Phuket and Krabi

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About time for my End of the Year Tour, doesn't matter where to as long as I don't have to spend the Chinese New Year in HK, an embarrassing time when you are a single senior...long story!!!

Anyways....still need a place to start, although I am not a beach person, still I pick Phuket...of course...mainly because of the cheap ticket, beside....I want to see a bit of the deep south Thailand and north Malaysia. Alright...everything set and here I was outside the Phuket airport at 2 am in the morning, well...that was why the ticket so cheap! Luckily there was chairs in the air-con waiting hall, and I came prepared with couple of movies in my notebook," only 6 hours to kill" I reminded myself! beside...I am not the only one there waiting for the first bus in the morning. actually the Phuket airport was rather busy in these early hour, almost every 30 mins would flushed with arrival crowd, seem like there were many cheap flight and ticket floating in the air everyday, no wonder the global temperature keep on running high!

As usual, the first few days of the journey I would be like a soulless skeleton walking around aimlessly with no bearing, luckily Phuket town is rather easy going, most of the thing can be find around the old quarter. with no intention for beach and island, I spend 2 effortless days in town, the most exciting outing should be the hike up the small hilltop of Khao Rang for the bird eye view of the area, There wasn't much to write about Phuket town, the old quarter is nice but nothing extraordinary, Without a night market, food scene spread out in different area, with the Chinese and Muslim community in the south, food choice expanded.

Krabi is smaller and simple with everything run around the market area, The wonderful morning market said to be the biggest in southern Thailand, a good place to stock up fruit and salad, great place for breakfast if you like local style, the congee is lovely, and many sweet and leaf wrapped cake and candy. the crispy sesame ball stuffed with red bean paste is superb! For me...a surprise to find dimsum, our Cantonese speciality! and they taste almost the same like we had at home and...far cheaper!!!! Night market in Krabi is great, so many different food to choose from, it attracted all the tourists from their beach resort and heat up the quiet town in the evening. Ao Nang is the most popular beach resort in Krabi, where people can easily pick up island tour, baking on the lengthy beach along the coast, having beach-side massage, canoeing or just hangout in the roadside cafe bar, Ao Nang simply exist for tourism. most of the coast surrounded Krabi is covered by mangrove, a great protection to the seaside villages, not far from Krabi center you can make a short walk into the mangrove bush, a nice and relaxing stroll to hide from the afternoon heat. Hiking up the steep stairway of the tiger cave temple seem to be the most heavy exercise so far, the 1300 steps up the 300m hill was lung killing, fighting for breathing and air every few steps up, ooopp...I am not the only one pulling for oxygen in Bollywood beat while holding the grilling hot handle conduit for support on the stairway, but the view was wonderful once you crawl up there. and a huge golden Buddha statue seat on the top, facing out to the other side beyond the open sea where another Big Buddha statue in Phuket Island, Seem like two guarding angles protecting the vast Andaman sea.

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Comments

[D MJ Binkley]

Heading to the beaches
Sometimes a cheap ticket will lure you into a holiday you normally would not sign up for.....and good things happens. Sounds like you are having a good time and enjoy the markets and beaches.