Phuket

Trip Start Sep 06, 2007
1
7
28
Trip End Sep 04, 2008


Loading Map
Map your own trip!
Map Options
Show trip route
Hide lines
shadow

Flag of Thailand  ,
Thursday, September 20, 2007

We departed from Kay's house, well fed and smelling good again! After having a leaving breakfast with her family we headed off on the bus bound for Phuket.  The journey took two and a half hours, normally this would be grand, excpet for the blaring imitations on the bus TV (thai Britney Spears!).  We eventually arrived and quite quickly found some decent accommodation.  We checked out the town to find that there is nothing there!! As it is monsoon season we didn't see the point in staying at a beach resort.  There is a massive market in Phuket and a nice feeling to the town.  Next day we set off to Patong, the main beach resort on the west coast of the island...it was another mental experience on what they consider to be a taxi/mini-bus.  It turned out to be a beautiful day, so we took in the rays!!  As per usual, the thai people sell things on the beach, this woman came along with a sarong I really liked, just as I was in the throws of haggling on the price, she took off running (she didn't exactly seem the type that could run, if you get my meaning!), I couldn't understand where she took off to 'No Insurance' jet-ski hire!
'No Insurance' jet-ski hire!
 .  All became clearer when the police made their way down the beach. They don't allow the sellers on the beach unless they give them a back hander!!. She eventually came back and we did business.

That evening we were on our way back to catch our so called mini-bus/taxi, when Fiona decided she wanted a chocolate crepe, standing in the queue we saw one of our buses pass...we decided we'd wait for the next one...only to realise when we got there that the bus that passed us was the last one of the day!, the guy at the crepe stand was bursting himself laughing at us!  We had to haggle mad with the tuk tuk drivers but they were all mad into ripping us off.  Me being me decided no way was I having this.  Eventually we arranged an agreement with a taxi driver and off home we went. 

It is clearly evident in Patong the damage of the Tsunami, development is going on everywhere still 3 years later!  It is crazy to see all the signposts tell you where to go in the case of a Tsunami!

Back to Phuket town, it is a Sino-Portguese influenced, we found all that had to be seen in one afternoon.  Time to leave, but both Fiona and I were very anxious about taking our flight out of Phuket because of the accident the previous week.  We arrived back in Bangkok safe and sound, ready to apply for our Vietnam visa!
Slideshow Print this entry Kathu hotels