Praise for Island Safari Company, Dec. 26/04-Phuket
Jan 7th, 2005, 06:12 PM
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Praise for Island Safari Company, Dec. 26/04-Phuket
On the day of the tsunami disaster, our family had booked a full day trip to James Bond Island (3 in 1 Discovery Tour) with Island Safari Company in Phuket. We were taken by large tourist busses across the Sarasin Bridge which connects Phuket to Phang Nga province. The first part of our day was to have been spent sight-seeing around Phang Nga Bay in a longtail boat, visiting the Panyee Floating House Village (now disappeared), sea canoeing in the hongs and visiting James Bond Island. Our group of 39 people had just been loaded unto a large longtail boat on a river leading into Phang Nga Bay and had started our trip downriver when the tour guide suddenly received a message from the manager of the company. We were told to head back to the pier, disembark immediately, and get back on the tour bus. The guide went on to tell us a boat that had left before ours owned by another company had been hit by big waves caused by an “underwater storm.” This boat had been broken up by the waves and the occupants were in the water. We were assured that if the waves were calmer in the afternoon, we could go to James Bond Island then. We were quickly bussed to the Elephant Safari Park which we were to have visited later in the day. We spent the next 8 hours in this location.
Throughout the afternoon, other tourists arrived from the various day trips that had been organized by Island Safari. By the end of the day, there were over 200 people from many different countries brought to the park as it was too unsafe for us to return to Phuket at this time. Initially, information about what had actually occurred was very sketchy. We heard everything from an “underwater storm” to a hurricane (which we wondered about as the sky was blue and there wasn’t even a breeze). It wasn’t until one of our group members got a call on his cell phone from his father in Delhi, India that we realized there had been a huge earthquake somewhere off the Indonesian coast and that “big waves” had already killed hundreds of people in India. We knew at that point that the situation was very serious, there would certainly be no one going to James Bond Island that afternoon.
During our many hours at the safari park, we were treated very well by the guides and staff of Island Safari Company. They did their best to keep us entertained with the baby elephant show, a trek through the jungle on the elephants and even managed to provide the rubber tapping demonstration as promised. Our lunches were given as part of the daily package and free drinks were provided in the afternoon. Throughout this very stressful time, these young Thai adults remained calm (for the most part) about what was going on although they were also very confused about the events that were unfolding. Information was slow to trickle in as many communication systems were downed by the tsunamis. Then there was the added problem of trying to keep people up to date who spoke many different languages and the limited English of the Thai guides to report to us accurately about what was actually occurring. These young guides did their best to keep a somewhat disgruntled group of tourists reassured and informed about what was happening in the outside world. We were all staying at beach resorts in Phuket and thus were very concerned about what damage our resorts had received. As well, the guides had families and friends in these areas so they were naturally very concerned about the fate of their own loved ones. Despite being very worried, these young people worked hard to reassure us and think of our needs before theirs. They continued to provide their programs as promised and this did a lot to reassure the many children (and adults) in our group who were very confused and frightened by the turn of events. One of the guides even sang and entertained a fussy baby in our group who was hot, tired and bored by the very long day she’d had. As with any large group, people reacted very differently. Some were very understanding and patient, while others demanded to be taken back to their hotels immediately, not willing to believe reports from our guides that many hotels, roads and services had been destroyed. Perhaps these people regretted their actions in the days to come, perhaps not.
Later that evening, we were all bussed to Phuket Town which is on higher ground and had escaped damage from the tsunami. Our day with Island Safari was supposed to have ended at 5:30pm but at 8:00pm that evening, they were still providing excellent customer service which included a large seafood and rice dinner at a restaurant in Phuket Town, free of charge for us. After this, the guides did their best to find alternate hotel accommodations for us in Phuket Town as police were still turning people away from the Patong area. This was a huge undertaking for them as there were many of us and very few rooms to be had by this point. The town was bursting at the seams with tourists that had been evacuated from the resorts hardest hit in the waterfront areas. We were very grateful to the guides for helping us in this way as by this time of night with our limited Thai communication skills, it would have been very hard for us to find our own sleeping arrangements. Had we opted to return to the Patong area that night (as some did), we would have found our hotel in north Patong closed with no electricity or running water, the first floor and pool area largely destroyed, glass, broken tiles and debris everywhere and the staff mainly gone by this point. As we have children to think of, we were certainly glad that we heeded the advice of the Island Safari staff as coming home to this after a very long, distressing day would have been most undesirable.
We thank the Island Safari staff with all our hearts for taking such great care of us on the day of the tsunami in Phuket. Had it not been for the quick thinking manager of the company communicating with his guides immediately and getting us out of the water at Phang Nga, our day could have ended up very differently. We also really appreciate the kind help and assurances from the guides, their never ending patience, good humour and support that kept us safe on that terrible day. Since then, some Thai people have said we were saved by the elephants because we spent the day among them at the safari park. Elephants are a symbol of “long life” in Thailand, they are highly revered and we’ve been told the elephants brought us good luck that day. That we were extremely lucky we have no doubt. We were so glad to be among the elephants that day but we feel that we are still alive and safe due to the staff at Island Safari Company. We strongly recommend their services to anyone returning to Phuket in the future.
Throughout the afternoon, other tourists arrived from the various day trips that had been organized by Island Safari. By the end of the day, there were over 200 people from many different countries brought to the park as it was too unsafe for us to return to Phuket at this time. Initially, information about what had actually occurred was very sketchy. We heard everything from an “underwater storm” to a hurricane (which we wondered about as the sky was blue and there wasn’t even a breeze). It wasn’t until one of our group members got a call on his cell phone from his father in Delhi, India that we realized there had been a huge earthquake somewhere off the Indonesian coast and that “big waves” had already killed hundreds of people in India. We knew at that point that the situation was very serious, there would certainly be no one going to James Bond Island that afternoon.
During our many hours at the safari park, we were treated very well by the guides and staff of Island Safari Company. They did their best to keep us entertained with the baby elephant show, a trek through the jungle on the elephants and even managed to provide the rubber tapping demonstration as promised. Our lunches were given as part of the daily package and free drinks were provided in the afternoon. Throughout this very stressful time, these young Thai adults remained calm (for the most part) about what was going on although they were also very confused about the events that were unfolding. Information was slow to trickle in as many communication systems were downed by the tsunamis. Then there was the added problem of trying to keep people up to date who spoke many different languages and the limited English of the Thai guides to report to us accurately about what was actually occurring. These young guides did their best to keep a somewhat disgruntled group of tourists reassured and informed about what was happening in the outside world. We were all staying at beach resorts in Phuket and thus were very concerned about what damage our resorts had received. As well, the guides had families and friends in these areas so they were naturally very concerned about the fate of their own loved ones. Despite being very worried, these young people worked hard to reassure us and think of our needs before theirs. They continued to provide their programs as promised and this did a lot to reassure the many children (and adults) in our group who were very confused and frightened by the turn of events. One of the guides even sang and entertained a fussy baby in our group who was hot, tired and bored by the very long day she’d had. As with any large group, people reacted very differently. Some were very understanding and patient, while others demanded to be taken back to their hotels immediately, not willing to believe reports from our guides that many hotels, roads and services had been destroyed. Perhaps these people regretted their actions in the days to come, perhaps not.
Later that evening, we were all bussed to Phuket Town which is on higher ground and had escaped damage from the tsunami. Our day with Island Safari was supposed to have ended at 5:30pm but at 8:00pm that evening, they were still providing excellent customer service which included a large seafood and rice dinner at a restaurant in Phuket Town, free of charge for us. After this, the guides did their best to find alternate hotel accommodations for us in Phuket Town as police were still turning people away from the Patong area. This was a huge undertaking for them as there were many of us and very few rooms to be had by this point. The town was bursting at the seams with tourists that had been evacuated from the resorts hardest hit in the waterfront areas. We were very grateful to the guides for helping us in this way as by this time of night with our limited Thai communication skills, it would have been very hard for us to find our own sleeping arrangements. Had we opted to return to the Patong area that night (as some did), we would have found our hotel in north Patong closed with no electricity or running water, the first floor and pool area largely destroyed, glass, broken tiles and debris everywhere and the staff mainly gone by this point. As we have children to think of, we were certainly glad that we heeded the advice of the Island Safari staff as coming home to this after a very long, distressing day would have been most undesirable.
We thank the Island Safari staff with all our hearts for taking such great care of us on the day of the tsunami in Phuket. Had it not been for the quick thinking manager of the company communicating with his guides immediately and getting us out of the water at Phang Nga, our day could have ended up very differently. We also really appreciate the kind help and assurances from the guides, their never ending patience, good humour and support that kept us safe on that terrible day. Since then, some Thai people have said we were saved by the elephants because we spent the day among them at the safari park. Elephants are a symbol of “long life” in Thailand, they are highly revered and we’ve been told the elephants brought us good luck that day. That we were extremely lucky we have no doubt. We were so glad to be among the elephants that day but we feel that we are still alive and safe due to the staff at Island Safari Company. We strongly recommend their services to anyone returning to Phuket in the future.
Jan 8th, 2005, 09:18 AM
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I'm so glad to hear you are back safe and sound. Bob previously posted your email to him, so we've all been following your "close encounter." I posted a link to an account by a University of Washington physician who was also in Phuket when the wave hit. You might be interested in his experience. I'll top it for you.
Jan 9th, 2005, 11:54 AM
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Hi Kathie,
Thank you very much for your concern and good wishes. We too are very glad to be back home safely. We are so much more fortunate than many others. I actually read the doctor from the University of Washington's report the day you posted the website. I found it really interesting as well. Thank goodness he was there to help so many people at the time. I shuddered when I read that he was trying to get around in the water that day with only flip flops on his feet as glass and broken coral were such a hazard. The doctor's comments that Phi Phi Don fared so poorly in the tsunami because many of the buildings there were of wood frame construction (as opposed to steel and concrete which is much more common on Phuket) were "right on the mark." Those little bungalows (nor their occupants) didn't stand much of a chance when the waves hit from both Tonsai Bay and Lodalum Bay on the other side of the isthmus.
Glad to hear that the rebuilding process is really coming along in Phuket. It's amazing what can be accomplished when so many people work together and, of course, the solid infrastructure in Phuket is helping this as well. I just wanted to add that over the past year I have always enjoyed your level-headed and knowledgeable comments on this Forum (your sparring with Bob is hilarious!) and was glad to use many of your suggestions on our holiday. Thanks again.
Thank you very much for your concern and good wishes. We too are very glad to be back home safely. We are so much more fortunate than many others. I actually read the doctor from the University of Washington's report the day you posted the website. I found it really interesting as well. Thank goodness he was there to help so many people at the time. I shuddered when I read that he was trying to get around in the water that day with only flip flops on his feet as glass and broken coral were such a hazard. The doctor's comments that Phi Phi Don fared so poorly in the tsunami because many of the buildings there were of wood frame construction (as opposed to steel and concrete which is much more common on Phuket) were "right on the mark." Those little bungalows (nor their occupants) didn't stand much of a chance when the waves hit from both Tonsai Bay and Lodalum Bay on the other side of the isthmus.
Glad to hear that the rebuilding process is really coming along in Phuket. It's amazing what can be accomplished when so many people work together and, of course, the solid infrastructure in Phuket is helping this as well. I just wanted to add that over the past year I have always enjoyed your level-headed and knowledgeable comments on this Forum (your sparring with Bob is hilarious!) and was glad to use many of your suggestions on our holiday. Thanks again.
Jan 9th, 2005, 12:58 PM
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Yes, I thought the doctor's account (like yours) was riveting.
I'm glad my comments were helpful to you in planning your trip. Yes, Bob and I have great fun sparring about our differences. I've never met Bob, but look forward to our paths crossing someday in our favorite part of the world.
I'm glad my comments were helpful to you in planning your trip. Yes, Bob and I have great fun sparring about our differences. I've never met Bob, but look forward to our paths crossing someday in our favorite part of the world.
Jan 11th, 2005, 07:52 PM
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kathie---we are expecting you to turn up on jan 29 for the boston gtg....bev is coming (haha) or at least i invited her....she will be our keynote speaker telling of her adventures in phuket on that fateful day...
afterwards we are going to the "towers" at the sheraton boston...
afterwards we are going to the "towers" at the sheraton boston...
Jan 12th, 2005, 09:42 AM
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Bob & Kathie:
I think I will send Erin, our 14 year old daughter, to be the keynote speaker at the Boston gtg instead! Today at her school she is telling over 500 children at an assembly about her experiences in Phuket on the day of the tsunami. This is to "kick-off" a campaign the school is undertaking to raise money for tsunami victims. I told Erin that she didn't have to do this if she felt too nervous or stressed out to speak in front of such a large group about something so personal. Her response was "It's OK Mom. I want to do anything I can to help the people that lost so much."
Aren't kids great?
Have a drink on us at the Sheraton Towers, Bob!
Bev
I think I will send Erin, our 14 year old daughter, to be the keynote speaker at the Boston gtg instead! Today at her school she is telling over 500 children at an assembly about her experiences in Phuket on the day of the tsunami. This is to "kick-off" a campaign the school is undertaking to raise money for tsunami victims. I told Erin that she didn't have to do this if she felt too nervous or stressed out to speak in front of such a large group about something so personal. Her response was "It's OK Mom. I want to do anything I can to help the people that lost so much."
Aren't kids great?
Have a drink on us at the Sheraton Towers, Bob!
Bev
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