Thailand with a toddler in tow? Tony Hadley enjoys a belated honeymoon...for three

By TONY HADLEY

Thai break: Ali, Tony and Zara get to grips with local transport in Thailand


My wife Ali and I missed our honeymoon in the frenzy of the Spandau Ballet comeback last year. So this year we decided to make up for it - and headed to Thailand.

Slightly unusually for a honeymoon, we took our three-year-old daughter Zara along too - it just wouldn't have been the same without her.

We set out to find the perfect family holiday. As is always the case when you have a toddler, the holiday became more about her than us and she became the centre of attention everywhere we went.

Choosing Thailand was an easy decision. Neither Ali nor I had been there for a leisure trip before and had always wanted to give it a go.

We normally plan one big family summer holiday each year with my older children Tom, 21, Toni, 18, and Mack, 14, and, of course, Zara. Spending quality time with my family (in a hot climate) is my essential luxury and something I prioritise.

We normally head off to northern Majorca and rent a big farmhouse so we can invite everyone, including our parents and good friends.

Going to Thailand in winter was an adventure. We left London on a snowy day and as the ice was blasted off the wings of the plane, we felt relieved that we were heading to warmer climes.

Ali laughed when we landed in Bangkok and the stewardess said it was raining; she felt sure this was a joke. Unfortunately not. We aquaplaned on our way to the hotel.
The hangover of the long journey eased as we were greeted like royalty at the Amari Watergate Hotel, where we were festooned with garlands.

On our first night, not feeling in the mood for an adventure in the rain with a toddler, we opted to eat in Heichinrou, our hotel's Cantonese restaurant. It was probably the best Chinese we have ever had. The Peking duck, a favourite dish at home, was like nothing we had tasted before - you could sense the freshness. No monosodium glutamate here.


Regal welcome: Bangkok's grand palace was just one of the sights the family visited


I started my first day in Thailand as I intended to go on, with a massage. I had heard that Thai massage was the best you can have, and I certainly wasn't disappointed.

Ali and Zara went to the pool which, surprisingly for a city hotel, felt more like a resort, with bright ochre parasols and a beautifully landscaped garden. Feeling we should experience a bit of culture, we headed to see some of the sights.

Unfortunately, we hit impossible traffic, but after an hour of weaving in and out of jams we arrived at the Grand Palace. It was beautiful and Zara enjoyed all the bright colours and golden details.

We had a great English-speaking guide who gave us an interesting introduction to the palace as well as to Thai culture. A top tip for anyone visiting the palace: make sure you wear long trousers, shoes (not sandals) and a sleeved shirt, otherwise you will have to wear a rather fetching rented outfit that won't look good on your holiday snaps!

We headed on to another spiritual centre, the MBK Centre, or Mahboonkrong as the locals call it, the most visited mall in Bangkok. It is huge, with 2,500 shops. After an hour, Zara was starting to tire so we headed back to the haven of the hotel, sadly empty-handed.

It was a relief to have so many restaurant options in the hotel, and such a benefit when you have kids. But Bangkok is a food capital and I am sure that had we ventured out, we would have been happy.

On our last night in Bangkok, we had our first Thai meal of the trip at Thai On 4, in the hotel. The pomelo salad with tiger prawns was a highlight.


Hideaway: Krabi is one of Thailand's best-kept secrets


Next morning we took a short flight to Krabi, one of Thailand's best-kept secrets. Our welcome at Amari Vogue was as regal as in Bangkok, except that this time we knew we had arrived in a resort and were officially on holiday. The sun shone and the sky was blue.

We stayed in a beautiful ocean villa with its own plunge pool. This was popular with Zara, a true water baby, and she could hardly wait for her mum to put on her armbands before flinging herself in. Once settled in, we made our way to the beachfront where we enjoyed our first cocktails, canapes and an amazing sunset. An electrical storm in the distance added to the ambience.

That evening we ate at Bellini, the hotel's restaurant on the beach - the first of many notable meals in Krabi. Our pace certainly slowed from bustling Bangkok. After a few days of doing little more than sitting by the pool, we ventured on a boat trip to exquisite Hong Island, a perfect beach paradise.

We were all rather surprised and alarmed by the 4ft monitor lizard we came across. Zara squeaked initially, but she's a brave little thing and then wanted to make friends. We spent the rest of the day snorkelling on the reefs around the island and enjoyed getting close to many colourful and beautiful fish, including a shoal of parrot fish that ate directly from our hands. Zara couldn't stop giggling at the tickling sensation.

No Visit to Thailand is complete without a visit to an elephant sanctuary. We were happy to see well-treated elephants at Nosey Parkers in Ao Nang. Zara was definitely the most gung-ho, sitting on the elephant's head with the mahout. This was the best day of the trip; getting so close to the animals was amazing. We took a trek, then spent ages feeding the elephants with bananas and fruit. Seeing them at a distance in a zoo or wildlife park doesn't prepare you for how huge but beautiful they really are. To be so close and to see Zara feeding them was truly breathtaking.


Remote escape: Zara made friends with the reptiles on Hong Island


As you would expect in Thailand, the seafood was out of this world. We visited Ao Nang Beach Home Restaurant several times. We all love prawns and discovered some amazing dishes, including prawns marinated in limes and chilli and prawns with glass noodles in a hot pot. The restaurant was close to an Irish bar showing Premier League football, so after dinner we enjoyed Spurs v Hull.

Inspired by the food, Ali and I signed up for a cookery class with the hotel's executive chef, where we made geang phed ped yang - roasted duck in red curry with pineapple and grapes.

Zara was well looked after by the hotel babysitter, a lovely girl whom we used on a couple more occasions. It really was reassuring to know she was being looked after so well and could have an early night so she had more energy for swimming the next day.

As a boutique hotel, Amari Vogue does not have a creche or kids' club. However, Zara was kept entertained for hours by the bucket and spade she was presented with and made friends with other children from around the world. Her favourite daily ritual was feeding the fish in the ornamental ponds around the hotel.

I was pleased to find the small but excellent gym. Even on holiday, I like to exercise at least every other day. I had also wanted to do some deep-sea diving.

However, halfway through our visit I developed an ear infection. I visited the local doctor, Dr Somboon, an eccentric Liverpool supporter who spoke excellent English.
I was extremely reassured by the treatment. Medical facilities are key when travelling with children and we were very impressed.

Unable to go diving, we hired kayaks and set off to explore some of the nearby bays and beaches. It was hard work rowing in the heat and we definitely gave ourselves a workout. But it was worth it as we discovered an uninhabited beach - very Robinson Crusoe. We saw the sand moving and realised the beach was full of crabs. Zara happily chased them into their holes.

The perfect end to a perfect holiday was being treated to a candlelit dinner on the beach. To borrow from one of the band's biggest hits - we were more than lucky, we struck Gold.

Tony Hadley is working in the studio on his new album due for release next spring, with a summer festival tour to follow.


Travel Facts
Destinology (0800 072 2227, www.destinology.co.uk) offers a 14-night package from £1,499. This includes four nights at Amari Watergate on room-only basis and ten nights at Amari Vogue on a B&B basis.

Return flights are with Emirates from Gatwick. Travel must take place between April 25 and July 31, 2011. Bookings must be made by February 28, 2011.

For more information on Amari Watergate Bangkok and Amari Vogue Krabi visit www.amari.com.

For more information about Thailand, visit www.tourismthailand.co.uk.


source : dailymail