I was convinced it was going to be the most tortuous day of my young life. I had a sneaking suspicion that my travelling companion (Miss Kirby) and I were destined to fall out after spending so long sitting next to each other in such confined conditions. Thankfully I was wrong.
I cannot recommend Thomsonfly's premium seating service highly enough – on a long haul flight like this, it was just what the doctor ordered. We got some lovely wide seats, loads of extra leg room, as many free drinks as we could swallow and a life saving personal DigEplayer packed with great films to while away the hours.
Three movies and two meals later, we arrived on sunny Phuket island. I won't lie – even with our lovely seats – we were ready to collapse. After spending a surreal hour on a bus travelling across the island to our hotel, we were finally able to adjust to our surroundings – by falling directly into bed. Exploring could wait!
We awoke bright and early the following morning to find we were staying in a beautiful hotel called Cape Panwa. We discovered that this was where all the fabulous people come to stay when they visit the island. Leo DiCaprio stayed here while filming 'The Beach', as did a whole host of other A-listers including Pierce Brosnan, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Elizabeth Taylor and members of the Thai Royal Family.
What to do
Although Phuket's beaches are gorgeous, there are loads of exciting things to do other than simply bake yourself to a crisp. If you are on a package holiday, your rep will be able to suggest some interesting excursions and activities – don't forget, they've tried and tested them all, so they can give you
a good review of what's worth checking out and what's not.
Some of the best diving in the world is to be had in the Andaman Sea. If you aren't brave enough to try a full on dive, then have a go at snorkelling. We had hours of fun leaping in and out of the sea on our boat trip to the Phi Phi islands. The tropical fish and corals were stunning – so make sure you take a waterproof camera to snap all the action.
If you enjoy getting sporty there are plenty of watery activities to keep you occupied, including sea canoeing, windsurfing and Catamaran sailing.
Another activity we can highly recommend is elephant trekking. Thousands of elephants live on Phuket island, left over from the days of tin mining and logging. When the mining stopped and logging was banned in the '80s, this left many elephants without a job and many died due to being mishandled. But now thanks to elephant conservation groups, captive elephants live out their lives happily working in the tourism industry by taking people like us on tranquil treks through the jungle, to look at the spectacular scenery.
A Thai massage is also a must during your stay. It's more of a body work out than a massage but incredibly invigorating. We decided to have ours in the open air next to the beach (bookable through the hotel) which was just bliss!
Lastly, you can't visit Phuket without exploring some of the islands Buddhist temples, the most exquisite of which is Wat Chalong, situated to the south east of Phuket Town. Full of beautiful murals and steeped in history, this is the most famous temple on the island. While you are there don't forget to get your fortune told, and make sure you take in the beautiful views of the surrounding area.
Shopping
If you are looking for fake designer goods (watches, handbags etc) then Patong is the place to go. Phuket town has a large shopping centre which offers the usual selection of stores, including some English brands like Boots (handy if you are in need of a trusty chemist or for stocking up on cheap beauty products). Also in Phuket town is Gem's Gallery – the world's biggest jewellery store, where you can take your pick from an enticing selection of necklaces, bracelets and rings encrusted with precious stones or some of Phuket's famous pearls.
Nightlife
Oh where to begin. The night life on Phuket is pretty interesting to say the least. Going to see a lady boy show regularly is pretty much the norm here, so expect enthusiasm aplenty at these kinds of events. We decided to check out the island's biggest show 'Simon Cabaret' in Patong – it was certainly a sight to behold. Some of the 'girls' really did look like girls, and some of them… really didn't. Expect lots of questionable lip synchronisation to well known hits, plenty of eye-catching costume changes, and some very creative sets.
Patong seems to be the most popular area of the island when it comes to night time activity. Think Blackpool times 100,000 and you're nearly there. The markets seem to run all through the night, so have a wander round and see if you can barter yourself a bargain or two. There are also plenty of bars (some with and some without lady boys) and cheesy discos to try out if that's your thing, but if you are looking for something a little more serene, avoid Patong at all costs.
Most of our evenings were spent trying out all the lovely restaurants around our resort and in the nearby village. I've been attempting to cook various Thai recipes for years, so it was great to finally taste the real thing. Once dinner was over our usual tactic was to drink cocktails until we felt ill and then go back to our lovely hotel room to watch a James Bond film (there was one on Thai TV every night).
Smiley, happy people
By the time our week in Phuket was drawing to a close, Miss Kirby and I, really didn't want to leave. We'd seen some breathtaking views, ridden an adorable elephant, got up close and personal with some monkeys, swum with the fishes, been bitten by the fishes, eaten some delectable dishes, saw lots of lady boys, watched more James Bond than we thought humanly possible, burnt our boobies, and met some of the smiliest, happiest people in the world.
'Khawp khun kha' to everyone who made our time on Phuket special – we had a lovely, lovely time!
Getting there
Return prices with Thomsonfly from London Gatwick to Phuket, staying at the wonderful Cape Panwa Hotel, start from £634pp for seven nights B&B. Premium seats are an extra £129pp. To book visit www.thomsonfly.com or call 0870 1900 737.
