Phuket
18:40
Dubbed 'The Pearl of the Andaman' Phuket is the largest of Thailand's islands. Widely known for its nightlife just as much as its beautiful beaches and luxury resorts Phuket does have a lot to offer visitors. The island is also a good transport hub for ferries visiting other island such as Ko Phi Phi, Ko Phangan, Ko Samui & Koh Yao Islands. It is also served by a decent airport with good links to Bangkok and other international destinations.
I can probably best describe my happenings in Phuket in four words: Exciting, emotional, beautiful and humid. In my experience when moving around and exploring new things, experiences tend to come across more as snapshots in time as opposed to a long overlapping memory. People you meet, what made you laugh, where you went, what you ate etc..made all the more visceral and colourful because of the changing environment you find yourself in.
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We left Bangkok around 7pm on a Monday night and we're heading down to Phuket via coach. The journey is lively for a while but slowly the day starts catching up with us and everyone starts to drift. I wake up in the middle of the night confused thinking we've arrived early, No. We're really in Surat Thani letting the other group off...Shit. Another four and half hours to go. I wake again at 06.15 and watch the sunrise out of the confines of the window, very much the highlight of a long journey.
We arrive eventually after nearly 16 hours. In the state I find myself in I somehow decide I don't need any sleep at this point? After spending the rest of the afternoon checking out the hotel and getting a great Thai curry nearby, we're on the back of a pick up truck heading into Patong..This day is just getting stranger by the minute.
Bangla Road is the crossroads of Patong's nightlife. It's neon lit from end to end and 400 metres of cheap booze, go-go's, sex and tourists so don't go expecting a quiet one. Bangla is an experience in itself, think clubbing strip in Europe but 100x bigger and brighter. As soon as you step into the crowds you're bombarded with flyers and club reps touting for you to got their club/bar. After wading our way through when headed to a pretty decent bar with live music. A while later here me and my friends are on literally no sleep, knocking back shots of tequila and Singha. I leave eventually looking sweaty, dishevelled and ready for bed.
Eating in Thailand is an experience. We had a great row of street food stalls near the hotel, just outside Patong. The hotel? not so great, the best thing about it was the company and the view after we'd asked to change rooms.
I think I ate my body weight in Pad Thai, Roti pancakes and fried ice cream all at exceptionally cheap prices. Just a heads up if you are trying to stay on more on the healthy side when it comes to eating; it can be quite difficult. I didn't quite realize how much oil is added to food and also sugar. If you visit a 7-Eleven for example and want to get a hot or cold coffee from the dispenser, the coffee sachets usually have sugar mixed in already and they are very sweet. However, overall the food is hugely enjoyable and varied and you will definitely find something you'll enjoy.
We also visited Loma Market in Patong which was my favourite in terms of food choice. Loma has a relaxed vibe with a mix of Pan-Asian and Western food on offer. After much deliberation we went for tacos washed down with a watermelon shake and coconut water. The market also had a pop-up bar on offer, so we got ourselves a few G&T's and watched snooker on the projection screen, a very sophisticated Monday indeed.
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