Phuket: The Land of A Thousand Smiles and An Amazing Beach Front

It is impossible not to love Phuket!

I had my first trip to Phuket in 2000. It was not as polished as it is today, but it blew me away with its natural beauty, incredible view of the endless ocean and orgasmic Thai cuisine. It also happened to be my honeymoon destination, so the place really brings together tons of blissful memories.

Things to do for Fun in Phuket with Kids

Our Choice of Accommodation in Phuket

A staple for us whenever we are in Phuket. Because who would mind having a swimming pool right outside your living room!

The Bell Phuket has always been my go-to place to stay for the night. Besides the awesome concierge service that seems to be able to pull any rabbits out of their hat, every room comes with an Apple TV that is sure to guarantee your in-room entertainment throughout your holiday.

That was also a blessing for us when the sky poured down heavily one afternoon. The kids were happily entertained by all the available movies on iTunes!

Another highlight was the meal service! Every meal would be delivered to your villa, and if you prefer, you could even choose to do barbecue at night. An experienced chef will do all the cooking for you while you enjoy the night away.

Day 1 – Trickeye Museum

Singapore does have its own Trickeye Museum, but our first visit to such a museum was in Phuket. We had to head to Phuket Town, but it was well worth the journey.

Kylie and Kyan having tea

The place is pretty huge and is definitely a place to have lots of laughter with your loved ones, especially with so many different exhibits that are just screaming out for your attention!

You can choose to be cooked in soup…

Or have your head chopped out.

Rest assured, no one in the photos was injured! We took plenty of funny photos, and we occasionally dig them out to reminisce the great holiday that we had.

Day 2 – Upside down house

As the name implies, it is a typical house with all the different parts of a house — bathroom, living room, bedroom, etc. — except that everything is upside down!

The place is owned by a German, and there were so many screws and glue to hold the furniture and accessories in place to defy gravity. Too bad, that although this is such a unique spot in Phuket, photography isn’t allowed. Hence, you won’t be able to get those Insta-worthy family shots, and I only have this one shot from outside.

My family found the place fascinating, and the kids were really amused to see every single item in an upside down environment. We had a lot of fun looking at the different furniture from a different perspective!

Day 3 – Patong Beach

This is one of the most famous beaches in Phuket, and surely, it didn’t disappoint. With shoreline stretching from end to end, the beach is filled with bustling activities, lazy tourists, and sea sports adventurers.

Although I had kids in tow, I managed to have some fun! As the kids were entertained and occupied, I put on the vest and got pulled into the sky by a speedboat to get a literal bird’s eye view of the beach. It was so amazing!

Eventually, we got hungry and decided to hope over to the other side of the road that was lined with Thai restaurants. Nothing beats downing a fresh coconut juice under the hot Phuket sun!

Tips on travelling with young kids

Some wise person once shared with me that going for a holiday with kids isn’t a holiday; it is just a different place to take care of them.

And it is hard to disagree.

With the kids beside us 24/7 over the holiday, we need to be well-prepared to make the travelling as enjoyable as possible. Given a number of family trips the two of us have taken with between two to four kids, there are things we have learned over time to pay attention to.

Have ammo on hand

And by ammo, I mean things to keep the kids entertained. It could be snacks, toys or books.

My personal preference is drawing blocks with colour pencils. It is compact, easy to deal with and when you are done, just tear out the page and move on. Trust me, it’s better than having them glued to the iPhone or iPad all the time!

A big backpack

Kids constantly prove the existence of Murphy’s law — anything that can go wrong will go wrong. Talk about chocolate gets onto the shirt, burst diapers, a cut on the knee…

And that means you always need to have your contingency items on your hands.

During our first few family holiday trips, we tended to travel light. But because of unforeseen circumstances, we ended up going to the store or pharmacy to buy things we actually had at home.

Now, I always travel with a big backpack and throw everything in, including the kitchen sink. If you get an ergonomic one, the load spread is still good and won’t really weigh you down.

Enforce nap time

For us, we make sure our kids take the daily nap, and you should apply this too! That helps to give us down time when we need some rest or some time alone to enjoy ourselves. The wife and I could sneak out to the resort’s spa for a good two hours to get a good rub and feel completely recharged to continue the next part of the day.

Our kids also sleep pretty early, and that allows us to leave the room for supper at night. Although it is not easy to train them to sleep, it’s a good habit that you should start as early as possible.

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Best time to visit Phuket

With a tropical monsoonal climate, Phuket is in a temperate zone, when the weather is mild and sunny for most part of the year. The hottest months are from April-May and September-October, with September-October being the wettest months due to the southwest monsoon.[/tab]

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[button style=’blue’ url=’https://www.expedia.com.sg/Phuket-Hotels.d6046393.Travel-Guide-Hotels’ icon=’entypo-suitcase’ fullwidth=’true’] Find Hotels in Phuket[/button][/tab]

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Flight time from Singapore to Phuket takes approximately 1.5 to 3 hours, depending the number of stopovers. Check out the latest flight prices here. [/tab]

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Visa Requirements

Singapore nationals visiting Phuket for a period of up to 30 days do not require a visa. [/tab]

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