Phi Phi Island Hopping

Last Wednesday, December 16, 2014, we went to Phi Phi Islands..the famous tourist destination in the South. The beaches and the bays are popular since movies like James Bond and The Beach had been filmed there back in the 90's.

This is my 2nd time in exploring the islands but the 1st time had been terrible because that time I had diarrhea and every time we docked on the beach I had to find the toilet. Bad, bad experience!

And for my 2nd time, luckily, I did not eat anything unfamiliar with my tummy so I was okay but then a little worried since my son had a sign of asthma...his breathing wasn't normal since he woke up. I couldn't cancel the trip since it's the only day left for us to explore and we already booked and paid for this trip. By the way, we paid, 3,000 baht for the 3 of us..Sean was spared of the ticket price.

We left the hotel at 7:45 am, picked by the van and brought to a seaside lined up with speedboats. 42 tourists including us boarded the speedboat after the briefing and an hour after, we reached the Monkey Island. Some tourists fed the monkeys and after that we went for snorkeling and saw the beautiful fishes swimming with us. It was lovely!

There... the big monkeys and the small monkeys :)

Snorkeling without the mask...

Too scared to be far from the boat :D

After snorkeling, we went to Phi Phi Don for a sumptuous lunch of fried chicken, seaweed soup, stir-fried chicken, stir-friend noodles and rice.  We went out from the restaurant with a full tummy and ready to explore again.

Picture time while waiting for the rest of us to wrap up with their lunch

After lunch, Sean is in full throttle again.

Going back to the speedboat

Then we went to Viking cave, where the swallow make their nests and according to the guide, Thailand imports it to China for a very huge amount per kilogram.

Then to Pileh Lagoon, a very nice lagoon with clear crystal waters.

Reached Maya bay and had a dip with Sean for a while and went to Khai Island for swimming and snack for two hours.

A pose at the Maya Bay where Leonardo di Caprio filmed for the movie 'The Beach'

After that, we went back to Phuket island then back to the hotel.

Very, very tired. It was almost worth it!

Almost...because later that night, Sean had an asthma attack and we brought him to Patong hospital to be nebulized. Poor Sean :( I guess was allergic to the dust he inhaled when we went to Phuket Safari the other day.

Worrying yet Celebrating...

Warning! Another RANT coming...

This morning when I brought my son to school, his teacher complained on how Sean is not cooperating in school by being so active and not engaging in school activities like writing and listening. He also does not like to eat, if ever he eats, he grabs rice with his bare hands and not use spoon and fork.

Playthings are his favorite things!

I'M WORRIED.  As a mom, these simple things are things you don't neglect at all! I am anxious that he will be unhealthy, physically, mentally and socially. 

LORD, help me! I need your strength and guidance in bringing up this boy. I am thinking that too much internet hours is destroying his being a toddler. I have to do something..but I am clueless. So I am asking for Your help and guidance.

On the brighter side...

Today is December 12, our 5th wedding anniversary and birthday of Jerome (my brother-in-law)...so that's a double celebration.

I ordered chocolate cake from my colleague. I will take pictures and post them here later.

We are going on a trip to Phuket this coming Sunday till Wednesday (December 14-17) so we are all getting excited!

Yay!!!

Here's the cake baked by my colleague. Yummy,chocolatey cake!

There's the birthday boy with his girlfriend, Christine.

The Frutta Boutique Patong Phuket Hotel

I L.O.V.E. this hotel! We checked in yesterday and still we are amazed! The price I booked with Expedia was only 850 Baht (25 USD) but the service is like a 4* hotel. The receptionist and the other staffs are very helpful and polite, the room is spacious and very clean, the bed is king size and soft, there's a free banana and other fruits available at the lobby and the breakfast is not bad at all with many choices of fruits, fried rice, noodle, organic vegetable salad, cereals, fruit juices and coffee or tea. Although, read positive reviews, still was really beyond my expectation! Really superb compared to its price. 

Here are pictures we took after our 2 days stay here.. I highly recommend this hotel to those who would like to spend their vacation here in Phuket and on a budget.

Picture time with Sean after checking in.

Second day stay...trying to relax after breakfast.

Forced my husband to do a selcam.

Cute decoration at the stairs of the hotel.

At the lobby of Frutta Boutique Hotel

Free bananas anytime!

Small pool located at the other building.

At The Bloom by TV Pool

The Department headed by Khun Thada went on an overnight seminar in The Bloom by TV Pool resort in Muaklek, Saraburi. The place is nice..to say the least. Relaxing nature around.. flowers, mountain, landscape! The smell of freshness!

I love the place especially that my family was with me during the seminar. Teamwork was the main theme of our training and Khun Thada was the moderator/speaker. I learned many things even though the medium used was Thai language.

Here are some pictures we took during the trip.