Sun, sand, sea - chilling at Patong Beach

Our cruise took us to two ports of call - KL and Phuket. We didn't get off at KL because the ship docked at Port Klang which is very far from the city. Getting a cab to and from the port is not that easy and the alternative is to pay quite a hefty price for transport organised by Legend.

We opted not to do this and we chose to go offshore only at Phuket instead.

Disembarking at Phuket is very convenient as the ship is tendered a short distance from Patong Beach itself. You take a small boat which brings you directly to the beach in about 10 minutes.

There are many shops in the streets and alleys directly behind Patong Beach and we went to take a look but we found that the area has degenerated into a tourist trap compared to a few years ago. The stall holders quote exorbitant prices for what are basically cheap apparel and accessories, and when you decide not to buy, they can become nasty and rude. No Thai hospitality here.

Here's my advice: you can find similar merchandise at Singapore pasar malams and shopping carts in heartland malls, and at better prices. Skip the shops at Patong Beach.

Back at the beach, you'll be assaulted by many touts trying to get you to part with your money on anything from deck chairs and coconut drinks to parasailing and taxis to elephant rides. Tip: if you want to take part in any of the sea sports, prices tend to go down as you walk further from the pier. Bargaining is imperative! 

Andre wanted to try jet-skiing and we negotiated for a half-hour ride on a two-seater for 13,000 THB (about S$50), with two deck chairs thrown in for good measure.

 Action man suiting up.

And off they went! The guide offered to go with Kenneth and Andre, and it turned out to be a good thing cos he knew how to make the jet-ski do fast turns and stuff.

While the boys were gone, Lesley-Anne went into photo mode while I lazed by the beach and people-watched.

The boys returned, invigorated. Apparently, Andre had gotten into the driver's seat and gunned the engine like there's no tomorrow. How did we raise a speed demon?  He loved it so much he wanted to go again.  Too bad, we'd run out of baht.

We headed back to the ship. Sun, sand, sea - that always makes for a great outing.

Fun in the sun

Day 3 (Tue, 1 Dec 2009)

Early in the morning, the ship arrived at Phuket. We'd decided to do a free-and-easy day at Patong Beach, accessible via a small ferry at the tendering deck.










It was bright and sunny - super weather for a day at the beach! The thing is, since we had also come to the beach two years ago, we didn't really take many pictures this time. So here are some pictures we took in 2007. We'd rented two deck chairs, same as this time around. The beach is simply beautiful.










In 2007, Lesley-Anne had gone para-sailing. It's quite an experience, rather like flying! We decided that Andre was still too young for it, so nothing quite as exhilarating this time.






Some pics taken on this trip. Can you believe how much my kids have grown?













We spent the whole morning at the beach, then headed back to the ship. When we got back to the cabin, we saw this on the bed:

Housekeeping had fashioned a bunny out of towels! What a lovely extra touch.

Lunch was at the Mediterranean. As usual, dessert was visually more exciting than the main courses.






We had the afternoon free, so headed to the activities centre for a game of carrom.


Then the kids got more water action at the pool and the slide. This time, Lesley-Anne joined in the fun.








Dinner was at Bella Vista once again. This was the gala dinner night so diners dressed up a little more and there were four courses instead of three. We were lucky to get the 6.45pm sitting, we were put on wait list but managed to get a place. Otherwise dinner would be 9pm, far too late for our eager tummies!

Smoked salmon rillettes (appetizer)

Baked fillet of halibut - really melt in your mouth quality

Seafood thermidor

Baked alaska (this seems to be their standard gala dinner dessert, we had this two years ago too)

Petit fours

In the main concourse, the cast of one of the shows was performing Christmas carols. Lovely addition to the festive atmosphere.

I should add that each night, there was a different show at the Lido theatre but since photography is not allowed, I haven't shared any photos. The show on this night featured a combination of Eastern European dancers and Chinese acrobats. A glitzy, sometimes verging on cheesy affair, but admittedly rather entertaining. Afterall, that's what cruising is about!