Catching Up...Weekend in Phuket Day 1

We are far behind on our blogging, so we hope to catch up over the next few days.  Nearly two weeks ago, we were finally able to take advantage of two "public holidays" and get away for a 4 day weekend to Phuket, Thailand.  We originally had no intention to visit Phuket since, coming from Florida, we have been spoiled by some of the most beautiful beaches in the world.  We had also heard about the wild party atmosphere in Patong and didn't think that was what we were looking for.  So, we started out planning to visit Krabi instead (last summer's trip fell victim to Chris' accident).   Unfortunately, flights were difficult to find on the dates we wanted and were a little more than we wanted to pay.  So, we consulted the trusty travel guide and some friends and decided on Phuket instead.  The direct flight from Penang to Phuket was the clincher- no transfer in KL to deal with - and the price was great!  So off we went in our Aerospatiale twin prop for the short flight...

We stayed at Hat Mai Khao on the northern coast of the island, away from the more popular Patong and Kata Beach areas.  The resort was right on the beach and we had it nearly all to ourselves.

The resort was beautiful and we enjoyed swimming and relaxing by the pool; the restaurants and the spa were fantastic (Rox finally indulged and had a facial and foot massage; Chris had a full body massage to loosen up some of his sore muscles from his renewed training).  But, the highlight of the trip by far was the elephant trekking and the canoeing in the Thai jungle.  We had some initial reservations about the elephant trekking - after all, we've always read that it's not fair to keep these beautiful animals in captivity, even when well cared for.  But, we decided that it was an experience we did not want to miss.  We did agree that if there were any signs of mistreatment, we would get out of there fast!  Fortunately, the company we selected was top notch - picked us up on time, stopped for coffee and restroom break on the way (1 1/2 hour drive to the camp) and provided a very enthusiastic young Thai lady as our guide.  "Oo Oo" was great - good English and bursting with enthusiasm.  She made the long ride fun and educational.  We were very pleased with the conditions we found at the camp.  The facilities were clean, the trainers (or "mahoots") live with their elephants in small bamboo structures within a large enclosure, which was much cleaner than we expected.  So here we are about to head off on our trek:

We headed into the jungle along a wide path, but we were very impressed by the way the mahoot allowed the elephants to wander a bit.  They grazed and pulled up vines and small plants to snack on as they went and as long as they stayed near the general path, there was no pulling or shouting.  It was actually quite a partnership to witness and we thoroughly enjoyed our 45 minute trek.  What a beautiful jungle unspoiled by man!

After returning to the camp, we were treated to a delicious Thai buffet and  then walked a short distance down to the river where we met our river guide.  It felt great to be out on the water, looking up at the gorgeous limestone cliffs and hearing the hoots and shouts of a troop of gibbons (monkeys) in the distance.  It was a little unreal and though we were sweaty and tired, it ended too quickly...

We made a short stop back at the camp for cold drinks, frozen chocolate bars and another restroom break before heading back to the hotel.  The whole vanload of visitors was asleep within moments.  Nothing like a nice car nap after a day full of outdoor adventures in the Thai heat.  We thoroughly enjoyed our day and were sad to see it end.  If you ever get the chance to do this, we highly recommend it!

Will share day 2 tomorrow...