Meeting the Flintstones is probably the last thing you'd expect on a tropical Southeast Asian vacation. Dino Park — in Karon Beach, on Phuket's southwest coast — themes a fun-park restaurant on the prehistoric cartoon world.

Operating as a unique mini-golf course, Dino Park also offers dining in a primeval jungle setting. The journey begins with a meet-and-greet at the entrance by a realistically fierce and funky-looking raptor (think Jurassic Park, the movie) — photo opportunity number one. Next thing, Betty and Wilma pop out of the trees dressed in designer Bedrock chic — photo opportunity number two.

The setting is surreal, with rock-slab tables and benches arranged throughout a lushly landscaped and colour-lit garden. We sat by a winding stream only to realize quickly that we were being watched — from underwater. A gang of fat fish had heard their dinner being seated.

Fred, our waiter, poured Chardonnay — a lovely drop all the way from Cinnamon Grove, California — and quizzed us on our countries of origin, while T. rex bellowed and a volcano erupted fire in the background. The night sounds at Dino Park are as interesting as the menu. Apart from house Thai specialties, there's a great selection of cuisine ranging from Australian beef to sashimi, smoked salmon, pastas and pizza — even a mix of the latter two items. Ever tried spaghetti pizza?

The service at Dino Park restaurant is exceptional, always delivered with gracious (and sometimes cheeky) smiles. Another waiter approached the table. "Hello, you must be Barney," I guessed — incorrectly, as it turned out. "No, ma'am. Actually I'm Bam Bam," he replied, quick as a raptor. "And if you can't finish the bread, I'm sure your new friends would like it," he added with a grin, pointing to the expectant faces in the stream beside our table.

Dinner at Dino Park is so out of the ordinary. The experience is a novel way to spend an evening. The roar of dinosaurs mingles in the night air with an eclectic choice of musical tunes — from classical to salsa, INXS to Slade. We dined on a fun-park menu and joked the evening away with our favourite cartoon characters. What more could a girl ask for?

There's also a street-front bar, which makes a great place to meet for a cold drink and watch the parade of passers-by. You can't miss it — on the main Karon Beach road next to Marina Phuket Resort. This bar is one of a kind. Don't be surprised if Fred Flintstone and Barney Rubble pop in for a beer after a night of bowling (or mini-golf, even).

Next time I visit Dino Park, it'll be for a round of golf. According to the website, the range winds around a waterway(with goodness-knows-what prehistoric creatures lurking in the depths), "in a lava cave, beside a moving and roaring Tyrannosaurus rex (eek!), under a 12-metre waterfall and beneath an erupting volcano — all with special lighting and sound effects." Sounds like a lot of fun to me.