Phuket, Khao Phi Phi and Khao Tao

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Our next point of call for Thailand was the south, where we stopped first at Phuket. Downtown Phuket was pretty dingy, the dirty market stalls were surrounded by irritating Tuk Tuk drivers and flies. If anyone has seen the film The Beach, then they may be mildly impressed that we stayed in the Hotel that the “flop house” scene was filmed in. Unfortunately the place had not changed and with its rotting doors and smell of sewage it wasn’t the nicest place we’ve stayed in (although not the worst!!).

Kata beach, where we stayed the next day, was a much more pleasant area, although overrun with tourists. We had a relaxing day sunbathing (Bex, not Dom) and swimming in the boiling hot sea. This is one of the areas that was hit hardest by the Tsunami of 2004, however there was little sign of the tragedy that took place not so long ago.

From Phuket we got a boat out to Khao Phi Phi. On the way we passed Maya bay, where The Beach was also filmed! This was swarmed by holiday makers, which slightly ruined the effect. We couldn’t really blame them though it was stunning. We stayed in a picturesque little bungalow on the beach, equipped with a very comfy hammock! We only had a day on Phi Phi and enjoyed relaxing in the Sea and perusing the little market stalls. That night we sat on the beach and shared a notorious “bucket”. This consists of whisky, coke and a red bull equivalent (supposedly laced with amphetamines!). Very nice!

After a speedy overland transfer, we were on the east coast of Thailand where we got a night boat to Khao Tao. This was an interesting experience; instead of seats we were given very narrow beds that joined each other. Bex awoke to realise a very tall man was sharing her bed!!

On Khao Tao we did some more diving. This was amazing! We saw a huge shark, on our first dive that, according to our divemaster friend, Greg, was 4 metres long!! On the second dive we swam through a maze of caves, one containing a huge snapper the size of a pig! We also got a rare sight of a sea snake, the colours of a zebra, as well as almost being attacked by a trigger fish! All in a days work! Our rushed journey through the south came to an end as we left Khao Tao after one night, arriving back in Bangkok the following evening. Although rushed, we loved the heat of the south and its beautiful beaches.

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Comments

[Anne]

Stunning
The scenery looks absolutely stunning. Be careful with the diving - sounds like you are having a few near misses!"!! xxxx

[Susan]

Great to see you're still having such a marvellous time. We're really enjoying your blog, feel as if we're having the chances to see areas that we probably will never have the time to visit. Can't wait for you to come to Cyprus and tell us personally about some of your best experiences. Take care. x