50shadesofbrave

Phuket was actually the starting point for this whole trip. It was a crumb of temptation from some friends who had booked 3 weeks in a villa in Nai Harn, and who suggested I could join them since they had a spare bedroom, that started the cogs turning and led to flights being booked. It was also the ‘safety net’ that gave me the confidence to do parts 1 and 2 of this trip solo… knowing that if everything went ‘tits up’, I could always head down to Phuket early and there would be friendly faces and a bed waiting for me! For all of that I am very grateful to Sally and Jon.

I have to admit I was sad to leave Chiang Mai – I could have done with a couple more days (or longer… I just loved the vibe). The flight to Phuket was just over 2 hours, which gives some idea of the size of the country. I arrived late afternoon and had an hour plus in a taxi to reach Nai Harn, which is almost at the southernmost point of Phuket island. It was certainly nice to see a friendly face at the gate of Symphony Villas after a long day of travelling.

I think I had definitely somewhat run out of steam by the time I got to week three of this trip. I had always intended that the 6 nights in Phuket would predominantly be R’n’R, but I’m not sure I had planned to be quite as lazy as I was! There were several reasons for this…

1. The weather. When it was hot, it was very very hot! It had been hot in Bangkok and Chiang Mai, but this was different, and on day one I did not show the sun enough respect and ended up with sunburnt shoulders and, worse, FEET! Very ouchy! Added to the heat, we also had a couple of days of rain – that wasn’t in the script! Actually, one of the rainy days led to an enjoyable trip to Phuket Old Town, but that apart, it was just an excuse to read, watch TV or go for a(nother) massage.
2. The setting. Symphony Villa was such a calm and restful place. Hidden behind electric gates, with its own lush gardens and swimming pool, and very effective aircon in the villa itself, it was easy to while away the hours on a lounger beside the pool, chatting on the terrace or even taking an afternoon nap! Outside the gates was a different story… it was like being slapped in the face with noise, heat and traffic all at once as soon as you stepped through the gate! The Bangkok moped traffic was like a swarm of bees; in Phuket, the stream of bees was constant, and again crossing the road was a total nightmare! Once we got there (about a 20-25 minute walk), the local beach was dreamy – just like something you imagine when you think of a paradise island, and the sea was a fabulous temperature. We went on two occasions to swim (by which I mean ‘bob about and chat’), but then headed back to the villa complex in preference to spending longer being beach bums.
3. The vibe. The few different towns I visited in Phuket (Nai Harn, Rawai, Karon) were definitely buzzing, but I wasn’t sure this was the kind of ‘buzz’ I would usually have sought out on a holiday. Each town’s ‘strip’ seemed to be an endless repetition of 7-11 stores, massage parlours, weed cafes, restaurants and tour operators. Rinse and repeat. And the clientele were often shirtless tattooed Brits or Russians. The food offerings were much more international and less traditional, with quite an absence of the street food opportunities I’d experience previously – we saw food carts at Karon market, but I’m 99% sure I’d have suffered a bout of Thai tummy had I eaten from them! Our evening in Karon was a taste of the lively side of Phuket, and led me to conclude that declining the offer to visit Patong with its ladyboys and ping-pong shows was probably the wisest idea!
4. The cost. Prices in Phuket were substantially higher than in either Bangkok or Chiang Mai. Taxis, food and markets/shops. Whereas I’d been able to hop from one end of Bangkok city centre to the other by taxi or bike for a couple of quid, here it was more like £5 or £10 each way to go to the next town or to visit a tourist attraction.

So, there you have my list of excuses why I can’t write you a long blog about all the millions of cultural things I did in Phuket! But let me tell you about the things I did do that made it a cracking week:

1. Visit to Phuket Old Town. Phuket Old Town is characterised by its colourful Sino-Portuguese architecture. There is a network of streets in this style, where you can find plentiful coffee shops, numerous independent shops, and every now and then a Thai temple or Chinese shrine. We spent a couple of hours wandering here, dipping in to shops to buy presents and souvenirs, having brunch in a little cafe and enjoying the wonderful street facades. Even the odd rain shower didn’t dampen a lovely morning out.
2. Boat trip around Phang Nga Bay. I was a bit torn over which boat trip around the islands to choose. PhiPhi and surrounding islands would have been closer to where I was staying, but in the end my tourist head got the better of me and I decided that the lure of having holiday photos that included James Bond Island was too great to resist… so I chose the afternoon/sunset trip to Phang Nga Bay. It wasn’t cheap, because I chose a company that limited the number of passengers on the trip to 20 (can’t think of anything worse than being sardined on a boat for 8 hours!). Despite some rough water and rainy showers first thing, all in all it was an excellent day. We were well looked after in terms of food and drink, and had our own personal kayak ‘drivers’ to take us from the boat into the caves, and onto the shores of James Bond and Hong islands. Such beautiful and photo-worthy scenery. It would have looked even more beautiful with blue sky, and the sunset wasn’t the best due to the cloud, but I’m glad I did this trip… and I got the tourist photo, as you can see!
3. Dinner at Rawai fish market. What an experience! Each day, the fishermen unload their catch at Rawai and the stallholders display it at the market. Punters can walk along and select the fish they would like for dinner – from both dead and still live stock – and take it next door to the restaurant of their choice, where they select how they’d like each item cooked. We bought dead catch only… 3 squid, 2 scallops, 6 huge prawns, 6 small prawns and a sea bass… for around £16. We had it cooked as follows: squid with chilli and lime, steamed scallops, garlic prawns, and lemon grilled sea bass. All of that served with rice and chips, plus drinks added about another £25 to the bill, so for around £40 for three people, we ate the freshest fish you could want, cooked to our requirements, sat beside the sea it came from. Amazing!
4. Thai massage. Two to be exact, at a lovely massage parlour that had been scouted out beforehand by my friends. I had a one hour, full body massage with oil for £10 a throw. So, so relaxing… and makes me quite resentful of the £50 odd it costs for a much lesser experience back home.
5. Reading by the pool. A perfect way to unwind, and probably the longest I have sat still / the most I have read in a long time!

By the time my taxi came to pick me up for my hideously late-night flight out of Phuket, I was probably ready to leave. Not necessarily ready to go home, but I think I’d had my fill of Phuket island. My time there was made by the company and the relaxing surroundings. I’m not sure it’s somewhere I’d head back to to be honest, but it was a lovely way to close out my otherwise quite busy trip. Sally, Jon, thank you for planting the seed for this trip and for looking after me so well ❤️