May 04, 2008 01:26 PM
6761 Views
Phuket was a part of our trip to Singapore and Thailand. We reached Phuket from Singapore in a low-budget Tiger Airways flight, which was quite uneventful. As we landed we got disheartened because of the heavy rain. We had not got our Visa for Phuket, so we got it stamped at the Phuket airport. You don’t need to get any documents for that; a passport sized photo and a little over 1000 Baht would suffice. We had already booked our airport transfers and hotel, and our driver was waiting promptly at the exit. He told us that it had been raining continuously for past three days.
Our hotel, Royal Paradise, was quite good and so was the food there. We had most of our meals in the hotel itself. It was located neat Patong beach. On our first day in Phuket, we stayed in the hotel most of the time because of heavy rain and went out for a stroll in the evening. Bangala road was very happening at night with pubs and bars lining both sides of the road – typical Thai nightlife with dancing girls and lady boys everywhere.
The next day we went for Phuket island sightseeing trip and saw all the popular places and beaches there. Our tour also included a Thai temple and a gemstone factory. The driver finally dropped us at Big C – a huge store with a wide collection of everything at good prices. We did a lot of shopping there as we didn’t need to bargain as with other road-side shops.
On the third day we went for a full day trip to Phang Nga bay. The tour operator took us to the middle of the bay in a double-decker boat. Once we reached there, we were transferred to small kayaks along with a guide per couple. I am not much of a swimmer, but for Kayaking you don’t need that. You have to go in the afternoon at the right time to visit this place, as at that time the water in the sea is just right. If you go too early, the level would be too low and you might just find sand and if you get late then all the caves would be full of water making your way inside impossible. The guide took us across all the small caves and we saw some beautiful rock formations and hidden places. Some of the caves were so low that we had to lie down in the kayak to go through. We also went to the famous James Bond Island and the lava beach. All the snacks and food were arranged on the boat itself and were yummy! We tried kayaking also, it was not very difficult, and with some practice, my husband was able to maneuver it quite well.
Next day we were supposed to go to Phi Phi Island(where “the beach” was shot) but our trip got cancelled due to rain, so we relaxed at the hotel and went for some more shopping. We bought an extra bag to accommodate all the additions.
There are numerous massage parlors scattered all over the island. I treated myself with an aroma-oil massage every day. It just cost 400 Bhat per session.
It is amazing how the city has sprung back to life after the Tsunami devastated it. Throughout the place you will find pictures of the destruction caused by Tsunami.
