Travel - Thailand

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Avatar for Rico-Che
4 years ago

Pre-Covid, 2019, my wife and I were so excited to do our first international trip together. Wow, from nervous anxiety, to over the moon excitement, all emotions were captured in that trip. We went to Patong and did a few day trips to islands etc.

Karon Viewpoint

So we obviously had to do the tourist thing... Ha! Ha!

However that was an experience that we are so grateful for. Learning the greetings (Sa-wa-dee-ka(p)), customs and engaging with the locals, were such an integral part of the authentic experience of Thailand.

On the first night and for the three successive days, we needed to adjust to the humidity and the smells. The King Fruit (Durian) smell permiates everything and fruits is used in everything from salads, food to ice cream as well. The struggle was real, so we were quite delighted to find the below treats while were were acclimatising to our new environment - it just made the transition smoother.

Cuisine served at the Central Patong Shopping Mall
Thailand's king fruit is the Durian

Our day trip and hike in Old Town Phuket, was another highlight. This is now an area where the youth are returning to start their own businesses, with lots of niche type setups. Below are a few pictures taken, to give you an idea.

Beautifully coloured old architecture
Small little family coffee shop (Old Town Phuket)
Really rustic and the antiquities just added to the experience.
Greyhound Coffee freshly brewed at Cub Honda (Old Town Phuket).

After the a scortcher of a day, we dipped into the Cub Honda establishement. They are actually a Honda motorcycle club and service centre. The place is beautifully laid out and other than the amazing coffee experience, they also have aircon set at an appreciated chilled temperature.

This is where the movie The Beach was filmed. It's protected now and no-one is alloed to go experience the beach any longer due to erosion and pollution.

One of our excursions saw us going out to a few islands via speedboat. There are many "specials" and very impressive prices, however we decided to spend a bit more to go with what we understood to be a more reputable company. We had several island stops and visited the now restricted island (Phi Phi Don) where the film The Beach (Leonardo Di Caprio) was filmed, then on to a small little piece of real estate called Khai Island, on our way to Phi Phi Island.

These caves in Krabi, are privately owned and trying to enter it, could get you killed (probably would). The Viking Caves (Tham Phraya Nak) are home to a bird species (swifts), whose nests are an essential ingredient in the Chinese dish: Birds Nest Soup. Apprently our guide advised that the bat guano is also an expensive commodity and sold for lots per 100 grams.

Lunch is served buffet style on Phi Phi Ley.

When we got to Phi Phi Ley, it was a welcomed break, however this place was so congested, the experience wasn't the best.

All these sea craft (and many not in the picture), speak to the volumes of people that visit this island.

Summary

We definitely had a great stay. While there, we were already planning our next trip, but maybe to the Island of Khoi Sumui, which is a bit more expensive than staying in Patong, however will be less congested and also lends itself to a mmore peaceful and somewhat kid-friendly environment.

I hope you found this to be a good read and if you did, that you'd like and follow.

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$ 0.01 from @Otek
Avatar for Rico-Che
4 years ago

Comments

This could be a memorable one❤️

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4 years ago

Definitely memorable. We can't believe that it's been two years already.

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3 years ago

Nice article and great images

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4 years ago

Wow seems you really enjoyed tour with your wife. Stay blessed you both.

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4 years ago

Thank you. Really looking forward to when we can travel again. Unfortuantely due to the Covid restrictions on travel by various governments, we'll have to wait.

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3 years ago

Thank you. Really looking forward to when we can travel again.

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3 years ago