Girly heaven James Bond-style
Why isn’t Thailand a popular destination for Irish families? This beautiful country has been tarnished by the barrage of western men who descend upon the country as sex tourists. So, I set off to investigate with my lifelong friend Catherine, her daughter Alice and my daughter Nicole, to see what Thailand can offer us girls. The first thing we find is that if you don’t go looking for the unsavoury side of Thai tourism, you won’t find it.
A blanket of warm air envelops us as we exit out taxi at The Cape Panwa Hotel and Spa in Phuket where the receptionist distributes cold hand towels and a refreshing juice drink. Thailand has two seasons, hot and hotter, an almost perfect climate.
Overlooking the private beach and tropical palm trees, our huge rooms are a hit with our daughters who can’t wait to try the Jacuzzi bath on the veranda. The hotel boasts an infinity pool down by the private beach and another pool with cabanas and comfortable padded loungers for sunbathers.
Dinner in one of the hotel restaurants has five star service but the bill comes to just €30 for the four of us. Thai food is spectacular and you can eat very well for less than €5 per day if you dine at one of the many street stalls, a bonus when feeding a hungry teen and tween.
Next day the John Gray Sea Kayak Excursion involves taking a traditional boat to explore the caves of the Ko Hongs. Brought to the world’s attention by James Bond in the Man With The Golden Gun, these tiny rocky islands sprout out of the crystal blue waters of Phang nga Bay and hold a host of treasures within.
Our guide, Up sypaddles our canoe through caves covered in stalagmites and home to hundreds of fruit bats. This is not for the claustrophobic because it is a tight squeeze through the caves to get to the centre of the Hong where there’s an oasis of calm and tranquillity in a fragile mangrove eco system where the girls excitedly spot monkeys and fish.
As darkness descends we take our final excursion through the caves where thousands of tiny lights from bioluminescent plankton light up the caves, like fireflies in the water. It’s a transcendental experience and one we will never forget sharing with our daughters.
In a girly heaven massage and beauty salon next day a coconut oil massage that lasts well over an hour costs a little over €12. A pedicure is only €10 and a manicure even less and there are no age restrictions so our daughters get the full benefit of our spa day. Catherine is hooked and sneaks off for another quick massage after dinner.
Cape Panwa is the perfect resort for families with a great choice of restaurants and stalls selling trinkets along the beach front but Thailand is a big country and we have another island to explore. So, next day we share a speedboat transfer to Koh Yao Noi in Phang nga Bay with a Danish family who tell us this is their second time going to the same resort. Scandinavian, French and German families seem to have earmarked the most desirable unspoilt islands to visit and it makes me wonder why the Irish haven’t done so.
Built into the mountainside, the rooms are luxurious eco dwellings. We eat our dinner with sand tickling our toes at the beachfront restaurant. Batik Paradise islands, fabulous food and value, families will love Thailand, says
Michelle Jackson painting is our first call after breakfast and for only €2.50 each our patient teacher helps us make a silk masterpiece we can bring home as a memento.
Only 8km long, Koh Yao Noi is easily explored in half a day and we hire a taxi for less than €40. The girls are agog at the tiny pots of white goo hanging from the rubber trees and get snaphappy at seeing fishermen’s houses built on stilts to accommodate the rising tide.
After a complimentary yoga class we are entertained over dinner on the beach by some traditional dancers and a Thai Boxing routine. We really don’t want to leave this paradise.
But it’s on to Bangkok where our two-bed apartment at the Cape House is family-friendly with a rooftop pool. We enjoy fabulous seafood, cocktails (mocktails for the girls) on a restored antique rice boat, the Loy Nava Cruiser, on the Chao Phraya River.
The must-see sites include The Grand Palace, home to the Royal Family... unlike its neighbours, Thailand, meaning Free Land, was never colonised. We get to see the Emerald Buddha and at the Wat Pho Temple we see the country’s largest reclining Buddha. The elaborate and ornate temples are unlike anything the girls have seen before.
Our next adventure makes us feel like we’re in a Bond movie as we speed along the city’s Khlongs (canals) on a long tail boat. Our guide encourages the girls to throw bread into the water where scores of huge carp jump up to eat it. We don’t have time to see the floating markets but we have to leave something for next time. We finish the day shopping in Chinatown where the MBK department store is a must for shopaholics. Thailand shouldn’t just be a bucket list destination. Although the outlay on flights is high, families can get great value in top class hotels and food and make massive savings on pedicures and massages!