It was supposed to be budgeted trip. Turns out that we spent more than we should, with no idea where the extra spending had gone to. Phuket was selected because someone had wanted an island getaway. And this had been the only affordable island that all of us have not been to.
The trip was for 6 days. A little too long, so I've been told. Indeed it was. Cause there is nothing too fancy about this island. I've been to much better ones. Not too sure why it's on the "must go" list for all avid travelers. Now why do I say so?
First, the sea waters are not clear and rather murky. Thumbs down for snorkeling. Second, there are no corals to be seen. Probably got washed away by the tsunami back then. Thumbs down for snorkeling. Third, the beach is not pleasant to walk on as it is full of rocks and crushed corals. Thumbs down. Fourth, every place is crowded with tourists and speedboats. It's a chicken's den, so says my tour guide. Thumbs down for an exotic and relaxing holiday.
Maya bay,
"polluted"
Well, not all is bad. There are still a few things to boast about the island. While you could forget about taking cabs and other public transportation in getting around, you could always rent a car. We got ours for THB900 per day, for a Toyota Yaris in reasonably good condition. Fuss free!
Our ride
The local cuisine is splendid. For one who always try foreign food on a foreign land, I've made it a point to avoid the commercialized places and cuisines. Well, you could get western food and fast foods even back home right? We found these diners from a guide book - Tunk-Ka Cafe and Raya diner. Well recommended. Reasonably priced Thai food with the right ambience. Not only the food got to be good, the place has to look good as well. Seriously, the food is real good. Well cooked to the Thai flavour. Those Thai diners we have back in Malaysia, are nothing compared to these.
Tunk-Ka Cafe entrance
Hilltop view
Raya entrance,
sino-Portugese architecture
Raya interior, rare
As for the scenery of Phuket, I was pretty surprised with this one. We had actually planned for Promthep Cape, one of the more famous tourists spots, famed for its sunset view. But a wrong turn made us stumbled upon this place instead. I don't even know what it is called. But the view, was absolutely breathtaking. Watching the sun set from this hill was totally unforgettable. If I ever return to Phuket, this would be one of those places that I would visit again.
I guess there is still one island that earned a thumbs up from me. No, not Phi Phi, not Maya, not Phang Nga. But Raya. Raya island, a not so well known island, about an hour's boat ride from Phuket, preserved its clear waters and white sandy beaches. Very much to my liking. Now this is what you call an island. This is what an island should be.
What I couldn't get over the trip was, that I'd been repeatedly being mistaken for a Thai! C'mon! I'd been a typical tourists with maps and all. Don't I even look Chinese? Apart from the hotel reception, everyone else spoke to me in Thai - the waiters, the spa masseuse, the drivers, the gas attendant, the 7-eleven cashier, everyone! Only when I gave them a dumb-founded look and said 'English please?", only did they realized I wasn't local. Great! Perhaps I should pick up a few lessons on the Thai language. They might give me better discounts if they thought I was one of them. :)
Oh ya, part of the trip was to celebrate my 29th. The last one before I hit the big 30. Thank you for the gift and for the surprises. Although the cake had been a complimentary one from the hotel. There are certain perks in traveling on birthdays. I do like the pearl alot. I never knew pearls could come in so many colours. All I knew was white and beige. There are actually pearls in green, purple, blue and like mine, brown. They are indeed genuine pearls, if you should know.
Happy 29th!
And the wine sucks! Someone got conned! :p
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