Splash Phuket

Water pistol in hand, joins the festivities of Songkran with a stay at Outrigger Laguna Phuket Beach Resort.

Taking my first steps into Outrigger Laguna Phuket Beach Resort, I am greeted by a smiling choir of “good morning Ms Sam”, a cold towel, an iced tea and a wave of welcome air- conditioning. It’s April, the hottest time of the year in Thailand, and the warm weather has me kicking off my shoes immediately upon arrival and seeking out the resort pool with one-minded determination.

With a contented sigh, I dip my feet into the shallow waters, and am soon joined by flurries of children laughing and chatting animatedly as they race down the slides, splash into the pool and generally cause a good-natured ruckus. It’s impossible not to get caught up in the excitement, everyone teetering on the edges of full-blown mayhem in preparation for the fun and games about to be had. As I said, it’s April, which in Thailand means only one thing: Songkran.

Bring your water pistol

Marking the beginning of the solar calendar and the Thai New Year, the Songkran Festival is also commonly known as the ‘water festival’ and it isn’t hard to see why. Wander into the streets of Phuket or Bangkok over this three- day period and you are 100 per cent guaranteed to walk away dripping wet as the streets fill with locals armed with water pistols, hoses and buckets.

The water symbolises a Buddhist blessing and a washing away of sins and all-round bad vibes, and the Thai people, and the many travellers visiting (myself included), embrace this tradition with enthusiasm and panache. Although it’s a nation-wide event, I am told that Phuket is the place to be for all the action.

As soon as I wake up I join the celebrations in the resort downstairs with the other guests to give alms to the monks and partake in the water blessing ceremony. Afterwards, I watch in wonder as a drum parade weaves its way through the grounds, ending in gusto on the beachfront, where an array of fun and games await the little ones. The beach soon becomes an oceanfront battleground and after receiving my third watery squirt to the face I decide to join the frenzy: water pistol in hand, ducking, running and just as intoxicated as the kids around me with excitement.

Afterwards, I venture into the outside world. Children and adults alike roam the streets, ready to tip their buckets and fire their supersoakers of all shapes and sizes, and not even the local authorities are exempt from being in the aquatic line of fire. Tourists are