From when we left our house in Dublin until we got to the hotel in Phuket was 27 hours. I had imagined it was going to be hugely stressful and had pictured a crying, upset 3 year old on a 12 hour overnight flight. It all went surprisingly well. The kids slept most of the way waking up in time for breakfast.

The 3 year old set off the alarm in security at Heathrow and got patted down which he thought was very funny. He also had a 20 minute screaming meltdown in Singapore Airport which was cured with a trip to McDonalds.

Singapore Airport is great. Our next flight was not booked as a connection. Our travel agent had said we needed to go through immigration, pick up our bags, check in and go through security again. Not in Singapore. The nice staff at the transfer desk issued our boarding passes, scanned our luggage tags and took care of everything. Well everything other than the screaming child.

Phuket Airport was not quite as organised but our bags were there as promised by the staff in Singapore and there was a man with a sign with our name on it. That was one of my essential requirements for the trip. Every airport we land in I want someone holding a sign with our name on it to take me to the hotel. No trying to organise buses or taxis with tired children.

We arrived at the hotel to be greeted with flower garlands and welcome drinks.