7 day child-friendly vacation

[vnagpal]

I am a father to an 18 month old daughter and me and my wife and planning a vacation overseas (our first ever with a child) from India to Thailand during the Christmas Break period (25th Dec - 31st Dec).

1) Due to our kid and length of vacation, we wish to avoid too much travel. Hence, I want to limit the destination to 1 or 2. I am not able to decide which ones to pick out of Phuket, Bangkok, Koh Samui, Krabi, Pattaya. (Or am I missing some?)

2) I wish to include shopping in our vacation and hence want to go to Bangkok towards the end of our trip (so as not to carry the purchases during the rest of the vacation). What would you suggest? Is Bangkok the only shopping destination? What else, other than shopping, does Bangkok offer?

3) If we pick 2 destinations (Phuket/4n + Bangkok/2n), what would you recommend as travel mode between Phuket and Bangkok? Train or Flight? I would like to explore Train if it is not too long a journey.

4) Since our daughter enjoys beaches and pools, we wish to stay at a resort on the beach front which is not too crowded and clean. Any suggestions? I have vaguely heard of CocoPalm in Samui, Centara in Phuket, Amari in Krabi/Bangkok?

5) I want to include a visit to at least one ancient Buddhist Temple. I have keen interest in meditation and play the Bamboo Flute. Any recommendations here? I wish to avoid commercial touristy places here.

6) Is a visit to the floating market manageable with a child?

7) I really want my child to experience closeness with nature and wildlife and hence, want her to experience Thai elephants? Which place should we go to? A day trip or overnight? I came across http://www.thailandelephant.org/ on the internet? Do you have any suggestions?

8) We do not wish to indulge in adventure (para-sailing, water sports, trekking, rafting) and adult-oriented activities like bars, pubs, dancing, etc. though a massage might be on the cards if time and circumstances allow. Any recommendations?

9) How can we incorporate a visit to the Nong Nooch Tropical Botanical Garden?

10) Any other hidden gems in Thailand that we can cover - which you have discovered personally and would put in your 5 must-do things in Thailand for kids?

11) Is it advisable to spend all days in/around Phuket as I have heard there is lots to do in/around Phuket? for eg. http://www.phuket.com/attractions/all-attractions.htm

[tartempion]

Shopping with an 18month young is not fun...

But I can recommend the Cha Am Novotel, it has a huge kids pool (60cms deep) and a kids play room. My 3y young daughter had lots of fun. The hotel has nice salas near the swimming pool and the beach and a decent restaurant next to the pool.

Cha Am is only a 2h drive from Bangkok and I would recommend to hire a taxi, cost around 2500 baht. Now late December the hotel might be full, high season.

Lots of shopping around, Hua Hin is 15kms away, hotel has a free minibus shuttle.

Have a nice vacation.

[inwardglee]

I think your wishlist is too extensive to call it a child-friendly holiday. Children like to rest at a place, and do not need to see a lot, everything is new to them anyway. They need to spend time with things, and to not hasten from one to the other place.

In fact we adults are not much different, but tend to stress ourselves, wanting to see a lot instead of taking time with few things.

Yet, here a suggestion:

You take two nights in Bangkok and four nights on a nearby island, Ko Samet.

1 . Arrival Bangkok. If you can afford, stay at the Swissotel Nai Lert Park. As the name says, there is an old tropical park in this hotel, the pool area.

First day, enjoy the park and the pool area. In the evening, have an Italian dinner at the Lido, in Sathorn Soi 1.

Second day, enjoy the pool again. then visit the aquarium in the underground of the Siam Paragon shopping center. The child will enjoy the many fish, and you too.

In the late afternoon hours, go to Wat Suthat and join the meditators there. Play flute in the Buddha alleys.

2 . Third day, take a taxi to Ban Phe, Rayong, a two and a half hour ride from Bangkok. The boat to Vongduean Beach leaves at 1.30 pm.

Take a Thai House, which are wooden bungalows, at the Vongduean Resort. Booking by agoda.com

Enjoy the days on walks along the beaches which are free of traffic here. There are remote beaches which are calm.

3. Take a direct taxi to the airport on your last day.

For further questions, you can pn me.

[vnagpal]

Thanks for the replies.

I have finalized Phuket and Bangkok. Still deciding on the hotels.

Have got opinions that Patong would better than Kamala for family stay. Can you validate that? Is kamala totally secluded with no amenities around?

Please suggest hotels Phuket as well as Bangkok. I have some in mind for Bangkok - Amari watergate, Meridien, Swissotel Nai Lert Park.

Also, is anything (shopping centers,etc) open on 1st January in Bangkok?