Bamboo and Deserted Beaches

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I'm now sitting in a little restaurant (I think its meant to be German themed :S) at a computer with rain beating down outside (it's the monsoon season) after spending a few days on a deserted beach at the South of Phuket. Before we left Bangkok, we met three Glasgowegian girls who told us of a beach, behind the commercial hotels of Nai Han, where you could rent a bungalow and live metres from the sea. It all sounded a bit like 'The Beach' to me - promises of deserted beaches sounded amazing, and this is what we (Stuart, Nadine and I) headed for. It's almost 450 miles from Bangkok to Phuket, but we booked this 17hour coach trip for 400 Baht - about 6pounds - a bargain. The coach took us from Bangkok to Suritani, where we boarded an open back van and headed for Phuket, only to have to get another bus and a taxi to Nai Han beach. We asked some questions, and eventually found our way to Ao Sane - not an easy walk of 1km with a huge backpack waying you down - the deserted beach we had been told about.

We were not disspointed. We rented two bungalows, simple bamboo and wood huts with corrugated metal roofs, equipped with a bed, mosquito net and fan. Literally metres from the sea, we could hear the waves rolling onto the beach as we unpacked our stuff. Such a beautiful place - the Lundy Bay of Thailand with huge boulders and crystal clear waters (photos to come when I reach suitably equipped computer). So we've spent the last few days lazing on the beach, drinking young coconuts, smoking Bamboo joints and generally enjoying being alive in Thailand. Last night we ventured to Nai Han - the bigger beach around the corner. Stuart and I played football on the sand with some local Thai boys as the sun set, a moment which was as memorable as it was fun.

We're now in Patong Beach - the more touristy area with countless bars backing onto the beach where we're looking to spend a couple of fun nights before Stuart returns to Bangkok for his flight home, and I head onto Kho Phi Phi - famed for its beauty and its starring role in 'The Beach'.

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