KMK: Phuket – Safari Adventure

Vacationing in Phuket offers travelers a number of different activities to enjoy. You don’t have to spend the entire day relaxing on the beach, though that’s a worthy option if you care to do so. However, if you have more energy than it takes to bring the pina colada to your mouth then you may want to check out some of the other distractions about the island like the Phuket Safari Adventure

I heard rave things about Simon’s Cabaret. Somehow, though, I never made it over to the lady boy show. Day trips about with excursions to Koh Phi Phi. However, what I went in for was the all in one safari adventure which combines several outdoor activities into one fun filled day.

I chose the full day option, but if you feel that’s too much then you can go for a half day instead. My guesthouse suggested the tour company. There are dozens of places and pretty much all of them do the same thing at about the same prices. After scheduling my trip the folks picked me up at my guesthouse on the day in question. They whisked me off to a rendezvous point where I met up with other trip goers and climbed onto the big tour bus.

We sped off to a place that I like to call the compound where all the activities were to take place on their private grounds. First up was an elephant trek. They piled us on one after another onto the backs of waiting pachyderms. The trek took only about fifteen minutes. An extra 100 Baht got me a bunch of bananas to feed the elephants as well as a quick photo op then we were off to the oxen. They loaded us up on a cart and moments later the oxen tugged us around in a big circle. Not as much fun as the elephants and a bit lame, but the ride did feel a bit like the thrill of bumper cars.

Next up were the atvs. We hopped on after signing a few accident release forms and sped off down the course. We were only allowed a couple laps, but it was enough to get an adrenaline kick. After that the elephant/monkey show started. No, it’s not some perverted sex show it was a lighthearted and funny performance. Barnum and Bailey’s should be taking notes on this act. The elephants were adorable and the monkey had a spunky attitude that deserved a NBC sitcom.

After all the animal wackiness they piled us up again and shipped us off to the river. There we had a brisk lunch. After which they strapped the life vests onto us and shoved us into boats for the whitewater rafting portion of the trip. I didn’t think it would be as treacherous as it turned out to be. I didn’t know about the dam they keep, waiting to unleash a torrent of water upon the unsuspecting. I can’t count how many times I almost flew out of the raft, or dashed my head against a rock, or was almost beheaded by a hanging tree limb. Good times! At the end of the rafting trip we hiked up a trail to check out a waterfall. It was great. We splashed in the water like little kids.

That proved to be the end of the trip. A bus ride back into phuket town and then a speedy tuk tuk to patong beach ended an exhausting but fun day.