We had to get up at 4.30 in order to be ready with our cases for our pick up at 5am to Phuket Airport and our 9.25 flight to Singapore. Ouch!
It all went like clockwork though. We phoned reception to collect our bags - it was a long way to reception and although it was 4 in the morning, still very hot - too hot to drag bags around a hotel, plus we would have woken loads with the rumbling of the wheels! We walked to the lobby, where there was who I thought was a security guard fast asleep under a blanket. At 5am on the dot our car arrived and the girl under the blanket jumped to attention - she was our guide (although why you need a guide to sit in a car to an airport I don't know?!) We watched the sun rise and the country slowly awake as we headed to Phuket. The airport was our side of the town so we didn't see it.
We arrived before the checking in gates opened and before any interesting cafes opened (Matt had to go against his principles and get a coffee from Starbucks!) We could easily have had an extra hour in bed. Oh hum!
When we checked in there was a problem. Our flights were booked by our travel agent, they had booked a child's seat for Tom. However, as we have discovered, in Thailand Tom is not a child. They measure a child by their height - if you are under 1.2 meters you are a child, if over you are an adult - so we have had to pay for him as an adult everywhere. For this airline (Scoot) a child was under 11. They couldn't check him in, we ended up having to pay the difference in the ticket (we had loads of cash left over so it wasn't a problem) bit of a hairy moment though.
We went through passport control and security - no problem at all and into the airport where we tried to spent our left over small change.
Our flight was uneventful. It was a budget carrier and under 2 hours, so easy. There was food on board, but you had to pay for it and we decided we would have lunch once we landed. However, they came to us and said that our lunch was paid for?! We were each given Asian Treasure Rice which was actually quite nice. However, it had mushrooms in it so a certain someone couldn't have it. We were almost the only ones on the plane who were fed - we have no idea why? Maybe as compensation for having to pay for an upgrade for Tom?
We arrived, found our transfer and headed in to the city. Formula One are coming to town, lots of preparations are under way for it. We also drove past the new bay area which looks stunning. Our hotel is at the bottom of Orchard Road - the shopping road full of shopping centres. We checked in - it is quite an old hotel (for Singapore) but comfortable enough.
First stop was the nearest shopping centre and lunch for Matt - we found a basement full of food and went for Indian - Tom and I shared a portion too - it was really good, very authentic. We then walked up one side of Orchard Road dipping into lots of shopping centres and down the other side. It really is a shoppers paradise. Tom got a new Ghibli T-shirt (he is an adult large here!!!!!) we all had a 3 o'clock Japanese bread product from a bakery (yummy!) and found where we were going to have tea tonight (massive food court)
Our feet were beginning to ache so we headed back to the hotel, called Granma to wish her a happy birthday, had a dip in the pool and went out for tea - Vietnamse Pho for me (always been curious -tasted very like the noodle soup you got in Laos) and Japanese curry omu rice for the boys.
Then back to the hotel and bed - we were shattered!
Sorry none of us took a photo today!
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