Thailand #2: Phuket and The Islands

‘A traveller without observation is a bird without wings…’ (Maslih Eddin Saadi)

Right, whilst I'm extremely energetic after my first caffeine fix in almost three months, I thought I’d take the opportunity to fill you in on my whereabouts the past few weeks. It’s been a bit hectic, trying to fit so much in in such a short space of time, but that’s the beauty of travelling; you like somewhere, you just stay… if it’s minging, you bail! So, today’s instalment will relay our adventures on the journey from Bangkok to Phuket then our visit to several of the islands in the southern region of Thailand.  

To start off, I've decided to sum up the islands we visited in a sort of ‘awards’ style; we’d be here all day if I described each one in detail! So, first of all, the ‘Best Beach’ has to be Maya Bay, Ko Phi Phi. Some of you may have heard of it - it was where ‘The Beach’ was filmed. Despite its fame, the beach itself remains relatively intact: there are no hotels/resorts here and tourists visit in their hundreds on a day trip via speedboat, which is the only way to access it. As you approach the bay itself, it’s like something off of a postcard; a backdrop of cliffs against the turquoise water, surrounded by white sand. There’s a small cove directly opposite the bay that we swam out to, where the view of Maya Bay itself was absolutely stunning. It was actually on Phi Phi that I shocked even myself by donning a snorkel and put my head under the water for the first time in years! What the hell, no amount of Frizz Ease can save me now, after almost three months au naturel! The views under water are even more spectacular – fish of all sorts of shapes, sizes and colours happily swim past you, not a care in the world. I’d love to take the next step and do some diving; money permitting, in the future… never say never!

‘Best Night Out’ has to be the Full Moon Party, Ko Pha Ngan. Hands down. Thousands flock to this tiny island at the end of every month and it does NOT disappoint. Kitted out in the obligatory ‘Full Moon’ vest and neon body paint, we sipped/downed our ‘buckets’ (such an ingenious way to serve drinks, although you do question what actually goes into them) and joined the throng of party-goers on the beach until the wee hours. Well, that was the plan before SOMEONE had a few too many buckets (not me, for once!) I do feel partly responsible; earlier in the evening I felt it my duty to introduce ‘Ring of Fire’ as a pre-drinking activity to our dorm, and this probably added to the end result of having to pull a stumbling Stevie from the sea and take him home. It was such a good night, well worth the hype; if anyone is planning on visiting the island, co-ordinate it so you’re there for Full Moon as I'm not sure the island has the same appeal at any other time.

‘Best Sea’ is awarded to Ko Tao, a diver’s paradise. Unfortunately, we didn't have the time to do any ourselves but both novice and experienced divers congregate here as it’s rated second in the world (Cairns, Australia is rated first, in case you were wondering.) We stayed near to Sairee Beach and the water was SO clear and warm; very shallow, so not the best if you wanted a swim, but perfect to catch a few rays! 

‘Best Food’ goes to Patong, Phuket. The street food is some of the best I've ever tasted – and with a large market with several stalls, we weren't spoiled for choice. Corn on the cobs, sausages, kebabs, pad Thai  sticky rice, fresh fruit… all for a fraction of the price you’d pay in the restaurants. Phuket was also the place we were introduced to ‘Swenson’s’, a diner that sells anything ice cream related, from Snicker sundaes to cream cakes (we've probably visited here a little too often ever since, to be honest.) 

Finally, ‘Best Sunset’ has to go to Klong Klang beach, Ko Lanta. This beautiful little island isn't as touristy as some of the others, which is why it’s probably my favourite; you get a sense of the ‘real’ Thailand, whereas it’s quite easy to forget you’re actually in South-East Asia on some of the others. There was only one bar on the beach here and it was the perfect location to witness the most beautiful sunset each evening. Bliss.

People often ask me, ‘How do you get from place to place?’, and the answer is always the cheapest way possible! To save some pennies, we took an overnight bus from Bangkok to Phuket; after the horrific stories I’d heard in India of this mode of transport I prepared myself for the worst. In all honesty, it was absolutely fine! Thailand has what they call ‘VIP’ buses and, for a fraction more than the standard option, there’s a toilet, you get reclining seats, blankets… they even feed you! I think travelling overnight is a godsend for your budget as you are eradicating a nights accommodation and also not wasting a day sweating on a bus when you could be on a beach/in a bar! Now, travelling to the islands is a different story – the only way to access them is by boat from the mainland. You buy your tickets from one of the many tour operators on the mainland (you can try haggling your price but they all charge pretty much the same; make sure it includes a pick up from your hostel!) The ferries themselves are massive, thank God – I do not fare well on small boats – and you can almost always get a seat inside away from the sun (a must when you’re hung-over.) The journeys can be long, and sometimes you have to swap ferries in the middle of the ocean via a plank (not the easiest when I'm weighed down by two bloody rucksacks!) The only bad thing is they can be massively overcrowded – when we were leaving Ko Pha Ngan after the Full Moon Party, it was literally like a mass exodus: people in droves were piling on top of each other to get a seat… not one for the claustrophobic I can tell you!

On the islands themselves, depending where you are, taxis are replaced by tuk-tuks (always negotiate your price!) and cars with scooters. The latter is the ideal method of transport, in my book, as you have the freedom to go where you want when you want. In Ko Lanta (probably one of the most undeveloped islands we visited, in terms of tourism) we hired one for a couple of days and found some spectacular beaches off the beaten track that no tuk-tuk driver would've a) knew about or b) been able to get to. In terms of my scooter driving skills, I'm still in the VERY early stages; after rolling backwards whilst attempting to drive uphill, it was agreed that He should stick to the main road driving for now. I'm now the ‘copilot’ and have been relegated to the passenger seat. Lucky me.

‘Where are you staying, hotels or hostels?’ Again, keeping an eye on the bank balance and shying away (ever so slightly) from our ‘ Flash-packer’ reputation, we've been staying in hostels on pretty much all of the Islands in Thailand (‘Gibbo? In a hostel?’ I hear you say). A tip, with regards to accommodation, is DO YOUR RESEARCH. I've always had a keen eye for a bargain, so I've spent countless hours at my laptop perusing ‘TripAdvisor’ (a traveller’s Bible) whilst searching for a non-hovel. If you shop around you can get some great deals at some decent places. Everyone assumes hostels are cheap and hotels are expensive. Not always the case, my friends; we stayed in a hotel in Ko Samui (complete with two infinity pools) that cost us less than a Subway meal deal. Fact. Right, let’s get one thing straight: (most) hostels aren't dives. I'm sure many of you can vouch for this; ours in Ko Pha Ngan had its own pool and club! Nowadays, they are uber modern social hubs; yes  you have to sleep in a bunk bed and there is zero space to put your stuff, but who cares? Now, as a couple, you may find it strange that we've actively chosen to stay in separate beds for a part of our trip. It’s actually not that uncommon – we've met several couples who are staying in dorms for the same reasons as ourselves; to cut costs and to socialise. When you’re travelling alone, you have no choice but to talk to people and make friends. In a couple, people are more wary of approaching you, they think; ‘they’re a couple, leave them to it’. Luckily enough, we've met some great people through staying in dorms and it goes to show that once you make the effort to talk to people, it makes the experience so much more worthwhile. 

Amongst all the fabulous experiences we’re having, a few bumps along the road were to be expected. Now, I knew I’d run into some creepy crawlies along the way, and it wasn't long before I had my first run in with a cockroach. We were staying in a guest house in Phuket and were just leaving to go out for some food; I opened our door and saw, what can only be described, as a cockroach on steroids lying on its back. It was HUGE. And alive, due to it writhing around. Great. I had to literally psych myself up to run past it to get out. It must've taken a shining to us as, when we returned a few hours later, it was STILL there. Right, time for backup. I went and found the guest house owner and, armed with her brush, came up to remove it. It took the three of us, (well, the two of us hovered in a corner) quite some time until we could make a break to our room and lock the door. The noise out of it was something else; it sounded like a cat screeching. No word of a lie; I'm literally getting goose bumps as I write this at the thought of re-living it!

As we have a limited wardrobe, this unfortunately means that we spend a lot of time hunting for laundry services! Luckily enough, it’s dirt cheap and everything NORMALLY comes back in one piece. There was an unfortunate incident in Ko Pha Ngan where we were counting out our items that had just returned when I held up a pair of decrepit green Y fronts. Oh dear, seems the laundry lady had mixed these up in our washing. Oh no, hang on, we've got these – some lucky sod has gained a brand new All Saints vest! Stevie was not best pleased – you know how much he loves his vests!

For those of you who have read one if my earlier blogs detailing the different types of traveller you can encounter, I came into contact with FAR too many of the Pretentious Posse on the islands! Understandably, there were a lot of Party People there especially for Full Moon, but the former seemed to dominate every beach that I went to! First of all, it is NOT acceptable to bring a hula hoop to the beach. Or travelling. Why would you even think, when packing your rucksack, ‘Oh, mustn't forget my hula hoop’. Who even owns one anyway, bar five year olds? This did not stop several girls who, every day, decided to show off their skills at a select spot at the pool/beach so EVERYONE could see them. Some were good; I’ll give them that, but get a grip love, there’s only so much gyrating I can take before I’ll come and snap your hoop in two. Same for girls doing yoga pool/beach side; I don’t CARE that you can wrap your legs around yourself, f**k off and do it in your room!  

So, after nearly a month of island hopping it’s time to repack the rucksacks; a Thai visa only lasts thirty days so we need somewhere close by to go next. After a month on the beach we need a break, bit of a change of scenery. So, we’re swapping the sun, sea and sand for a bit more sun, shopping and sightseeing… Malaysia and Singapore, we’re on our way!