Pai met us in the lobby and we drove from Phuket Beach Club to the attractions. Pai is informed, engaged, and very personable, and encouraged and helped with my attempts at speaking Thai. The first scheduled attraction, the Big Buddha and its famous views over Phuket, was inaccessible due to some 2023 monsoon damage, so she substituted in the Crocodile Farm and Show The crocodile farm is a real farm which hosts about twenty of the behemoths, who luxuriate in warm waters awaiting their meal, a cage of small mammals who awaited their fates nervously. The farm’s owner offered Bill a hand’s on experience with a “hatchling” croc, and he cradled it like a baby as its cool firm flesh wriggled in his hands. I think the croc was more nervous that I was the predator, and that she was helpless with her mouth taped closed. Then it was time for the show. A muscular Thai guy jumped into a shallow pool with the crocs and dragged, kicked and prodded them awake. He tempted their jaws with his outstretched hands and stared them face to face, daring them to snap, but he always avoided calamity. It was animal exploitation, PETA would not be amused, but fortunately they are preoccupied with elephants and the croc show goes on. Bill and Cindy bought wallets made from the hides of last year’s croc stars. I’ll remember the show every time it pull it from my pocket. We went on to visit Wat Chalong, a gilded Wat featuring a tiny shard of Buddha's bones, and Phuket Old Town, touristy but fun and scenic. In between, Pai introduced us to a Michelin listed Thai Restaurant where we feasted on some of the best ever Thai Dishes. We finished at the City overlook where Pai photographed us with the beauty of Phuket as our backdrop. Great visit with a great guide.

This tour was a fantastic way to see the main sights on Phuket and learn about the history and culture. One highlight was the houses in Phuket Old Town, which were beautiful colours and we learnt all about their history and design. Pai added in a delicious snack stop for Roti’s which we would not have found ourselves. Visiting Wat Chalong with Pai made it a much more interesting experience as she explained about the temple and buildings as well as their significance. Although the big Buddha was closed we still got to go to the viewpoint nearby and learnt about its significance and history. We would recommend this tour as a great introduction to Phuket.