Vacations can provide some of the most special times a child can have. This is when strong friendships are formed and relationships with parents strengthened. Family holidays are a break when mum and dad can relax from the frantic pace of 21st-century living and spend "quality time" with their kids.

Some of my most cherished memories are of wandering Australia during school holidays with my parents and siblings, the trusty Ford Falcon towing our chunky old caravan. We crisscrossed the country having adventures galore. Fossicking for sapphires, crossing the endless deserts of the Nullarbor Plain, or just hanging out at the beach — those were the days.

I still remember my favourite beach on the north coast. It was a beach full of lush summers — scouring rock pools for magical ruby-red anemones and seashells that carried sounds of the sea back to urban Sydney at the end of our holiday. The giant dunes at the back of the caravan park were a favourite place for our gang of new friends to hang out. We would run toward the sand cliff edge and throw our reckless bodies over into the space that connected gravity with the rolling waves below. We tumbled and skid down the grainy yellow sandbanks on sheets of plastic, cardboard, or inflated tyre tubes — anything we could find. That was the best fun of all.

Danger only ever factored into my days when I attempted the crossing to a rock island opposite the ice-cream kiosk. The summertime beat of Air Supply singing "Love and Other Bruises" wafted from the Surf Club speakers out to the edge of the Pacific Ocean. In the depths of the canal that separated fun from that treacherous island offshore lived a terrible dark sea monster. It ate children for afternoon tea. It took all day for me to build up the courage to cross that canal. I couldn't not go, because to stay on the beach meant missing out on seeing the treasure pools of the forbidden island and besides if the boys could make it so could I. The crossing was probably all of 20 feet, but in those days it was 20 miles of thrashing against the current while praying that the sea monster had set its hungry sights on some other kid.

According to a Kaiser Family Foundation (USA) study — "What Do Kids Really Want That Money Can't Buy?" — children most want love, happiness, peace on earth, and friends. Significant numbers of children also want time with family, a clean environment, a world where people treat each other with respect, a chance to see lost loved ones, help for suffering people, health and time to play.

I've had many e-mail queries from around the planet from parents looking for a good vacation spot to take their kids, where the whole family could enjoy their precious time together. I decided to investigate what Phuket had to offer kids and their parents that could make a special holiday with memories for all. Scouring the island, I played at several island resorts to see what fun could be had.

First stop was the Evason Resort & Spa Kids Club. The theme is fun and eco- educational, according to Kids Club coordinator and co-designer Ann Hanson. "The club is divided into zones where the kids can have fun and learn about the natural environment at the same time," she told me. Inside the clubhouse, kids can learn traditional island-style coconut weaving to whip up arty fish and birds, take Thai cooking lessons, experiment with batik painting, or even paint the walls to their hearts' content. At night, there are slumber parties for those who just can't leave their new friends for a second and, depending on numbers, a beach party disco.

Outside, in the Six Senses Zone, we're told a dinosaur skeleton lies buried in the sand. Us kids gathered in awe. Out came the digging tools and into the pit we clambered searching for T. rex. And suddenly there it was! A bone. Little Ellie had discovered Phuket's first prehistoric monster. I knew monsters were real. We kept digging until the whole skeleton was visible. What a moment; what an adventure. "It was crafted by a local artist," Ann whispered. "He carved it from driftwood and made it look like bone." Oh! I thought it was real. Did that mean there was no such thing as fairies?

The Six Senses Zone also has an Ozone Rainforest Trail where we learned to identify the different species of tropical lizards and birds, as well as the fish and turtles in the pond. In the Garden Zone, we kids tasted some Thai herbs and veggies and were given a lesson in how things grow. (We thought they came from the supermarket.) And there's a really cool Six Senses Cave. It's a bat cave with handmade bats hanging from the roof. In the cave, our other senses were challenged. We learned to identify sounds such as frog calls and iguana scurries, and take note of all the unusual smells. It was a bit spooky, but we weren't scared. Kids like spooky.

The Family Scavenger Hunt on Koh Bon, an island offshore from the resort, was what we were really looking forward to. We took mums and dads and brothers and sisters and set off aboard a longtail boat. It was so exciting. On the beach there were grass huts and sala pavilions to find shade from the sun. Ann gave us a list of treasures to find, and off we went searching in the forest and around the rock pools. We didn't discover any buried treasure chest, but there were interesting discoveries along the way. And after-wards, a delicious buffet served as lunch in a thatched restaurant with a sand floor.

Signing in at Sheraton Laguna Resort's Very Important Kids Club, I looked forward to meeting Ning Nong. This baby elephant is no ordinary elephant. Ning Nong has the biggest smile I've seen and is quite the Pied Piper — Ning Nong smiles and the whole world smiles with her. Kids follow as if under a spell. Some days she takes her entourage for rides around the resort. You see her wandering with her mahout, her keeper, chatting with guests and generally enjoying life. And she says kap khun ka, thank you, in Ning Nong-speak, when you feed her bananas. That girl brings joy to your heart, but she's a bit of a sloppy kisser.

I toured the whole Laguna Resorts complex that day, playing at the kids' clubs. I met loads of other kids from around the world. All four resorts with kids' clubs — Sheraton Grande Laguna, Dusit Laguna, Allamanda and Laguna Beach Resort — cater for children from 4 to 12 years old. Younger kids are welcome too but they need a mum or dad with them. Elephants of varying size and age roam most resorts with their mahouts at some stage of the day. The Allamanda is great for tiny tots — it has a real Romper Room feel about it. I particularly loved the waterpark at Laguna Beach Resort. The pools are landscaped with stone fountains and gargoyles resembling an ancient civilization. A hidden waterslide is a main attraction for little people and adults too.

Kids marketing expert James U. McNeal (USA) estimates that, in 2000, children under 12 influenced family purchases to the tune of $500 billion in the US alone. Half that figure, according to McNeal, was spent as a result of a universal kid's secret weapon — the Nag Factor. As children's influence on parents' purchases continues to grow, it's important for mums and dads to realize just what it is that has them revisiting favourite family vacation spots year after year. (I'm told by a Laguna Resorts representative that many of the guests are regulars.)

The staff at Laguna Resorts are highly trained, multi-lingual professionals. On any given day, you'll find a United Nations of children at the associated kids' clubs. On my visit to Dusit Laguna, for example, there were Aussies, French, English, kids from Hong Kong, even the Netherlands. Children are treated as important guests from the moment they check in. They receive gift packs, and have special privileges around the complex as well as kids group tours to Phuket attractions. Apart from individual daily programmes at their clubs, there's also the opportunity to spend time at Camp Laguna, with team challenge and adventure theme activities. Clambering up the climbing wall brought my own school camp memories flooding back.

Holidaying in Phuket is perfect for families. Thai culture, friendliness, an endless summer and the local sense of fun all ensure that mum, dad and the kids take away a store of cherished life memories. Aside from the fabulous beauty of Phuket and the whole Andaman region of southern Thailand, your vacation will be a truly international experience topped up with lots of good old-fashioned family fun. So kids, make sure your parents are reading this. See you here!

Evason Resort & Spa, Phuket.

Kids Club is available to guests, local residents & Club Evason members.

For information,