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Published: February 27th 2007
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Wow, sorry fell really behing on this blog, got kind of Blog Fatigue, but I am back on it, and alot has changed but that's for a future blog that I have still to write!
Phuket So, on New Years day I flew from Bangkok to Phuket. I got a bargain internal flight on Asia Airways (anyone wanting to move around asia check this airline out, it's like easyjet, but with much nicer air hostesses!). Was a really cheap flight, but as I missed the 7pm flight, I hence had to then buy a really cheap flight again at 9pm - special thanks to Jan who broke all land records trying to get me to the airport on time for my first flight, alas I didn't make it....
You could ask how I could even make a flight on New Years day, this was due to the fact that I had been feeling realy ill from Kidney problems and didn't even drink on New Years eve 😞
Met two girls (American) at the checkout who obviously were also going to Phuket, and as I was gonna be arriving late, and had booked no accomadation, I asked them
where they were staying, we agreed to share a cab when we arrived in Phuket to there hotel to see if I can get a room.
When we arrived in Phuket, we actually got a cheap airport bus, which cost us about £1.5 each, which was a bargain. But..... then halfway there, we stopped at this office, because "we have to change to connecting buses". We get escorted into the office, and the hard sell starts with all the trips (the quid fifty, is now not looking so much a bargain as I just want to find a bed for the night). They ask me if I have booked accomadation, which I lie and say I had (same as the girls), they say good as the hotel they quoted is full, I'd been in Asia long enough now to know that they would tell us that even if it was empty, so said I had also got a reservartion.
Got to the hotel, which was in Phuket town, the beach resorts all being more expensive and to my shock they had plenty of spare rooms of which i booked into one. The girls I noticed were very fond
of each other, and turned out to be lesbians, had they met some of my friends back in old blighty that had turned that way i wondered.
Next couple of days I was feeling really ill, so went to the Bangkok Phuket Hopital in Phuket. My left Kidney kept feeling like it was being punched and after about £500 worth of Xrays and Ultra sounds the specialist told me my Kidney was swollen and hardly working and that I had to make several decisions of what i could do. Now thoughts of waking up in an ice bath with my good kidney having been taking out went through my head.
After discussions with the specialist and my insurance it was agreed that I woud not have treatment there but either as I was travelling on or to fly back to England. Hmm decisions to be made......
As pain had lapsed a bit, the hopital gave me some pain killers and happily waved me on my way, with a cheque from my insurance company in their back pocket covering the costs! I thought I would carry on my travels for a while before making a decision, well
ko Phi Phi - Accomadation
Well if you can afford 5 Star, why not.. doctor said would be ok short term!
Ko Phi Phi Like Phuket this was the 2nd time I had been to Phi Phi, went about 6 years before with Dan, Snotch and Macna, and I was to find out that we were quite lucky when we went. The first time we went was just after the first Bali bomb (when terrorists blew up a night club), Due to this bomb, Phuket had been on red alert, and all the western governments were warning tourists not to go there. Because of this Phuket was pretty quite, and Phi Phi was Ok. This time.....
Made the mistake of arriving at the Island at about 3pm (all the budget accomadation gets snapped up in the morning), couple of touts with pictures of bungalows head my way, Ok I thought, got here at last, I'll pay upto about £15 for the first night accomadation. Cheapest I was offered was about £85 for the night, now I'd rather sleep on the beach than pay that! Luckily (?) I found a tent just of the beach for about £8 a night which included use of a communal cold shower room, what the
heck, I took it.
Guys I met on this campsite were really cool, and in the same situation as me, so we were bonded by are mutual dislike of the tents!
The rest of the tent crew had never been here before, and everybody's mission was to see the Beach from the film The Beach, and when we arrives it was so packed looked nothing like it did in the movies (again when I came here about 6 years ago it was almost deserted and really did look the part, should have left this Island to the fond memories I had previously).
We mixed that with a good day snorkelling on one of the wooden boats for hire, the only upsetting thing was when the old German man would stand up in the front of the boat in his tight speedo's to take pictures of his young Thai boy lover 😞 Speedo's should be banned! - and Gay German men with Thai boyfriends!!
Only stayed here two nights as though a beautiful Island (was trashed by the Tsunarmi), had been heaviy built on, and could no way be called a beach paradise.
Ko Lanta
I headed south to Lanta with Fabio, Amy and John, looking for a place a bitter quiter and cheaper than Phuket and Phi Phi, whilst at the same time heading towards Malaysia.
Though the accomadation was pretty full, in the day the beaches were quite empty (which was good), and at night the pubs were empty (which was bad).
Stayed in Ko Lanta for two nights as well, as this was not that spectular, headed further south to Ko Tarutao were Fabio had headed after 1 night at Lanta.
Ko Tarutao National Park Ko Tarutao was described in my rough planet as " probably the most beautiful of all of Thailand's accessible beach destinations", so was a must as was situated conveniently just north of the Malaysia border.
Met back up with Fabio in Tarutao, and found that this Island was the totally opposite to Phi Phi in the fact that there were miles of unspoilt beaches that were just empty - think this had something to do with the 40 Baht (£6) entrance fee that is charged to foreigners going onto a national park in Thailand (puts off the back packers).
Lucky I did not rent a tent, because as I was helping (well watching) Beat (friend from Switzerland) pack up a tent when we saw a scorpion, lucky escape, and I bet he was glad he saw it as he was packing up not as he was pitching the tent!
Ko Lipe Ko Lipe is the only Island that is in the Ko Tarutao National park area which isn't in the National park (follow?), and as such does not have restrictions on building hotels, and as such... is alot busier than the other Islands (whilst not being busy!). Also hence does not have the 400 baht charge.
Spent about three days, with the highlight being the Snorkelling day trip we went on, saw some lovely coral and fish on a really hot sunny day which was perfect for topping up are already brown tans.
Ko Lipe, happened to be the last destination in Thailand, only being about 5km North of Malaysia, but unfortunatly a bum numbing bus ride inline was required to cross the border into Malaysia.
Next stop Malaysia....
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