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FAMILY HOLIDAYS


candles, woven bags and quirky trinkets for pocket-money prices.


Festival times are extra special. The water throwing spring celebration Songkran sometimes coincides with the school Easter holidays.


ELEPHANTS Thailand off ers plenty of opportunities to to interact with elephants. A family mahout experience, where you learn to wash, feed and command the animals, is interactive, educational and memorable. There are several reputable elephant camps in Thailand, notably around Chiang Mai and in the Khao Sok jungle above Phuket.


FAMILY ATTRACTIONS There’s much more beyond sun, sea, sand and snorkelling to entertain children of all ages, as well as adults, in the major resorts.


Family attractions include well worth recommending include: PHUKET: FantaSea: a glitzy cultural show with elephants and acrobats; Phuket Surf House: wave riding experience; Anthem Wake Park: cable water-skiing for the over-eights; Dino Park: where dinosaurs meet crazy golf; plus an aquarium, waterparks, zorbing and go-karting opportunities. PATTAYA: The Sanctuary of Truth is a carved wooden temple with resident dolphins; Mini Siam has replicas of Thai and world sites; Pattaya's fl oating


market is culturally colourful; Ripley’s Believe It Or Not is part of the popular global franchise; Nong Nooch Tropical Garden off ers cultural shows and themed planting; Flight of the Gibbon: off rs zip-lining at Chonburi; and fi nally, Underwater World Pattaya. KOH SAMUI: Head here for the Coco Splash Adventure and Water Park; Samui Canopy Adventures (a zip-lining experience); an aquarium; and opportunities for kite surfi ng and frisbee or football versions of golf, as well as some great boat trips.


Other bonuses are a nearby BTS station that takes you to sightseeing spots and the major shopping malls are Siam Square within walking distance.


holidayinn.com


THE REGENT CHA AM BEACH RESORT


Family suites combine a master bedroom with a pirate-themed children’s room. Besides relaxing facilities for parents there are children’s pools and a playground,


baby-sitting and a kids’ club with craft


Kids can experience washing elephants, ride tuk-tuks or longtail boats and will love exploring glittering temples and markets


activities. Family games happen at weekends.


regentchaambeach. com


AMARI PALM REEF RESORT, SAMUI This Chaweng Beach resort has 16


contemporary family rooms of around 37 square metres, which incorporate a master bedroom and two single beds on a mezzanine fl oor. There’s a choice of pools and restaurants and a baby-sitting service. as well as a dive centre.


amari.com/palmreef


SHERATON KRABI BEACH RESORT


An on-site watersports centre off ers


snorkelling, kayaking, sailing and windsurfi ng. The kids club runs ‘edu- tainment’ activities such as batik painting. sheratonkrabi.com


HOLIDAY INN, PATTAYA


‘KidSuites' give children a fun separate room within their parents’ room' Also on off er is a kids club, ‘kids eat free’ off er over three restaurants and three swimming pools. holidayinn.co.uk


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