In July of 2012 I got to experience the trip of a lifetime.  My husband and I spent over ten days exploring various parts of Thailand.  One of the places we visited during our travels was Phuket, Thailand.

Phuket was the location of the tsunami caused by the Indian Ocean earthquake on December 26, 2004.  The Thai government reported 4,812 confirmed deaths, 8,457 injuries, and 4,499 missing after the country was hit by the tsunami.  Thai authorities estimate that at least 8,150 are likely to have died.

Thailand was breathtaking and was so serene and peaceful.  To think it was the location of such horrific devastation is almost unimaginable.   However, I do remember seeing signs like this all over the island.

We arrived in Phuket, Thailand after spending time in Hua-Hin and Bangkok.  Of all the areas we visited while in Thailand, Phuket was by far our most favorite.  We traveled to Phuket from Bangkok via a quick, 1-hour flight via Asia Air.

This was the view from our airplane as we descended into Phuket.

Here is a the view from our hotel room and the hotel grounds.  

 

And we even canoed and swam in Phang Nga Bay which was one of the hardest hit areas in terms of loss of life and property destruction during the tsunami.

I feel so blessed to have experienced such an amazing trip and even more blessed to have returned home safely.  Never in my life did I imagine I would visit such an exotic location.  Thailand is magnificent and a place I will forever cherish.

Tomorrow I will share with you some of the food and culinary experiences I had in Thailand and even share with you some original Thai recipes I learned while there.  If you love exotic foods (and want to see more fun vacation pictures), you definitely don’t want to miss tomorrow’s post.  Stay tuned! xoxo