Phuket: March 1-8, 2018
Top 10 Highlights 10. Thai People The Thai people were really friendly and always wanted your business. They all smiled and waved and if there wasn't such a language barrier, I am sure we would have had great conversation. We did however take a taxi and ended up in a "Gem Scam". This is where the taxi man stops mid way at a jewelry store and walks you into the store, where employees try and sell you there jewels. I assume the taxi drivers get a cut of the profit?? Anyway, we weren't having it and as soon as we walked in a realized this was not our stop, we said no thank you and walked out and waited for our taxi man to let us get back in the car. I said "no more stops Aman, we want to go to Patong Beach now". He was nice, but we weren't going to be those nieve tourists. 9. Sunsets When that sun went down is when the streets came alive, and understandably. It was so hot during the days. The sunsets were beautiful, over the water and deep oranges and yellows. It reflected on the calm water out in the bay. Just stunning. 8. Weather Most days were in the high 90's and the humidity had to be over 50%. It was an uncomfortable heat, so we stayed in the A/C or by the pool. Once you got on a boat or in a car, the breeze was refreshing. And like I said up above, once the sun went down the streets came alive with night vendors and walkers. Warm summer nights are my favourite. 7. Having a great travel partner Having our first international travel together, we learned a lot about each other. We work well together in planning the trip and wanting to see the same attractions. I was able to warm him to the idea of using Airbnb which worked out great and saved us money. He made me live more in the moment, rather than plan ahead on our next move, which made the trip more relaxing. We got Thai Massages together, which were something we wanted to do every day. So cheap! And the ladies really work into you. Overall, I can't wait to travel with him again :) 6. Our Apartment in Cape Panwa We stayed at an Airbnb Flat that was owned by a Thai lady who had excellent taste. She was an artist so there were murals and paintings on all the walls. Tasteful decorations and A/C was great. Also, a balcony with a view of the water and the Naval Base. The plus side of the location was quiet, minus the rooster out back. It wasn't over populated with tourists, and it had an amazing pool that we took full advantage of. The downside was how far it was from all attractions we wanted to see. The shortest distance we traveled by taxi was Phuket Town which was around 25 minutes. I think the longest was an hour and a half, to get to the pier for our James Bond Island Tour. Overall, with this being one of the cheapest places we could have stayed, I wouldn't have changed a thing. 5. Overall Food in Phuket Mmmmmm....that is how I sum up the food in Thailand. Of course I instantly tried Pad Thai. So good! It was fresh made noodles and they wrapped it in like an egg crepe. Everything was served with a salad on the side. We had a lot of street food which consisted of different meats and seafood on a stick for like $.20 each. That was the cheap way to eat. They would spice it up for you too, if you wanted. We ate breakfast every morning at the Condo we stayed at; they offered a buffet breakfast for guests at $7 a person. It consisted of noodles, noodles and more noodles! Also, beignets(fried dough), eggs and little hot dogs. We always over ate at breakfast. Lunch was usually pizza, pad thai, or food from the day tours. Dinner was fried rice and I had local mussels one night, with butter and garlic. Yum! Always had a cocktail as well :). One of the best meals I had was Tom Kha Kai; it was coconut milk soup with chicken and vegetables and tastes of bay leaf and ginger in there. It was so fresh and home made. I loved every bite! I indulge a little too much because the last day of our trip I felt like I stretched my stomach liner; I mean I was so uncomfortable, it felt like I was coming down with the flu. I couldn't help but try everything...more than once. 4. Night Market in Old Phuket Town This night market (Naka Market, to the locals) was huge! We got there late, so we only had a little over an hour to browse, but I could have spent an entire day there, bartering with all the vendors on their swag. Wow, I couldn't believe how cheap things were going for. I mean brands like Nike, Bose Speakers, Ray Bans and more, were like counterfeit cheap....that is because it was all counterfeit. But I couldn't help myself, I wanted to shop. And bartering in Thailand is like a sport, so I learned. They type a number on the calculator, then you counter offer, and you go back and fourth until one cracks and says OK. For example, Chris wanted a MLB baseball cap. The guy typed 500 baht (Thai currency, roughly $25 AUS) on the calculator. Chris came back with 180, then 400, then 210....I think they finally settled on 220 baht. So he essentially paid like $8 for a nice hat! And for me, well I am not that great at bartering. I saw some Birkenstock sandals and was like ok, I will not go any higher than 800 baht, thinking they would surely be like 1000 baht. Well, the guy typed in his offer....650 baht. I was so off! Chris took over and talked him down to 450 baht. I got Birkenstock sandals for under $25!! Like I said before, I could have walked around that market all day! And there were like 100 food vendors to keep our tummys happy. We got like 12 sticks of meat for around $3, we were in heaven. 3. Phi Phi Islands Day Tour This was an exciting trip by speed boat. We were lucky to get right up front. Unfortunately Chris was sea sick and didn't enjoy the ride as much. But once we stopped off at the islands he got better. These islands had sandy beaches and blue waters. They were small islands filled with palm trees and jungle like landscape. It was so busy with tour boats that it took away from the experience, but it was still beautiful. Phi Phi Don is one of the islands and there are monkeys on the beach we stopped at. They were lounging on the beach, some were babies. They were so use to humans that they just looked at us like we were the monkeys. I got a few good shots with them. The water along each island we visited was so warm. A lot of little tiger fish (striped fish the size of your palm). We scored a great deal off Groupon for this trip, and it included a yummy buffet lunch on one of the islands. Great day, but man does that sun wear you out. We ended up staying in the shade most of the following day. 2. James Bond Island Day Tour This tour was complete opposite to Phi Phi Islands tour, in that the water was more of a green color and we toured by ferry. Now, I ranked this one better because it was a little more relaxed. We had fun on the boat with music playing and food being served. We toured more slowly on the water so we could enjoy ourselves and the views. The guide was exceptional; funny and informative. Again, the islands we toured were way over populated with other tour boats, but once we got on to each, the views were different than anything I've ever seen. They call it James Bond Island because they filmed part of the James Bond, "Golden Gun" there, so everyone was wanting a picture with the iconic island. Of course I got one :). We also got to take kayaks out to some caves and through some narrow channels of the islands. We had a guide paddle for us. Did you know, Thailand is the largest producer of Limestone in the world? Well, we got to see quite a lot of it on this trip. 1. Patong and Bangla Road Patong is like the Las Vegas of the states. I mean it is the glitz and glamour....the sin city of Phuket. Lots of Tourists on the beach with every thing for sale, from jet skis to umbrellas to I believe I saw someone charging money to apply sunscreen on people....just kidding. But really, Patong Beach and the surrounding area is the hub of Phuket. We took a Tuk Tuk (little 6 seater open air bus) up to the resort Chris stayed in last time he was there. It was easy to just walk into the pool...or should I say pools. This place was amazing! There was a huge kid pool, a huge lounge pool with a swim up bar, and a wellness pool with a waterfall and like 3 jet tubs. We chilled there for a couple hours, ended up chatting with a couple from Vancouver Washington! Small world....After that, we came down from the resort and walked the alley ways of the town where all the market vendors and hole in the wall restaurant, bars and massage parlors were. Once that sun set, the lights came on in the streets and we new where to head next; Bangla Road. Oh my, it was like the Vegas Strip but a little more dirty and no casinos. It was all open air bars and music venues. Everyone wanted your business. If you even smiled at a person holding a sign saying two for one beers, they would pull your arm into the bar and sit you down. We did that very thing and we were completely happy we did. It was a live band playing all the hits from Journey, to Guns N Roses, to Maroon 5. They had such a range in sound, they knew it all! We must've stayed there for like 3 hours. I finished a bucket of beers and danced with an English woman and I think a Thai lady. It was a great time. After that, dinner at an Italian Restaurant and the best 4 cheese pizza I think I have ever had. At the end of the night, I got to dance my heart out on the dance floor at The White Club. We had a coupon for free entry, so that's where we ended up. Oh, did I mention earlier in the night on Bangla Road, Chris dared me to take 7 shots of tequila?? Ya, I only could do 3, and gave 3 away to friends of bar....Chris did one for me too. I can say, that got the night started with a little too much of a bang. Haha. This was my top one because it was a completely different experience and so much fun!
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The Journeys Made...
* New Zealand *28 Days in Q *Banff *Home Sweet Home *Bali *Tails4You *Thailand *Fiji *Florida Up Next... East Coast America Royal Caribbean Cruise Everest Base Camp Africa |