVA Air, which took about 12 hours. The aeroplane was very large and so were the seats and I had lots of movies to choose from. EVA Air even have some Hello Kitty themed aeroplanes, but ours was just normal and green. The taxi’s at the airport in Bangkok are pink!
HT: At what time of year did you go to Thailand? And was the weather good?
AA: We went in April and it’s was lovely and hot.
HT: So where did you go in Thailand?
AA: First of all we went to Bangkok and stayed at The Mandarin Oriental Hotel, which is right on the river. The hotel is on both sides of the river and it was very exciting taking the boat from one side to the other, which we did quite a lot as Daddy went to the gym on the other-side and Mummy went to the spa.
There was also a lovely Thai restaurant where I saw my first Thai dancers, who were so beautiful. I took my teddy ‘Fi-Fi’ to dinner and the man even gave her a chair!
They also had kiddie size bathrobes in the room, which I liked.
HT: Did the hotel have a kids club?
AA: No, its not that sort of hotel and we didn’t have time for kids club, as we were exploring the city on a tuk-tuk, which was so much fun. There is a small pool at the hotel and I made friends with a girl called Freya who was also from England.
HT: So where did you go in Bangkok?
AA: Everywhere! We went to markets, shops, the tailors to have clothes made for Mummy & Daddy – that wasn’t much fun, but the man gave me orange Fanta in a glass bottle. We went to see gold Buddha’s and temples too, but the best bit was riding in the tuk-tuk.
HT: That sounds like lots of fun, did you go anywhere else in Thailand?
AA: Yes, we took a small aeroplane to Koh Samui, which is a little island about an hour away. It was very funny when we landed because the airport was like a garden shed.
HT: Where did you stay in Koh Samui?
AA: We stayed at three hotels on different parts of the island. The first was the Intercontinental Baan Taling Ngam in the West.
It was on a hill with a really nice beach and pool next to it. They also had a kids club ‘Planet Trekkers’ which I really enjoyed.
To get from our room you had to walk through some jungle and on a wobbly bridge.
I watched the sunset with Mummy & Daddy, which was a very pretty orange colour and went kayaking in a small red boat.
HT: So tell us about the second hotel?
AA: This hotel, The Napasai was at the North. I liked this one the most as our room had its own private pool that no one else could use. When we stayed here is was Thai New Year (Songkran), so there was a Buddhist Monk ceremony at the hotel and lots of water gun fights, as this is tradition. We bought a water gun from the local market so we could join in.
The beach was really clear and there was a special area for swimming in the sea that the hotel had made. I collected lots and lots of shells and even found a crab on the beach. At dinner one night my chicken and rice came served in half a pineapple, which was very funny.
HT: What about the last hotel?
AA: We stayed at The Renaissance in the East where my Aunty got married on the beach and I was a bridesmaid.
This hotel has a lovely pool right next to the beach with fountains and sun beds in the pool. They didn’t have a kids club, but there were lots of children’s toys to play with in the pool. I really enjoyed the breakfast here, as there were so many types of juice to choose from.
HT: So did you explore Koh Samui?
AA: Yes, we went out to some local towns and villages and walked around the markets, which I loved, as there were lots of pretty things to buy. We also visited some waterfalls, which I wanted to climb, but they were very steep.
We went to see some botanical gardens that were very pretty, as the colours were so bright and we went on an elephant ride, which was amazing. I even got to feed the elephant who was called Nina, with banana’s afterwards. Riding an elephant is more comfortable than riding a camel, which I have done in Egypt.
HT: Wow, sounds like a very busy and exciting trip. What was the best bit?
AA: Squirting the water pistols at Songkran, seeing the Thai dancers, riding on Nina the elephant, the lovely Thai people at the hotels who were very kind to me and all the orchids that they gave me every day to wear. I also loved the fireworks at New Year and making a wish on a lantern and letting it float into the sky. The worst part was having to come home.
HT: Thank you Aurelia, I can’t wait to visit Thailand now!
For more information about holidays to Thailand or family holidays to any destination, please pop into the office or call us on 01428 658 777