Cruising to Phuket

On the 3rd day of our Royal Caribbean Cruise Adventure, Legend of the Seas sailed into the pristine waters of the Andaman Sea and docked in Phuket, the largest island of Thailand and one of the top travel destinations in the region.

Here is a list of some of the things to do and must-see attractions in Phuket. You may join the Royal Caribbean Shore Excursions to visit these places.

1) Phang Nga Bay

Cruise through the limestone islands and enjoy the dramatic landscape that features rocky pinnacles. James Bond island is one of the famous tourist spots in the bay. Also visit the water village in Koh Panyi where hundreds of stilt houses were built and linked with wooden walkways. For watersports lovers, canoe your way through sea caves and interior lagoons.

2) Temple Visit & Holy Places

Built in 1837, Chalong Temple (Wat Chalong) – the largest, most visited and most sacred temple in Phuket. Often, firecrackers are set off for good luck at the temple ground.
Phra Nang Sang temple (Wat Phra Nang Sang) – the oldest Buddhist temple in Phuket that was built over 200 years ago.
Prathong Temple (Wat Prathong) – built in 1750s, the holy ground is famous for the golden Buddha statue.
Saeng Tham Shrine – the Chinese shrine is one of the oldest in Phuket.

3) Traditional Thai Massage – Get rejuvenated and recharged. Let the professional Thai masseur press and stretch your entire body.

4) Cashew Nut Factory – Tour the factory and watch how cashew nuts are cracked and removed from the nutshells to be processed into snacks and sweets. A wide variety of deliciously flavoured cashew nuts are bottled for sales.

5) Promthep Cape – Located at the southernmost tip of Phuket, the cape overlooks a stunning panoramic view of the Andaman Sea. A great spot for sunset photography.

6) Elephant Riding Adventure – At the Elephant Camp in Island Safari, you can watch baby elephant show and ride on an elephant. Visitors can also opt for the Oxcart ride around the park. There are other entertainments like monkey show as well.

I was given the complimentary excursion to take on the elephant ride. Images of elephant going berserk and tossing audience flashed across. Kiasi, worrisome and quite hesitated to leave the comfort of the ship for this “risky” business.

Let’s get moving! When I stepped on top of the elephant to be seated, it was a bit uneasy ‘cos I don’t step on flesh!

I wasn’t alone on this elephant adventure. Shadow tagged along. It turned out to be a unique and memorable experience sitting atop the huge mammal to ride around the Island Safari park.

Expect to see big heaps of elephant poop along the trail.

Hold on tight to your belongings as the elephant stumbles along the uneven trails.  I wish the ride could be longer. Maybe next time I shall do the elephant jungle trekking. *eyes rolling*

Back to the Elephant Station. This is where we “board” and “alight” from the elephants.

Elephant parking station!

Unlike African elephant, Asian elephant or Indian elephant is smaller. I was crossing the ele-path.

BABY Elephant Show. Watch the two highly intelligent land mammals perform stunts like throwing darts at balloons, playing basketball, twirling hula hoops and massaging human body.

Elephant soccer

Baby elephant thrusting darts with its trunk to burst the balloons.

Cute Elephant greetings!

Slam dunk!

Hula Hooping!

Free Thai massage at the back! Any volunteer can try this out if you trust the babies.

This guy wanted a Thai massage too, but he got the “special” treatment.

X-rated. Above 21 only. Kinky.

Elephant Thai Massage

Baby elephant photo.

Monkey see monkey do. These are champions! They can lift weight like a body builder, cycle around and slam dunk!

And carry an umbrella like a little lady.

Biking around.

Shadow Playhouse

ATV Adventure at the Island Safari.

Rice Farming area where you can ride on Oxcart.

Oxen & carts.

Oxcart riding. Took this shot when I was riding the elephant.

Muay Thai boxing. There are lot of activities at the Island Safari in Phuket.

Thai souvenirs to fill up the luggage.

Dart Game. Can you aim better than the baby elephant?

Read Royal Caribbean Cruise Day 1 Legend of the Seas | Day 2 KL free and easy | Day 3 Phuket island tour