Phuket
Phuket is one of the most famous islands of Thailand, and it's doubtless you have heard many things about the place through the grapevine. Along with Bangkok, it boasts one of the liveliest areas for nightlife, except that Phuket also offers an abundant array of water activities.
Whether you should come here depends on the purpose of your trip. Are you looking for time on the sand laying out in the sun, scuba diving, snorkeling, swimming, kayaking, or partying? If any of the combination of the above, then Phuket is probably the place for you. If you are looking for lush jungle/forest canopy, temples, and more wildlife, then see my next post on Chiang Mai.
Phuket International Airport receives flights from many major cities, but I found the cost to be more than if I flew to Bangkok first. From Bangkok, Phuket is only $25-$50 by plane. Phuket airport is about 45 minutes to 1 hour away from Patong Beach, which is by far the rowdiest and most touristy beach on the island.
I stayed in a decent hotel, the Patong Marina Hotel, right across from the sand of Patong Beach for only $30 a night, which is unheard of back home.
Right next to my hotel was a tourist clinic offering an all-stop shop of services, including botox, diving certification, AIDS care, ultrasound, and labiaplasty. I knew I was in good hands.
Anyway, you didn't come here looking for pics of clinics. Onto the good stuff!
Patong Beach is one of the most crowded beaches of Phuket, filled with rows upon rows of layout chairs and umbrellas. However, if you go early, you avoid most of the crowd, and the water is beautiful and clear. By "early", I mean anything before noon, because most people are still asleep or hungover until the afternoon. I took the picture below at 9:00 a.m.
Patong Beach boasts a dizzying array of souvenir shops, but after a while you realize they all sell practically the same things! Of far more interest to me were all the restaurants and opportunities to people watch!
If you take a stroll down the coast by Patong Beach, you will come across the infamous Bangla Road, which has the above sign at the entrance to the road. I am almost positive you will have heard of this road if you have done even the tiniest bit of research on Phuket because this street is WILD at night. Be prepared because the full force of the touts, lady boys, go-go dancers, and Russian strippers will be on display.
It will be impossible for you to walk down Bangla Road and not be asked to come see a ping pong show. Yes, google that for more information. I went to the aforementioned show, because how could you not if you're in Thailand? (Think, when in Rome, but oppa Thailand style). Be forewarned that the show is not appropriate if you're not an adult. I don't think they care at all how old you are so long as they can sell you a drink, which is the mandatory cost of admission to the show.
You will be targeted if you are male. The women here are ruthless and will attempt to part you with your money. The guy I was with was constantly being hounded by women (some of whom we were not sure were actually women) to buy them drinks, even though he was clearly in my company. During the ping pong show, they also kept coming around to our table to ask him for drinks, tips, and to ask him to volunteer on stage. The table behind us, which consisted only of women, was largely ignored.
So ping pong and all was fun, but the real joy in my trip was the islands, specifically visiting Phang Nga bay, where I got to kayak through sea caves. The journey to the marina took about 1 hour, after which we boarded a ship for another 1 hour before our destination islands.
The view of the islands in the distance, even if overcast, was magnificent, and the pictures can't capture how many little islands jut up from the sea.
As we approached closer to one of the islands, they really started to take shape, color, and life.
Then we were off the boat and into our kayaks! The long journey was well worth it. The waters were smooth and shallow on our approach to the caves.
My FAVORITE part of Phuket is that right here - going into the caves by kayak. The cave walls were so narrow that we had to lie flat against our kayaks to get through. It felt a bit like a movie, but can't quite put my finger on which one. Maybe you can think of it?
After going through the narrow cave walls, we emerged into a lagoon, completely enclosed and surrounded all around by dense, rich foliage and banyan trees with their roots submerged in the water.
We kayaked under the roots of one banyan tree while trying not to get impaled! (We made it, just in case you wondered).
Switched spots and now the master of this ship - er - kayak.
The rock formation behind - what do you see? Our guide had the knack for pointing out all sorts of things we wouldn't have picked up. The shape behind is that of a shark's mouth and pointed nose. Do you see it now?
On our way back to the boat, I must admit the waves became really choppy, and our boat for some inexplicable reason chose that location to serve lunch. I became ultra sea sick from the bouncing back and forth, and lost all my appetite. Do you konw what the emoji for nausea looks like? That what me in real life. However, once the boat set sail and the fresh wind circulated through it, I began to feel much better. Crisis averted - no vomiting!
After kayaking, we visited James Bond Island, where a scene was filmed from the 1974 Man with the Golden Gun. I must admit I have not seen this movie!
