Well from bangkok i travelled over 800km ...
Trip Start
Oct 25, 2001
1
33
56
Trip End
Ongoing
Phuket,
Thailand
Thursday, February 14, 2002
I headed to Patong, where it's mainly full of 2 week holiday makers that come for the beach, shopping, paragliding, and partying. Having a international airport on Phuket helps draws the crowds in.
When we got to onto the island our driver dropped us off at a information shop in the middle of nowhere. (cheeky git) He said that we would get a connecting minibus from here to our destinations on the island. The owners of the shop all came out greeting us all smiles, asking us if we had any rooms booked on the island because it was full because of the Chinese new year. (but of course they could book a room for us!!)
I was almost certain that they were trying to make us worry about finding a room.
I (or anybody else that was on the bus) wasn't prepared to hang around, so we all headed to the main road where we flagged down a minivan and paid a small fee to take us to Patong.
I headed to the main accomodation area where there were rooms a plenty!!!
Patong is fairy quiet this time of year, with extra hassle from the street shops, tailor shops , and taxi drivers all wanting to get your money. After 10 minutes of walking down the street, it becomes exhausting saying no, no, no all the time.
The Indian Tailor shop owners have it down to a fine art asking you how you are, where your from and holding out there hand to shake yours.
You just have to smile and say 'no thanks not today'.
The main reason iv'e come to Patong is to check out my diving options.
Patong is the main area on the island where the diving shops/trips are situated.
I'm looking into staying on a boat for 4/5 days and travelling out to the Samilian Islands, thats ranked on of the 10 top dive sites in the world.
Although it all comes at a price i'm sure.
