Roving sea gypsies once roamed these oceans but settled down in Phuket, lured to a landlubber's life by its rare beauty. In the past decade, miles of sandy beaches, swaying palms and crystal waters have made the island one of the most popular in Asia. Beyond the beaches lie rubber plantations and tangled rain forests, but the most photogenic sights are off-shore, as craggy limestone monoliths magestically arise from the sea in Phang Nga Bay



The time of your life!







Tsunami Elephants


No one is insignificant in God's eyes and His care is a constant reminder that He cares for you and for me. What He makes, He cherishes.

Consider the elephants of the Pavilion Hotel in Phuket, Thailand, where one of the most popular attractions is the elephant ride. As many as eight people ride on one elephant, first into the surrounding forest, then down to the beach, to lunch at a fresh water lagoon, then back to the hotel.

"Our nine elephants," writes Pavilion Hotel Group manager Jim France, "are kept chained to in-ground posts, not because they need to be, but because it makes the tourists feel better because their children seem safe from a tromping when they're feeding the beasts."

"About twenty minutes before the first tsunami wave hit, the elephants became extremely agitated and unruly. Four had just returned from a trip and their handler's had not yet chained them. They helped the other five tear free from their chains. They all then climbed a hill and started bellowing. Many people followed them up the hill. Then the waves hit."

"After the waves subsided, the elephants charged down from the hill, and started picking up children with their trunks and running them back up the hill. When all the children were taken care of, they started helping the adults." "God's elephants" rescued forty-two people that day. Then, they returned to the beach and carried up four dead bodies, including one of a child. Not until the task was done did they allow their handlers to mount them. Then with handlers atop, they began moving wreckage.

Whatever God makes, He cherishes---including elephants and you and me.











Destination Guide