Phuket Town and Ko Phi Phi- 2nd-4th December

Hop on a bus at the side of the road outside the 7 eleven and we're on our way to Phuket. After getting the impression that the resort towns are very... resorty, we elect not to go to them, and check in at a little hotel in Phuket Town, with a cute but spatially limited room. Phuket Town is a little grey and dreary, though Chinatown and the parks are very pleasant. You can see why most farangs use it as a changeover and little else, but having stopped here, you can see that the Thai let their guard down here, and are less interested in selling to you, and more interested in why you're here. Unfortunately this means we have nearly no photos!



Jenny and I fancied seeing a film and so we went to the cinema. They're much like English cinema's, except you can afford popcorn and a beer without selling a kidney, and brilliantly, you have to stand up for the King's Anthem. Made us feel very British, ironically.

The next day we booked a ferry out of town to Ko Phi Phi, and ate and drank our way around town. The highlight was a fusion restaurant owned by a Thai guy who'd been living in Australia for the past 15 years. He was lovely and chatted away to us over a few beers about how much we were going to enjoy it there, and we told him how much we were already loving it here. The food was great too! We also saw our first Christmas tree, which made us a little homesick, but happy. The next day, we hopped on the ferry and made our way to Ko Phi Phi, where everyone ever will tell you is where they filmed The Beach. We also saw the island from The Spy Who Loved Me which was very cool. [ On arrival, they make you pay 20B upfront to clean up after you, which speaks ill of the tourists who visit. Then the town itself is no more than 150m wide, with a beach either side, a little warren of wood and sand, with all the basic amenities, food, beer and such, and again, very few motor vehicles. It's very crowded, but it looks idyllic, and we spent our time here lounging on the beach and enjoying the beauty of the area. Little more to say, save for that it was a lovely pit stop, and I'd recommend it to any visitor.