EmmaGoodEgg: Phuket, Thailand

I was in Phuket with five of my girl friends in 2000. We booked a package from the Banyan Tree Phuket. At the time I wasn't quite the girlie girl and haven't been on a girlie beach holiday so bestbud Diva D sent me the packing list that pretty much said NO JEANS. Everyone met in Bangkok and upon our arrival at the Banyan Tree, we unpacked, changed into beachwear, had drinks decorated with flowers and planned our itinerary. Over the next 6 days, we ticked off the must-dos efficiently: A cruise around the islands, eat seafood, rent a Jeep and drive around Phuket, spa spa and spa, buy fake goods, go into Boots buy unneccessary hair products and be amazed that you are in Boots outside the UK, Transvestite Cabaret, Tiger Show...the works. It was my first girlie holiday and those were the days before digital cameras so the pictures I have of the memorable occasion are (thankfully) in an album somewhere.

Eight years later I have just returned from a second holiday in Phuket with my family in tow. It felt like too short a holiday and we were a bit sad (and a bit sunburnt) when we left the Villa, but it's good to be back. When we got home Willow meowed accusingly to us, I think she missed us when we were not around and probably stroppy that we got to eat first grade sashimi at Naoki. But that's for another post i.e. when I can get Bobby to do his food review on Naoki.

It may be a little bit different from the holiday Bobby and I usually have (namely hours and hours of simply monging by the beach interspersed with lots of eating) because this time we have Mimi and Azim with us but it was enjoyable all the same. Bobby told Mimi's grandparents, who met us at the airport last night, that she swam in the sea for the first time. Grandma was a little worried, but we told her that the sea in Phuket was flat and calm, its water warm, clean and a beautiful blue.

It's hard to imagine the Phuket that was during the tsunami in 2004. Bobby and I watched some video footage of the tsunami on YouTube just to remember what the island (and India, Sri Lanka, Indonesia and Malaysia) went through. The videos were scary and chaotic, but I'm glad to say that three years later Phuket has lost none of its charm and its tourism industry still buzzling. One evening Bobby, Azim and I left the serene tropical atmosphere of the resort to have some seafood and trawled Patong Beach. Which is a must-do when one is in Phuket. Azim saw a transvestite up close and got flashed fake boobies. These are also must-dos. I refrained from smuggling him into that show where the women do all those circus tricks with their private bits lest I be accused of leading my 16 year old son astray.

The resort recommended us to go to the Baan Rim Pa for some Thai seafood. The restaurant has one of the best location in Phuket, on a cliff overlooking the Andaman Sea. The girls and I also came to dine at the Baan Rim Pa all those years ago. However the food this time was not very good and I think after years of recommendations from concierges the owners are resting on their laurels. We had better Thai food cooked by the chef the resort provided and even in Brunei at Wandi's (a Thai restaurant in Jerudong, now unfortunately closed). Bobby was disappointed, but I said that Phuket is not known for its seafood, but is known more for its sex tourism. We headed off to Patong's Soi Bangla (Bangla Road) where the nightlife is centered on.

Baan Rim Pa

Azim in Thailand's omnipresent Tuk-Tuk heading back from Patong, a taxi-like vehicle known so because of how the engine sounds.

We also went for a cruise around the islands. The resort arranged a half-day trip for us and at 10am we went by car to the marina at Phuket Boat Lagoon. Upon seeing a rather flashy yacht, I said to Bobby, "Oh this is nice" and Bobby replied "No not that one". Well, it was no yacht but we had our own little boat complete with a Captain (with a tan surpassing George Hamilton but without the Botox) and his First Mate. Our Captain showed us a map of the islands we were about to visit around Phang Nga Bay, his running commentary a bit useless, I couldn't understand a word he was saying because his English had a thick Thai accent, but I'm not complaining.

Ahoy Mateys!

Exiting The Marina

We saw a lagoon that tourists could access via a small opening in the limestone cliff. There were people in their little canoes going in and out of the opening. Our Captain however, thought it would be quaint if he anchored close to the cliff, got his passengers to step off the boat and then precariously climb onto a ledge nestling in the limestone, just so we could see the lagoon. I put a brave face on and climbed ungainly, arms legs and ass akimbo.

Canoe Access

Ledge Access

The Lagoon

Took the customary picture of James Bond Island (known in Thai as Ko Tapu) called so because Francisco Scamaranga (Roger Moore's Bond arch nemisis in The Man With A Golden Gun) placed a laser gun type thing at the top of the island to harness solar power in order to destroy earth with a mmnnmmzzgggppddd! *cue 60's style sound effects of laser

The islands were teaming with hordes of tourists (young Japanese girls, large Americans, loud Europeans) in beachwear every colour and design, their faces red and a whole lot of sweat. Cameras clicking away. We were no different.

On the adjacent island of Ko Khao Phingkan, tourists stand on the beach to take pictures of James Bond Island.

When we returned a few hours later from the islands we brought Mimi for another swim in the pool. She swam a lot this holiday and everytime we brought her out of the water she seemed a little disgruntled and diva-like. She's a little water fiend, our Mimi. Bobby also calls her a fresh air fiend because she is happiest outdoors and is always raring to go for her morning walk when the sun (and her father) has just woken up. Our Phuket days were hot, sometimes blisteringly so. Even though we slather sunblock all over her exposed bits, Mimi got a little tanned and a little attitude.

A Lil' Diva With Attitude

We bought her a little straw hat from Phuket for extra shade. She liked it better than the flowery girly hats I subject her to, but it makes her look a little 'Crocodile Dundee'...

Azim and Mimi

Whilst our Villa was the best part of the resort, the main resort itself was rather nice...

The Entrance

The Library

The Beach Club

And on our last afternoon in Phuket, we stayed out by the beach to catch the sunset.

How to get there from Brunei?

You catch a Royal Brunei Airlines flight to Bangkok and then hop on a Thai Airways flight to Phuket. Ask for your luggage to be sent straight to Phuket. At the airport in Bangkok, proceed to arrivals, pass customs and go up to departures where you check in for your Thai Airways flight (and vice versa for the return leg).