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Bayshore Hotel
Off the plane, into the pool. Thailand - Phuket, Patong Beach, Kata beach
I'm not sure if it was the humidity or the offers for "special price" that got to us first as we stepped onto the footpath from the hotel. It was time to explore Patong, as it was our first stop after a smooth flight over from Melbourne to Bangkok and a short transfer to Phuket. Patong is a bustling coastal town aimed at extracting every last baht (currency here) from uninitiated tourists. Everything is for sale here including "authentic" Diesel sandals, shirts, watches and of course girls and lady boys. 😊 It's a shock initially but after a while it just becomes normal and bartering can be fun and there are some real bargains to be had.
We flew Thai airlines which were great and the flight went quite quickly. The service was a constant supply of anything we wanted but the movie was about some sort of super dog that performed good deeds for everyone. We couldn't really get into it, so we reclined the chairs and accepted the numerous offers for alcohol from the attendants. Maybe they felt sorry for us having to watch the dog movie and thought
Patong by night.
Just around the corner is where all the action is. "Very good price" "You look my shop" "Oooo Handsome man want short stay?" and so on.. :) alcohol would be a good way out. 😊 It seemed to work as we got a few hours sleep and managed to avoid watching the rest of it. It's funny but I kind of want to know what happens to the dog at the end now....oh well, maybe if I'm really lucky I'll get the same movie on the next flight...
We stayed in Patong for a few nights and explored the surroundings in a Taxi van with a really friendly driver, Joe. He agreed to drive us around for most of the day and show us the different bays, beaches, and interesting things in the area. It's an excellent way to spend a day and it's gave us a good chance to take some pics and see the whole area from someone who knows it well. At one point we stopped at a small lookout which had a guy offering photos with his tame but massive Sea Eagles. I couldn't resist so for about $1 I got to hold it for a few mins and Craig took the shot here. We kept cruising around and discovered a beach just down the road called Kata beach which is a
Joe and the taxi van
The best tour guide in the world! Write that down Phil. :) lot nicer than Patong and the whole lot quieter. I think we decided on the spot to move here and stay for a few days.
The next day in Patong we booked a full day tour of the islands in Phang Nga Bay on a boat with lunch and a close up look at the island they used in the James Bond movie, The Man With The Golden Gun. It was used as the hideout for the bad guy, Scaramanga and it's easy to see why they used this location as it has a surreal and almost spooky feel to it. It would have been so secluded back in the 70's before the tourists discovered it. The rock formations basically shoot straight up out of the water and tower overhead in parts. Where the water meets the rock it had washed huge amounts away leaving cavernous tunnels underneath that other tours were exploring in canoes. I was rather jealous of that and made a promise to come back and explore it myself one day. It's funny, but you find your self saying that all the time as Thailand has so much to offer. I like it. 😊
Now in
Sea Eagle
Hello birdie Kata beach and staying in a very clean and cheap hotel on the hillside at the very end of the bay. It's a spectacular scene and the whole place has a very chilled out vibe, including the Reggae bar "Ska Bar" under a huge tree on the beach. We have spent every night there and have met some friendly people and heard so many travel stories from all over the world.
The last few days have been very relaxing and to be honest we haven't done that much except sit on the beach and go for the odd surf and swim. The surf here is pretty good and to Craig's delight it's one of the best surf spots in Thailand. We soon made friends with the surf shop owners and Craig got all the tips and was shown a better place to surf just around the corner, out of the way of the tourists. In fact I might get out of here and head there myself as it's getting bloody hot again. The days pass quickly as you just sit and forget about all the things that made you want to take a holiday in the first place. Today
Kata beach
Our beach now...home I think I'll have a quick surf then relax on one of the many hammocks I have been eyeing off for the last few days, either that or a banana lounge and a few Singha beers....which of course are available at almost arms reach for next to nothing. Ahhh 😊
Yesterday was much like today, I think we could have stayed on the beach all day and night, just quietly I think we did...
Cheers,
Darren
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Helen Cox
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Wow!!
Enjoying reading your travel blog Darren - makes me question what I'm doing here working 9 hour days 5 days a week!! Thailand certainly looks beautiful from your pictures and love your writing - will keep following your travels. Cheers Helen.