Phuket With Kids: Beachfront Wedding, Elephants & Lagoon Days

One of our close friends (who is also a lovely client) chose Phuket as their wedding destination. As soon as the invitation arrived, we jumped at the chance to turn it into a family adventure.

At the time, Emirates were not yet flying from Edinburgh so we flew from Glasgow with Emirates. We were really excited about the boys experiencing long‑haul with them. The crew were brilliant and the children were spoiled with little extras like backpacks and colouring packs for when they needed a break from the endless films, TV shows and games on their seatback screens. We even had some Polaroid photos taken during the flight, which made a lovely keepsake.

We connected through Dubai and, with very little time to spare, made our onward flight to Phuket. When we landed, we picked up a taxi quite quickly and headed to our hotel. We had deliberately left it as a taxi rather than a private transfer, just in case anything went wrong with the connection.

Stepping out of Phuket Airport, the heat hit us straight away. It was around 34 degrees and it felt hot. On the drive to the hotel the children were glued to the windows, shouting out everything they could see. There were so many animals along the way, including a random elephant on the back of a truck, which they are still talking about now.

Thavorn Beach Village Resort & Spa: First Impressions

We stayed at the luxury Thavorn Beach Village Resort & Spa and our first impression was simply “wow”. The grounds are beautiful and the resort felt huge as we walked into the reception area. As soon as we stepped out of the car, our luggage was whisked away. Check‑in was quick and we were then whisked off to our Garden Bungalow by golf cart, luggage and all, which the boys loved.

We quickly made friends with a few geckos that liked to hang around our bungalow and the kids thought this was brilliant. Our room itself was lovely and very spacious, with a half‑outdoor shower that felt like such a treat. It is those little touches that really stick with you.

The resort’s pool and lagoon area is the largest in Phuket and it really did feel luxurious. We spent most of our days here. There was a handy shop where you could buy or hire everything you might want such as snorkels, inflatables and paddleboards, which made it easy to mix the days up.

The beach was beautiful too. The seabed is a bit stony, so you do need to watch your step getting in, but when the tide went out the rock pools were amazing. We spent ages exploring them and the children were fascinated by the different sea creatures, from sea cucumbers to hermit crabs.

Petting Zoo, Pool Days & Thai Food

One of the surprises at the resort was the little petting area, which turned out to be really popular with both children and adults. There were different types of birds that you could feed, and they would happily land on your shoulders, your head or sit in your hands. There were also small pigs you could bottle‑feed and two tortoises, one very large and one small. Both were clearly well looked after and guests could gently touch and feed them.

The food at the hotel was fantastic. We had been so looking forward to trying authentic Thai dishes, and it did not disappoint. I even ended up having Thai green curry for breakfast some mornings because it was that good. The pool and beach bar also served great casual options like pizzas, burgers, fries and pasta, which was ideal for relaxed meals while the children were swimming.

We had upgraded to half board thinking it would work best for us with the kids. In hindsight, we would probably just book breakfast next time. The half board menu did not have as much choice as the main à la carte menu and the price difference between the two was not huge, so it is something I would do differently on a return visit.

Elephant Jungle Sanctuary: A Special Day

One of the things I really wanted to do in Phuket was visit an ethical elephant experience. We did a lot of research before we went because it was important to us to choose somewhere that genuinely put the elephants’ welfare first.

We eventually settled on Elephant Jungle Sanctuary. There are a lot of options in Phuket, but this one operates as a wildlife conservation centre and is committed to elephant welfare. It is a non‑profit organisation that focuses on the conservation and welfare of Asian elephants and reducing unnecessary human–elephant contact. All of the elephants there are rescued.

Our visit was a real once‑in‑a‑lifetime experience. It was incredibly hot, but so worthwhile. The children were able to see elephants up close and we all got to help feed them. The team talked about how the elephants are cared for and how to approach them safely and respectfully. It felt very educational as well as magical and I am really glad we took the time to find somewhere that aligned with our values.

A Beachfront Wedding To Remember

The wedding itself was just beautiful. The hotel did such a good job. The ceremony took place on the beach with the sun setting in the background and it honestly looked like something from a magazine. The food was delicious, the music was great and everything ran so smoothly. The kids loved it too and were fully included in the celebrations, which made it even more special for us as a family.

We had planned to visit the waterpark in Phuket, which has an excellent reputation, but by the end of our stay we were all absolutely exhausted. In the end, we listened to what we needed and chose a proper chill day by the pool before flying on to our next destination.

Phuket was amazing and if (or when) we go back, I think we would definitely look at doing some island‑hopping as well.

Next up for us on this trip was Bangkok, which I will share more about in another blog.