Phuket
the jewel of the Andaman
I
have always liked to visit the famous islands of the world and Phuket is one of
them. What comes into the mind of travelers when we talk
about sea, sun and sand? Phuket must definitely be one of the answers. A number
of exciting activities can be found on this island.
As my Malaysian airlines flight started to descend, I had a bird eye view of the lush tropical island with the turquoise sea reflecting the first rays of the morning sun.
For those arriving the array of planes
out on the runway are impressive, often one will see a conglomeration of
flights and carriers from around the world lined up.
Once outside its usually a
sea of people and competing taxi and car services. Immigration can be a bit
lengthy just due to the numbers of tourists; this of course only applies to those
coming from outside Thailand.
Regular airport taxi is pretty cheap but
if you don't mind wasting your own time, you can catch an airport bus heading
to Phuket town,
then swap to a bus going to Patong. This will save you maybe 350-400 baht but
take you about twice as long as a taxi direct. There is no direct bus from the
airport to Patong.
The journey took almost an hour to Patong and I checked into Millennium Hotel in Patong.
Located in the heart of Patong, and tucked within the
fashionable Jungceylon shopping centre – Phuket’s trendy shopping hub, this 5
star hotel in Patong epitomizes the true urban resort. The modern and
contemporary design sets the mood for guests within the immediate vicinity of
Patong Beach and the island’s concentration of shops, restaurants and
entertainment.
Patong is the most famous beach resort on Phuket. With its wide variety
of activities and nightlife, Patong is an ideal place to party and play.
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| Patong beach |
Island hopping is the best way to see the hidden beauty of Phuket. Many comfortable fast boats are available and you can head to Krabi, Phi phi and many other remote islands.
I was really stunned at the beauty of some of these islands and the turquoise sea with colorful corals and fish.The water was so clear that even a dropped coin can be seen with naked eyes.
Maya Bay is a stunningly beautiful bay that's sheltered by 100-metre
high cliffs on three sides, with silky soft white sand, underwater colourful
coral and exotic fish in exceptionally clear water. The whole bay is one big
reef.
Phi Phi Island is one of
the most popular tour destinations, which consists of two particular islands,
the larger one, Phi Phi Don, and the smaller one, Phi Phi Ley. The beautiful
Maya Bay of Phi Phi Ley is where the filming of the well-known Hollywood film
"The Beach" took place. It has been a popular attraction ever since.
You can enjoy the amazingly beautiful nature of Phi Phi Island in this sea
trip. Many Hindi movies namely the film Kaho Na Pyar Hai is shot here.
Phi phi island was really beautiful and has a pleasant atmosphere. Most go the residents here are Muslims and so there is no halal food problem.
I visited many islands all of them were unique. I visited the monkey island and had a the chance to even play with the friendly monkeys.
Located 15 minutes east of Phuket, Khai Island
comprises of three islands: Koh Khai Nok "outside it", Koh Khai Nai
"inside it" and Koh Khai Nui "tiny of it". Renowned for the
beautiful rocks, white sandy beaches and shallow water coral reefs, Khai Island
is ideal for swimming and snorkeling even when the current is strong.
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| Khai island from far |
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| Khai island from near. The island is so small that you can run around in 10 minutes. |
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| Reached Khai island |
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| A lot of boats arrive here. |
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| Have to walk to the beach |
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| The island is rocky |
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| It has white powdery sand |
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| The water is calm, shallow and ideal for swimming |
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| Smoked corn to fill our tummies |
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| See the number of boats |
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| Relaxing by the beach and listening to the waves kissing the beach |
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| I walked around the island several times. |
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| See the sun drenched beach with golden sand |
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| Taking a rest |
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| The rocky part of the island |
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| It is so quiet, peaceful and scerene |
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| The island is only this big |
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| Ready to go back |
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| Posing |
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| Last posing before going to Phuket town |
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| The only shop cum eating place |
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| The only vegetation |
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| Souvenir shop |
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| Waiting to be called to board the boat |
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| Bye Bye Khai |
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| Khai from far |
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| Phuket Pier |
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| Me at the port waiting for taxi |
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| Going back to hotel |
Krabi is the coastal
province in the Southern Thailand. The unique geography features incredible
limestone outcrops, tropical rain forests and beautiful beaches..It is perfect
to discover the region's white sandy beaches, soaring cliffs and colourful
marine life. Krabi's natural beauty of sea and landscapes are somewhere you
could relax your mind and body from crowded
cities.
Phuket is a shopaholic's paradise! The island has a great variety of
shopping, from bustling open-air village food markets, noisy night markets,
street stalls and local shops to western style department stores and upmarket
specialist shops.
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| Junk Ceylon- famous shopping mall |
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| Phuket is famous for its pearls |
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| An Artist I met |
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| His beautiful arts |
With traditional handicrafts, beautifully designed
clothing, jewellery, antiques, housewares and much more to choose from, the
only thing you'll regret about shopping in Phuket is that you didn't bring a
bigger suitcase!
Phuket actually has a sizable Thai Muslim population,
however they tend to be located away from popular tourist areas. For example at
Patong, there a are a lot of halal restaurants but they all tend to have only
Indian/Arabic food (and maybe Tom Yam soup) so it is difficult to find
authentic halal Thai food from locals. If you are lucky, you might run into
roadside push-carts selling halal chicken/fish ball noodle soup or grilled
chicken, but due to their mobile nature, their exact timings and locations might
be difficult to find if u want to have them on a daily basis. If you cook your
own food, Carrefour at Jung Ceylon has a halal meat section.
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| Halal KFC in Phuket |
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Cashew fruit factory
If
you are lost for Halal food , head to the mosque near Patong and you will find
a number of Muslim food stalls.
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Don’t’ miss a safari when in Phuket. Travel
by four wheel drive into Chalong highlands to Chalong. When you arrive at Siam
Safari elephant camp on the top of a mountain, meet Siam Safari's elephants and
learn about them and their mahouts. Riding on an elephant is a great
experience. There is a display by elephants and later you will also have a
chance to ride on an ox and also a bullock cart. There is also a monkey show
and even see how a buffalo is used to plough the paddy fields. It will be fun
to experience the simple lives of the Thai people.
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On the last
day I went to two entertaining places to relax and enjoy the atmosphere.
The first was to Fantasea. Phuket. Inspired by Thailand’s exotic heritage, Phuket
Fantasea not only showcases the charm and beauty of Thailand, but also enriches
ancient Thai Traditions with the wonder of cutting-edge technology and special
effect |
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I was asked to
watch the Simon Cabaret by the hotel receptionist. .It is a fun way to spend a
couple of hours. The show was entertaining, beautiful
costumes, beautiful stage backdrops (which they changed many times as per the
theme of the song). Quite a well coordinated performance. Consist of all types
of songs/performance from many regions of the world. To me, this was very
entertaining and don’t be fooled by the pretty girls performing the act.
Actually the pretty girls are all lady boys.
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Phuket is
indeed a jewel of the Andaman. There is plenty to see and do here. What is
surprising is you cannot see a slight scar of the tsunami, which struck Phuket
badly. It has everything for a tourist and I hope to visit this island once
again in the near future |
Before
saying Bye to Phuket, make sure you buy Thai orchids and Thai silk. They are
worth buying and are great souvenirs.
Phuket actually has a sizable Thai Muslim population,
however they tend to be located away from popular tourist areas. For example at
Patong, there a are a lot of halal restaurants but they all tend to have only
Indian/Arabic food (and maybe Tom Yam soup) so it is difficult to find
authentic halal Thai food from locals. If you are lucky, you might run into
roadside push-carts selling halal chicken/fish ball noodle soup or grilled
chicken, but due to their mobile nature, their exact timings and locations might
be difficult to find if u want to have them on a daily basis. If you cook your
own food, Carrefour at Jung Ceylon has a halal meat section.
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