Anantara Phuket Villas
Overview
The Turtle Club, open from 8am–6pm, provides fun, artistic and cultural adventures for kids aged three and older. The hotel supplies free baby cots and extra beds for older kids for THB3,600 a night; babysitting can be arranged for THB250 an hour.
Best for
Families with young children under 12.
Recommended rooms
Most rooms have space for extra beds, available for an additional THB3,600. If you want more room to spread out, the two-bedroom Similan Suite sleeps two adults and two kids.
Crèche
The Turtle Club, open 8am–6pm, provides entertainment for kids aged three and over. They can take part in batik classes, glass painting and candle making, or play computer games and various sports.
Activities
For bigger kids, there are plenty of opportunities to get active and explore the area. Windsurfing, sailing and kayaking are available at the beach, and island excursions include snorkelling, elephant trekking and nature hikes in the forested Sirinath National Park.
Swimming pool
There's no dedicated kids' pool, but the main pool has several shallow areas. A lifeguard oversees swimmers, young and old, between 9am and 8pm. All rooms come with a small private pool too, so infants will need watching.
Meals
Children are welcome at both the main restaurants whenever they are open, and kids' menus are available. High chairs are supplied, and staff are happy to warm up milk and food for babies. If you're going on an excursion, ask ahead to have lunches packed that are suitable for young palates.
Babysitting
Give the resort staff two hours' notice and they can organise for someone to mind the children. It costs THB250 an hour, with a minimum of two hours.
No need to pack
Baby cots, high chairs and buggies.
Also
The cool-title-toting Director of Discovery can organise trips to the Gibbon Rehabilitation Project, which aims to stop these wild creatures being used as tourist attractions and return them to their natural environment. Visitors can observe the ones being prepared for release up close. And let's face it, what kid doesn't love a monkey?
