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Published: October 27th 2010
Bond, James Bond
Shitty sea conditions had lead to our PhiPhi island trip being cancelled but James Bond Island is in Phang Nga bay so is much less exposed to the elements and would be going ahead as planned unless something major happens. Friday morning arrived and we were up early again for our scheduled pick up to take us to the Royal Phuket Marina and yes it was just as flash as it sounds.
On arrival we were greeted by Jenny who owns Simba Sea Trips with her husband, Jenny would also be joining us as our gracious host for the day as we tour the bays' Islands and visit the sea gypsy village for lunch. We were introduced to the crew and then we were ushered onto the boat, which were told by the captain had only been added to the fleet 5mths earlier. Once everyone was onboard we leisurely chugged out of the harbour and once we had cleared the outer gate the captain opened up the throttle and we were away at about 30-35 knots as we followed a line of pylons which I assumed were some kind of channel marker to
allow the boats to navigate safely around the shallow areas.
It was only about 30 minutes before we made the first stop where we encountered light rain as we disembarked and were given directions and torches before we headed off under guidance to explore the cave that led into the center of the island. Called Hong's in Thai which means room they are located in many of the islands around this area although many of them are only accessible if you like to get wet or have a canoe but even then some of them you can not get into. After going through the cave you emerge into a mangrove area which is entirely surrounded by sheer cliffs and absolutely stunning scenery.
After exploring the mangroves for a while we were led back to the beach where we had a selection of fresh fruit and drinks served to us by the boat crew before we set off to James Bond Island. Since tourists first started going there the villagers from where we would be eating lunch had recognised a way to make money and set up markets there like the tend to do in most tourist areas in
Thailand which is a shame as this is one of the places where it would mean more to people if it was left the way it was especially know that they have some permanent structures in place.
We were assured by Jenny that we would be there before most of the stalls had opened for the day as well as before all the other tour groups and sure enough when we arrived we were the only group there and there were only four or five shops open including the bar. It was good to be somewhere and not have to fight with crowds to get a decent photo although that proved a bit difficult when I was forced to take photo's with my iPhone after my camera decided that it no longer likes rechargeable batteries and this was one of the only places we have been in Thailand that has stalls but no one that sells batteries, so I couldn't even find out if it was the camera or batteries that were the problem.
After we left the Island we headed off to where the villagers have barges moored and offer sea canoeing to the tourists with a
guide who padles you around through some of the hong's for about 45 minutes. Whilst my guide was entertaining and I think liked me a little too much if you know what I mean, the hong's on this short trip were not as spectacular as the ones we encountered on our first trip in 2007. Colli being sore and not in the best condition to get in and out of the canoe had stayed behind on the barge with Jenny and had a chat with her over a cuppa while waiting for the rest of us to get back.
We then jumped back on the boat for the short trip to Panje Village for lunch and the opportunity to explore the village. Lunch was great and after having a few days to recover I was actually able to enjoy it without too much discomfort, a selection of Thai dishes including green curry with chicken and chicken & cashew nuts was served up and had good flavours even though it had obviously been toned down for the tourists. We strolled around the village after lunch with Jenny pointing out various buildings such as the school and medical center before we
reached the mosque and cemetery. The entire population of the village is muslim and we had arrived outside the mosque shortly after afternoon prayers had been called and we kept our distance as the crowd began to grow while Jenny was explaining that they were trying to raise money to replace the mosque after the first story had collapsed due to concrete cancer and the ground floor is also deteriorating. We ambled through the markets trying to avoid the shop keepers as we picked our way through the crowd and made our way back to the boat.
Heading to our final destination the sun finally came out after being overcast and rainy periods all day it could not have happened at a better time as this was our scheduled swimming and relaxing time on the beach before heading back to the marina. We pretty much had the island all to ourselves as Colli and I went for a swim most of the other people on board headed towards the bar or to other parts of the island. Some afternoon tea at the captains shack with more fresh fruit and as only an Aussie owner would do Kit Kats were
handed out too. From here it was a very short trip back to the marina where we were farewelled by the crew and escorted back to our waiting mini buses. Jenny farewelled everyone in turn and we felt very special as we were the only ones who got a hug and kiss on the cheek as we said our goodbyes.
Hanging with Khun Tom
We had made arrangements to meet Tom and Anna today who are our prefered tuktuk driving family when we are in Phuket and have become good friends as well. After a brief delay getting underway due to having to wait for another driver to pickup the other 2 people that were vying for Toms service today who he politely refused as he had already arranged to pick us up and I can tell you they did not look happy but as Tom said to us "you are my friends and good customers too so I take you and they go with my friend instead."
First stop on the list was a trip to the go kart track for a little action and fun. Tom had brought their son Boom with him today
as Ball was spending the day with grandma and this would be Boom's first time on a go kart. He went in the passenger seat next to Tom while I was in a single seater given that Tom would be in a 2 seater I chose a lower spec model so he would have a fighting chance. This would prove to be a bad choice as after taking a couple of easy laps to get acquainted with my chariot and the track and being overtaken by Tom I went to put my foot down and after a brief rush it was maxed out well below what the top speed should have been. This in turn led to me being passed a few more times by Tom and Boom until they slowed down as Boom had become a bit freaked out with the speed.
After go karting we headed off in search of coconut balls which Colli had got some of while we were in Chiang Mai however our first stop proved unsuccessful although we did buy some other yummy cashew nut products. From here we went a bit further down the road to the gem factory mainly so Tom
could collect a stamp, you don't need to buy anything for this to happen so we are more than happy to have a look around. I ended up buy Colli a beautiful gold elephant charm for her bracelet as we were trying not to spend too much money and this was quite cheap considering the quality.
From there we were off to a suveneir t-shirt outlet which had some reasonably priced and not bad looking polo shirts but not much else. Then we headed to the cashew nut factory where not only did we find the elusive coconut balls we also managed to find some more souveneirs at a far better price than we had seen them anywhere else. Then it was on to Kang Eang@ Pier for lunch where we all sat overlooking Chalong bay and had a wonderful lunch with Tom, Anna and Boom.
A quick stop at Phuket Scuba Club to say goodbye to Kevan and pick up a few small bits of dive gear and a T-shirt before heading off to Dinosaur park mini golf where Tom, Boom and I played while Anna and Colli kept score. It was a lot of fun watching
Boom trying to play as it was his first time and after the first few holes he was doing really well and he really seemed to have a fun time. After a drink at the bar Colli was fairly worn out so we decided it was a good time to head back to the hotel. We were sad to say goodbye to Tom and Anna but arranged to see them again next year for a go kart rematch minus kids and in championship karts and some bungy jumping which Tom and I had planned on doing today but after spending the last few days sick I decided that bouncing up and down on the end of a rope was not a very good idea.
After having a rest for a few hours we headed out to dinner at Tropica Bungalow and then we headed down Bangla road for some last minute shopping. Grabbing some pancakes for dessert at the vendor parked out front of Banana Disco, Wannee waved me over while I was waiting for Colli and asked us to wait for her returning a short time later she handed Colli a small bag. She is such a sweet
heart and had brought Colli the sauce mixes you need to make Satay skewers after Colli had mentioned that satay is one of her favourite dishes while we were at lunch the other day. Wannee is always one of the people we miss most when we are not in Thailand but we gave her our email address and we have her email address so we will be able to talk with her in between visits now.
The good the bad and the ugly
As most of you would be aware I have written these final few blogs from home due to me being sick during the last week of the trip. We are well into planning our next trip and I thought I would share some tips, general observations and some useful links incase anyone was interested.
There were so many good things on this trip I thought I would start with these first,
Siam@Siam Design Hotel A great place to stay in Bangkok and we would definitely stay here again.
Elephant Nature Park This place really is Elephant heaven and if you have ever had an elephant ride or are thinking of having one when you visit
Thailand I urge you to come here first or at least read the stories on this site so you can make an informed decision.
ATV Chiangmai Not a bad trip but definitely not up to Australian safety standards but most places in Thailand aren't so if thats what you expect than you probably should stay in Australia
Tiger Kingdom Worth the trip and unlike some reports suggest we did not see any evidence of drugging or abuse just happy well fed and well socialised animals.
Private Drivers Mr Joy and Sunny looked after us very well and were reasonably priced.
Simba Sea Trips Jenny was fantastic it was just a shame the seas were not playing ball for our trip to PhiPhi.
Phuket Scuba Club Keith my instructor was awesome and Kevan and Chantal were very helpful in organising everything.
Phuket Thai Cookery School Fantastic staff great food and an excellent view.
We have links for some of the restaurants we ate at as well as a few other links, if you are interested just ask and I will send them to you.
The Centara Duangtawan hotel and Patong Beach hotel fall somewhere between good and bad which for the Patong Beach
hotel is sad because it used to be one of the places we really looked forward too but now as we plan our next trip we find ourselves looking for a different hotel in Phuket. Whilst nothing really bad happened it just didn't have the same feel as it had in previous years.
Unfortunately the Ugly parts of the trip mainly revolved around other tourists of various nationalities including some Australians. The way some tourists behave and treat the Thai people is truly disgusting and is very disrespectful to cultures in most parts of the world and is extremely fustrating when you come across it. The other bad thing is the street hawkers around the Patong beach area who have usually come in from Bangkok or other parts of Thailand or elsewhere, they are rude, aggressive and are definitely there to rip you off which is not the Thai way and most locals are embarrassed to be anywhere near them let alone be labled as one of them.
Stay tuned for next years trip and maybe a few little ones in between. Bye for now Paul and Colli
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BERYL
non-member comment
like a lot
Glad most things went well sounds like a nice couple of days for your last ones send me the links at work so I can check them out. chhers Beryl