Advertisement
Taking in the scenery
After the big night last night, a sleep in was inevitable. We woke up at 11am, hungry, so after getting organised we popped across the road to OTOP Markets for brunch. We ate breakfast here a few times while staying in Phuket and the food was cheap and great value.
Then we decided to jump on the scooter and explore a little, entrusting our free map from the airport to not lead us astray. I should have learned from the Koh Samui maps not to trust maps here!!
We headed up the coast, pulling in to one of those little roadside petrol "stalls" to fill up. We went past Kalim Beach, Kamala Beach, Surin Beach, Bang Tao Beach, then kept going up through the middle of Phuket (we think), taking in all the interesting sights on the way.
We then headed south, down along the east coast (we think) and eventually ended up at the Heroines Monument in the middle of Phuket. By this stage we were a little over the whole scooting thing - it didn't help that our helmets, which seemed to be more round than oval, were
both too small and the wrong shape for our heads!! Plus it was a rather windy day, so our helmets kept slipping back on our heads which made the whole point of wearing them a bit silly.
Two hours later we arrived back at the hotel, having seen a lot of Phuket, just having no idea what parts!!LOL
We then went for a leisurely stroll around Patong, doing a little more shopping (will do a shopping blog later) and some people watching (you certainly see some"interesting" sights in Patong).
Later that evening we decided to go to Phukettown to find the weekend markets. So back on the scooter we jumped and headed off, hoping we would have more luck than earlier today.
Well it just wasn't our day! After cruising the streets of Phukettown, stopping to ask for directions in my limited thai 3 times, we were stumped as to where these markets were located. We headed back to the Holiday Inn, parked up the scooter and walked down the beach road to a local restaurant for dinner.
I ordered a Green Chicken Curry (which certainly wasn't the best I'd had) and Shan had Pizza.
Shan had been feeling a bit sick in the stomach lately so didn't want to push her luck eating spicy thai food.
On the way back to our hotel shortly after, we stopped at a DVD stall to find a movie to watch back in our room. We were taken out the back, through the local tailors shop, through a secret door to a back room full of 1000s of DVDs. We didn't know where to look first but Shan spotted "Twilight". Having just read the first 3 books in the Twilight series and currently reading the 4th, I didnt really have much choice as to whether this was the DVD we got. 60 baht later, we were back to the room, DVD on, sitting back and relaxing before bed.
Hongs by Starlight - A+++
Friends had reccommended that we must do John Gray's Hongs by Starlight tour which we had been contemplating anyway. Now we can understand what all the fuss is about.
We got picked up from our hotel at midday on Monday and driven to the pier where we boarded the boat to take us out to the islands.
Not long after boarding the boat, we headed off and a light thai lunch was served as we cruised out to the first island for an hour or so. There was also free water and soft drinks on board that you can help yourself to at any time. Lunch was delicious and the staff were very freindly.
We hit it off with one guide in particular named "Ibi", whose english was quite good and he took great pleasure in joking around with us and learning a few new english words. When we arrived at the first island, guides were designated to each couple or people paired up together. We assume Ibi had requested that he be our guide as we were told he would be paddling us out and looking after us for the day.
On the way out to the island some of the guides were throwing small pieces of raw chicken into the air and into the sea to encourage and feed the kites (sea birds). It was mesmerising watching the kites sweep down to snatch the meat from the water and sometimes catch it in mid-air.
When we arrived the sea canoes were put
into the water with guides on board and in turn we jumped in our respective canoes.
Ibi paddled us in through the first hong (low water cave) and we came out into a inner island lagoon. It was an awesome sight, the rock sides of the lagoon soaring into the sky above us and trees clinging to roots imbedded in the rocks. It was so beautiful and peaceful in here, you really do feel at one with nature.
After we had taken it all in, the guides paddled us off around the Island to a second hong, through the narrow caves in the side of the island, often we had to duck or lay down because the roof of the cave was so low. Inside this hong we saw some small bats with the flashlight that was provided, then came out into another lagoon where we were lucky enough to see a group of Macaque monkeys playing in the trees.
Every now and then the Macaques would playfight and jump into the water. It was hilarious when one boy monkey started to hump another boy monkey from behind. Everybody roared with laughter and suddenly both of those
monkeys turned around to us all and looked at us with a "what are we doing wrong?" look on their faces!! It was priceless!!
We sat there in the canoes for a while, quietly watching the monkeys play, then paddled off around the inside of the lagoon, marveling at the mangroves and scenery before us. Then the thunder started, then the rain, it wasn't torrential but it was cold. Ibi took us to shelter under the overhanging rocks. We sat there for a while staring out across the lagoon, complete silence as the rain fell on the water, everyone just looked on in awe. Not long after the rain eased up a little and we headed back to the boat.
We headed out to a second Island and were paddled through amongst the hongs, then after heading back to the boat were able to take the canoes out on our own for a while and also go for a swim near the boat.
Once back on board our guides showed us how to make Loi Kratongs which we would later float in the lagoon inside a hong in darkness.
A big spread was put on for
dinner consisting of mixed thai dishes, can't remember exactly what they all were but they were aroi mak mak (very very delicious)!!
We relaxed on board, chatting to new found friends, waiting for the sun to set and darkness to take over. Not long after, we once more got into the canoes, paddling off into the black and squeezing through a very low hong. We had to lay down in the canoe for this one and our faces were not that far from the roof of the hong as the tide slowly was rising.
Once inside our guides lit the candles and incense on our Loi Kratongs and passed them back to us. We made a wish and gently floated them off into the darkness of the lagoon.
Complete silence.
Everybody just sat there, taking in the experience, marveling at the 15 or so Kratongs, candlelight reflecting off the water.
Once the candles had burnt down Ibi slowly paddled us a bit further round in the lagoon and engouraged us to run our hands through the water. This was the strangest phenomenon, what they call bioluminescence, which I understand to be the plankton lighting up
in the water. As we dragged our hands through the water there were tiny greenish lights dancing on our fingers and making a sparkly trail where our hands had just been. Its one of those things that you can't imagine, you really have to do it for yourself if given the chance.
Once we had finished playing in the water we were paddled back to the boat, boarded once more, and headed back to shore.
From memory we got back to our hotel at about 9.30pm that night.
I hope from the photos you can tell how much of an amazing experience this was, something we will defintely be doing when we return to Phuket, in the hopefully not too distant future.
Advertisement
Tot: 0.086s; Tpl: 0.012s; cc: 6; qc: 45; dbt: 0.0474s; 1; m:domysql w:travelblog (10.17.0.13); sld: 1;
; mem: 1.1mb
Mum
non-member comment
Great reading
Hi u 2. I have to say, that even though I heard all about your trip on your return, reading your blog is excellent. Its like living it with you, and I'm thoroughly enjoying it........bring on the next one :)