Camping with a Capital G

A few weeks back our family finally fulfilled a long standing wish of the ladies. Read it right, the man in the house aka me was not the least interested in camping.

I mean which man who has gone through army’s field camp (except the really minority) would say they loved the experience. Sleeping on hard uneven ground, tents pitched with less than enough enthusiasm, bugs and sorts crawling all over the place, and if you are lucky like me, rain and soggy muddy field.

That was the background of camping for me and no amount of words or pictures can I manage to lower the ladies’ excitement of this camping trip. Well, at least the venue is not some ulu places but the East Coast Park.

Welcome Glamping Society!

A brief understanding what is glamping. A simple way to understand is camping with style and much more comfort. No bugs, no hard sleeping floor (in fact you have beds), no fear of rain, no fear of being attack by wild boar, no army officers to shout at you! Hahaha..

We were treated to a luxurious 6-man tent, so we invited a fee friends over for some gathering and fun.

Check out the interior decorated like bohemian style, rugs and all.

Here are a few cool facts about glamping.

1. No need to set up the tent on your own. All is done nicely and securely for you (I mean that is what you are paying for). So just bring your barang barang and bunk in.

2. Simple food are provided for you and your group. Be wild and free, that’s all we need to do!

3. Just relax and enjoy. We basically just packed our change of clothing for sleep, the rest are taken care of. There was even a flamingo float for those who are interested to ride the ECP waves.

4. Plan a BBQ. Okay, we didn’t cos we were lazy to bring all the stuff and food. McDelivery is available.

5. Enjoy the sunset! This is probably the main reason for having it at East Coast Park. The sunset was stunning!

Last but not the least, spend a great evening with the missus. No camping or glamping is complete without the missus completing her wish.

Happy wife = happy husband

Families that Grow Up Together

Families that stay together grows stronger. I think that means we spend time experiencing life together, exchanging thoughts and skills. And in a typical Singaporean way, the best thing to build relationships is through food!

So last Sunday we planned a family gathering with some of the families that had known each other for a long time. Some of us are friends for more than 10 years, some are 20 years or more.

Have to say, picnic is so “old school”, right? As we settled down along the pier at Woodlands Waterfront, most of the passer-bys were quite impressed with what we have prepared for dinner. Some families were so excited I kid you not, they almost wanted to join us too.

As a father of 2, I truly want my girls to grow up with the kids of families I know. Not saying that the children in school are bad, but I do not know those kids’ parents, neither do I know what type of values or beliefs the family subscribe to. So for me, the safest is for my girls to grow up with a group of children whose parents are close to us as well. At least we have the same faith and value the same things.

 

A father & daughter pose.

 

Jayne is especially close to Chernise as they are only 1 month apart in age. In fact, our families have been friends for as long as this 2 cuties have been born, 8 years and counting.

Bethany is 6 and our families have known each other even before she was born.

Poor Joey’s friends were not able to make it that day.. so she was acting emo on her own, watching out into the sea.. No worries gal, Papa is looking out for you.

And the conversations and laughter continued well into the night. And we got to enjoyed a beautiful sunset.

 

Till the next gathering!

5D4N Phuket Trip

Finally took the time to sit time and pen this trip that took place about a month ago. For those who have been to Phuket and/or Krabi, you will probably find the same conclusion I am going to give. Krabi is quieter and less crowded than Phuket. Shopping is better in Phuket than Krabi. Main attraction like island-hopping is the same on both Phuket and Krabi, since the popular tours are still Phi Phi Island Tour or 4-Island Tour.

So what is the difference in Phuket as compared to Krabi? I won’t answer that question, because traveling is only fun when you are with the right company. Destination plays a part but the company determines the final outcome. So with my 3 darlings (wife and daughters) along my side, every trip is fun.

We checked in to 2 different Holiday Inn Resorts during this trip – Holiday Inn Resort Mai Khao Beach and Holiday Inn Resort Phuket (located along Patong Beach).

The best thing about Holiday Inn Resorts is the Kids Club. The girls love the activities like painting, drawing, exercising, food, watching movies, play with other kids, reading, etc.

 

Jayne learnt about Thai kick-boxing at the Kids Club in Patong. I was so tempted to join in too.

Pool time is a must. You cannot go to Phuket without spending time for a nice suntan or just laze around the pool, it’s almost a sin to not do so. We saw so many foreigners who literally camped near the pool for days, probably only leaving for meals.

Some of the rooms even have their own private pool space, just a step away from the room. Super cool!

Joey and Jayne soaking in the sun and the coolness of the pool.

 

Another reason for choosing Holiday Inn, the rooms we got were the Family Suites and the rooms were huge.

The rooms at Mai Khao Beach.

The girls’ separate room that was linked to ours.

The rooms at Patong.

Kids’ personal TV and playing stations.

 

If you want to read more about the island tours, you can go to my Krabi 4-island tour post to find out more.

This trip to Phuket, we have decided to skip the island tours but instead just spend our time around the resort.

Reading.

 

Cycling. Beware of sunburnt, so put on lots of sunblock.

Play table tennis.

Watch an evening movie with the family.

 

Couple massage. This is not to be missed. Pack the kids to their favourite Kids Club, and parents just book in advance a 90mins full body massage, treat yourself to something nice.

 

If you are more the outdoor type, then go for the water sports.

Beach volleyball.

 

Or just be like us, relax on the beach and enjoy the breeze with a book or drink.

Watch the amazing sunset.

Patong beach just opposite Holiday Inn is crowded with travelers.

What you cannot find in Holiday Inn Mai Khao but at Holiday Inn Patong are the souvenir shops and services.

Personally I prefer Mai Khao, simply because the plan for this trip was to relax and Mai Khao presented a more relaxing environment as compared to Patong. And because of the busyness in Patong, the resort staffs are not as personal. In Mai Khao, the waitresses know us by name and greeted us every time we walked past the dining place with a smile. They will come to our table or suntan beds to ensure that everything is ok. Not to the point of being intrusive but just personal.

One part of this trip at Mai Khao, the four of us had the chance to do batik painting on the beach. It was such nice family time and we enjoyed it totally. With the nice breeze of the evening sun, and the quietness of the surroundings, we completed our task with colorful paintings.

Happy feet happy family.

Parting shots for the relaxing Phuket trip.