Some like It HotPhuket is Thailand’s island in the sun,the perfect place for some Asian R and Rby Andrew Taylor
Situated between Bangkok to the north, and Singapore and Kuala Lumpur to the south, the 570sq-km Island of Phuket has an economy, which today is almost entirely geared towards tourism. At the turn of the last century tin mining and rubber plantations provided most of the islands revenue. Now Phuket has a growth rate of 17% and is visited annually by 2.5 million visitors. The adventurous tourist can always find something to do, from golfing and fishing, to sea cave canoeing, it’s all here. We started by Island hopping and journeyed out to the famous Coral Island Beach which has many attractions to enjoy, snorkeling and scuba diving are just a sample. A shark net protects the beach so safe family swimming is assured.
A day on Coral Island will be the most relaxing day you have ever spent. On the beach you can hire microlights hooked up to small rubber zodiacs (Pilots and batteries included). Try the paragliding, or jet skiing. A small charge is made for the beach chairs. They are well worth the investment. As the sand heats up your bottom begins to glow. Life in the chairs really is a much cooler choice. The fish life around the beach is abundant, but not intimidating. You can easily feed the fish by dribbling bread crumbs (purchased at the beach counter) onto the water. The small green and yellow lime fish will form a feeding frenzy. Some will even nibble your fingers. A Japanese couple swimming next to me was overcome by this experience. They didn’t know whether to laugh, cry, get excited, or just enjoy it. Just meters from the shore, I enjoyed swimming with a large school of fish the size of sardines. Hundreds of them flashing their silver sides in unison when my outstretched hand posed a threat. For about 15 minutes we swam up and down the beach all too soon, they were gone. It was like being in a Jacques Coustaux movie. Some fish have fluorescent yellow along their sides, others have soft blue on their under bodies and vibrant green tails. The colours pulsate at you like neon signs. There are large Angel Fish with yellow and black stripes. Out in the bay, an old gentleman Parrot Fish glided past me, with a dazzling orange mouth.
All to soon our glorious sun, filled day by the clear blue Andaman Sea was over. At 3.30pm a pleasant sea breeze blew in as Captain Wing rounded us up. “Please come home now, or stay the night here alone.”What further inducement did one need to start the return journey back to Chalong Bay? While homeward bound, we saw fish jump out of the sea. A dolphin followed our boat for a short time but became bored with our slow pace and darted off to find greater excitement.
In the town of Phuket, there are the usual tourist markets where you can buy jewelry, gold, pearls and, Thai silk. My best find was the Maithee Cashew Nut Factory in Phuket town. The smell was like a slice of Heaven.
Calamari, shrimps, pork meatballs with rice, and hot chilly dishes washed down with ice cool Singha beer brought this day and adventure to a peaceful end. Sitting here on the beach, listening to the incoming tide, I have decided that I don’t really mind the taste of Phuket’s sweet, sweet seduction. No…. I don’t feel one scrap of remorse! Come and join me For the best tours on Phuket Island. Royal Orchid Holidays. See Thai Airways. www.thaiair.com/ |
|
TM
Sweet, sweet seduction- Oh darn! It has happened again! I guess I’m just a sucker for anything that goes by a luxuriously sounding name, Laguna, Allamanda, Pearl Village, and Banyan Tree. It is easy to be seduced by the resort names and the choice, but that’s Phuket, Bangkok’s playground! Tempted by the offer of sun, heat, and drinks by the pool, many weekend refugees take the 45-minute flight from Bangkok to escape the hustle and bustle to relax in one of the many resorts Phuket has to offer.
To get to the Coral Island Beach, we ordered a taxi bus from our hotel. At the Chalong Bay pier, we joined a day tour. One of the many day boats will take you over if you do not wish to do the group thing. For $NZ30 you can hire one of Thailand’s legendary long tailed boats, then twenty five minutes later you’re there. 
Our day tour included lunch, a delicious meal of rice calamari, shrimps, and endless glasses of coke. In the shade of the cabana, lunch was spent talking to couples from South Africa, England, and Germany. Our discussions centered on who lived in the best country. Naturally everybody agreed to disagree. But we all gained an insight into each other’s way of life. 
Phuket has many other attractions for those who have acclimatized to the 35-degree heat. Apart from the Coral Beach excursion there are numerous "Eco tourism tours" to enjoy. Elephant trekking through the last of Phuket’s jungle, or jeep safaris, which take you to shrimp farms then through rubber plantations on the way to Phuket’s more remote and exotic beaches.
Phuket is rapidly gaining an international reputation for its game fishing. The mangrove estuaries and shallow reefs around the island are home to a large variety of different fish, sea-bass, barracuda, trevally and mangrove jack just to name a few. Out in the deep water you can fish for black marlin, sailfish, king mackerel and even tiger sharks. 
The most spectacular day trip is the sea-cave canoeing in Phang Nga Bay where parts of the James Bond movie, “The Man with the Golden Gun” were filmed. The scenery is breath-taking. The vertical rocks of Phang Nga rise straight out of the ocean. The sea has burrowed into the limestone rock and created numerous caves and tunnels. Stalactites can even be found in the caves. This is just one of the many scenic attractions of the Andaman region.
As night falls, the local fishermen set sail along the coast with their night beacons shinning, while we walk along the beach to a small restaurant in front of the Pearl Village Resort, and dined on tables placed out on the sand. Bright hurricane lamps on long bamboo poles drew the night insects away, and answered the call of the fishermens lights.