Phuket (Day 3, 19 Dec 2014)

We did some proper sightseeing today, I had booked a driver for 6 hours, whom I found on the internet and he seemed to have lots of positive reviews. His name was Mr Chai and he picked us up in one of those massive four wheel drives. Coincidentally he told us his office was just across the road from the hotel so I guess we were convenient for him.

First stop was Promthep Cape, the southern tip of Phuket. This is a famous spot to catch the sunset but I didn't want to drag the children here in the evening considering its distance to our hotel. The water blended with the sky far into the horizon and while it's a scenic spot, there isn't much else to see or do there except to snap a few pictures of the ocean and the rocky outcrop.

We were amused by the sight of some PRC tourists dressed in colourful Hawaiian shirts and sarongs. And also Korean ladies, or maybe they were Chinese, standing on some rocks and posing with their scarves above their heads, blowing in the wind. 

After Promthep Cape, we made our way to the Big Buddha statue which is still a work in progress. It's quite big, on the top of a hill and since I was wearing shorts, I had to use one of the free sarongs available to cover my legs. 

We asked Mr Chai for a recommendation on lunch and he brought us to a big restaurant called Kan Eang by the pier. Food was so-so, my tom yam was tasteless though I requested for less spicy...there was no spice at all. But the venue itself was pretty chilled and it was nice to be able to sit by the water, and the ponds, waterlilies and koi fish kept the girls entertained. 

After lunch, we went in search of an animal attraction only to discover it had closed down. So instead we drove past the Portuguese-influenced shophouses in Old Phuket Town, which felt like we were in Malacca or Joo Chiat. 

Decided to take refuge at the Central Festival Mall and I bought the mums tops from Jim Thompson and while Nick had tea with the girls, I did a quick recce around the mall, found the supermarket and loaded up on Thai spice mixes. Mr Chai sent us back to the hotel after that and the whole cost of the private tour set us back only about 1500 baht or about SGD$10 an hour. 

After dumping our purchases, we walked to Jungceylon, which is the main mall in Patong. Had dinner at Coca and watched the fountain show. Some breakdancing buskers showed off their moves, impressing the kids and we rounded up the day by taking a tuk tuk back. It was the girls' first ride and they were amazed at the vehicle's flashing neon lights! 

Phuket (Day 1 and 2, 17 & 18 Dec 2013)

We're here in sunny Phuket to spend some quality time with the girls and also to minimize having to do housework while Geraldine's on home leave! Poor Noah is back in Singapore while we say hello to the sun, sand and sea!

Home for the next few days is the Holiday Inn Resort Patong which is pretty kid friendly, especially since they have a kids club and kids eat free all the time. Plus it's just across the road from Patong Beach! 

We took a late afternoon flight yesterday and by the time we reached the hotel, it was dark and so we just ate in.

This morning en route to breakfast, we got to see more of the hotel and the girls were thrilled to find that the hotel's ponds are full of tiny little frogs. That should keep them busy...spotting frogs! After breakfast we went to recce the beach and the kids picked up some seashells. Didn't linger but instead we went back to the room to change because they wanted to swim in the kids pool.

After swimming, we headed out to have lunch at the Hard Rock Cafe which was just opposite the hotel. Then we started browsing the street shops and Nick found a tailor to make some pants.

Nat is very happy on this trip because I allowed her to paste nail stickers on her fingers but they won't last very long. We had dinner at a deserted restaurant along Patong, local food on this stretch ain't that cheap by Thai standards. 

During dinner we spotted sky lanterns being released and that's just what we did once we had finished our meal. The girls had their Rapunzel/Tangled moment! 

Myanmar (11 - 13 Dec 2013)

Just returned from my maiden trip to Myanmar, went to Yangon to manage a work event as the banking sector in the country undergoes reforms. 

Myanmar is hosting the SEA Games and some Team Singapore members were on the same flight. The journey from the airport to the Traders Hotel was uneventful, I booked a hotel car. Security was tight upon arrival, mainly because the hotel had a bombing incident not long ago plus SEA Games officials were in residence. Ate room service for lunch, the hotel food prices are really reasonable. 

Spent the first day preparing for our event, had a meeting with the local partner as well as dinner with Gavin, Kevin's brother who lives in Yangon with his family. Gavin was actually entertaining some invigilator from Singapore and I gatecrashed their dinner, which had been planned for Traders.

There was a bit of a crisis when I found out one of the speakers had pulled out at the last minute and the first night was spent re-organising the agenda with my colleagues and the event partner, who had flown in from Dubai. 

The event itself went off relatively smoothly yesterday, the local partner were really a big help. I missed lunch because I had to pump...housekeeping did a great job in arranging my toiletries! Ate with my colleagues after though, and then we decided to check out Bogyoke market, a popular market for gems and local handicrafts which was just around the corner from our hotel. 

I bought a bunch of cheap accessories and then we headed back towards the hotel. I ventured a little further down the road to snap a picture of Sule Pagoda and along the way, caught a glimpse of how the locals went about their daily business. Was late in meeting up with Esther, Gavin's wife because of poor mobile connection but we finally managed to meet up at Bogyoke market. 

The shops were starting to close for the day but we went to the second level and I bought some lace fabric thanks to her bargaining. We went to a supermarket next door and I bought some cashews before we caught a cab to Shwedagon Pagoda, the largest pagoda in Myanmar. 

Luckily we went in the evening, it was not as hot. The place was huge, never seen so many Buddha statues in one place and it was pretty at night. After that she followed me back to the hotel before we said goodbye and I joined my colleagues for dinner at the hotel's Chinese restaurant. Very short trip, but at least I can say I've been to Myanmar now!