I had been to Phuket once before when my mother was visiting me in Thailand, but that was a few years ago. Wen my fiancee's boss, P'Tee, invited us on a day trip to the island, we jumped at the opportunity. Especially after weeks in lock down, it felt so good to get away from Bangkok.
My fiancee's boss is originally from Phuket, and wanted to visit for the day to make merit at a special temple on the island. Since he's a local, he knows all the best food to eat and sights to see!
When we landed after the 1-hour flight, P'Tee rented a car, and we were soon cruising along the winding roads of the jungle island.
First stop: an early lunch at a famous local roti restaurant.
Penang's population is about 20% Muslim, and there are tons and tons of delicious Halal food restaurant across the island. Some of the most famous southern Thai dishes are massaman curry chicken and roti (a type of unleavened flatbread) which we ate alongside glasses of sweet cha yen (Thai iced tea).
I don't often have to chance to have southern Thai cuisine, but it is always a treat when I do!
After lunch we drove to Wat Chalong, a beautiful Buddhist temple known for its famous abbot, for a merit making activity that is interesting enough for it own post (coming soon).
Later, we drove around the south part of the island to see some of the famous beaches.
It was drizzly, and the waves seemed really rough that day, so there wasn't anybody swimming. We had the beaches to ourselves to take a few pictures.
Phuket famously got hit by a terrible tsunami on Boxing Day 2004. Since then, the province has made an effort to island safer. It was interesting to see the tsunami evacuation route signs posted along the roads leading up into the hills at the interior of the island.
There are some 40 different beaches on Phuket Island, but we just stopped by at two of them.
It was so nice to be able to drive around the province with a local friend as a guide!
You know, I never really thought that I would need a car in Thailand, but this trip showed me how much easier things are when you do. You can visit a lot of spots that might otherwise be hard to reach.
I will renew my Thai driver's license sometime soon, and maybe if I feel confident enough about driving on the left, I could try renting a car someday.
Leaving the beaches, we drove into Phuket Town itself.
Phuket has a fairly high percentage of Peranakans - the descendants of the first wave of south Chinese immigrants who settled the Malay Peninsula in the 15th - 17th centuries. As such, the culture and architecture of Phuket Town itself is quite similar to that of Singapore and nearby Penang, an island that sits just across the Malaysian border.
I had never been to Phuket Town before, and I fond it to be completely charming - especially without any tourists! This really is the best time to travel before the borders start to open back up next week.
It was starting to rain, so we ducked inside a local cafe and ice cream parlor to wait out the rain.
Feeling sleepy after a busy day of traveling, I ordered an esyen - a Thai-style iced coffee.
One day isn't nearly enough to explore Phuket, but it certainly spiked my curiosity. I had never really thought about traveling there. It always seemed a bit too tourist, but after this trip I think I want to go back to explore more of the island.
It seems there is a lot more that Phuket has to offer than just party beaches.
After a quick stop at some outlet shops where I bought a new pair of Dr. Scholl's sandals, we arrived back at the airport right on time. We landed in Bangkok around 9pm, tired but very happy after a long one-day adventure.
No comments:
Post a Comment