PHUKET (Thailand)
05 November - 09 November 2018
05 November - 09 November 2018
We didn't deliberately go about formulating a plan to holiday with Inga's brother and his fiancee in Thailand but as luck with have it, whilst sitting in their rooms on the other side of the world, conjured up a plan to head to Thailand at exactly the same time we were going. Family bonds, there's got to be some undiscovered connection there somewhere.
Inga & I were set up in the very good Hyatt Regency Hotel, in Kamala. Being 10kms away from the centre of Patong, it afforded us the ability to get away from the touristic throngs in Patong itself and to have our peace and quiet by the pool for as long as we wanted.
Hyatt Regency Resort - Kamala - Phuket Island - Thailand
Hyatt Regency Resort - Kamala - Phuket Island - Thailand
Hyatt Regency Resort - Kamala - Phuket Island - Thailand
The resort itself had some great views and those from our room, out to the Adaman Sea, was quiet beautiful and soothing. So to were the views from the infinity pool by the club room, which also served snacks and drinks in the afternoon and the evening.
On most days we went into Patong with our landing point being Bangla Street. And you know, this area was actually quite disappointing. It's a street filled with seedy bars, 'go-go' dancers, i.e., strippers/prostitutes, banging dance clubs and generally all things that are wrong with mass tourism. I mean I'm no prude, there's a place for all those things but the concentration of them in this area doesn't even make for an entertaining spectacle, or even one that's moderately amusing. It's just a whole bundle of noise and junk that is both tacky and sordid. It drips with sleaze, which means that the roads in its immediate vicinity gets a large brush of influence and adopts the same type of practice.
Bangla Walking Street - Phuket - Thailand
Patong Beach - Phuket - Thailand
A couple of days after our arrival we caught up with Davis & Annija who had island hopped their way over to Phuket. It was great to catch up with them both. The last time I saw them was when I left at the end of January. It was also the first time that we'd be doing some travel together since our trip to Georgia in 2016. Thinking back to that time, its incredible at how things had changed. Inga & I weren't even engaged back then and Davis & Annija weren't even a couple, roll forward to 2019 and all statuses are different. Inga & I have just celebrated our 2nd Wedding Anniversary (with our son Aiden), and David & Annija were married in May. Time can change all things.
Hyatt Regency Resort - Kamala - Phuket Island - Thailand
Hard Rock Cafe - Phuket - Thailand
What? - Phuket - Thailand
Phuket Island - Thailand
Tuk-Tuk galore - Phuket - Thailand
Buckets of drinks! Awww yeah!
All love and mungbeans after drink buckets - Phuket - Thailand
On one of our days together we decided to head our to James Bond island, known as Khao Phing Kan island, located in Phang Nga Bay, north east of Phuket, it is one of many islands that are limestone karst towers that protrude from the waters of the bay. It acts as a famous landmark in this particular area as it formed quite the distinctive backdrop in the well known James Bond movie, Man with the Golden Gun.
Phang Nga Bay - Thailand
Phang Nga Bay - Thailand
Phang Nga Bay - Thailand
Khao Phing Kan island - Thailand
Khao Phing Kan island - Thailand
Khao Phing Kan island - Thailand
Khao Phing Kan island - Thailand
The day out on the water was a real pleasure and in many ways I felt thankful for being able to steer clear of Phuket itself which to me had already established itself as a nuisance.
Hard Rock Cafe - Phuket
Whilst our time together, and in Phuket in total, was short, I have to say that we did have a reasonable time. I would say that if we chose to come to Thailand again in the future we would probably take in a few other islands and spent a bit of time in Bangkok. As for Phuket town itself, well, that remains a disappointment. With that said, the island itself does appear to have some real beauty but you can see the blight of tourism coming and the scars that large resorts will make on the landscape. I would doubt that the Thai's would either have the gumption, will or monetary might to combat what will be an environmental tragedy. The decision is theirs of course.
