Picture Perfect Thailand

What initially drew me to Thailand was the beautiful beaches and islands of the south. In a previous article I wrote about Bangkok and my adventures there. I recommend you read it if you get a chance.

From Tokyo I flew to Bangkok and then on to Phuket, in the south of Thailand. I wanted to arrive in time to see the wonderful night markets I had heard so much about and explore the history of Phuket Old Town.

First Impressions of Thailand

After the calmness and order of Japan, Phuket was a bit of a culture shock. Waiting outside the airport, and even inside it, was an army of vendors and salespeople trying to get my attention. After a seven-hour flight and the problems we had with immigration and our luggage, the assault on our senses was almost overwhelming. So was the blanket of heat that hit us the moment we stepped outside.

The eSIM I had purchased, thinking it must be reliable if it was sold inside the airport, immediately notified me that I needed to add more money, even though I hadn’t used it and had been assured it was all I needed. As a result, we had to do without internet access to find the bus into Old Town Phuket, which is scheduled to run every 30 minutes. The bus stop was on the other side of the airport, and we had to virtually fight through the crowds of people offering rides and taxis.

Southern Thailand is hot and humid. You only have to walk a few steps before you’re covered in sweat, so staying hydrated is essential. Luckily, there’s no shortage of bottled water or coconut water stands, so this isn’t difficult, not to mention delicious. I lost count of the mango smoothies and coconut ice I had while wandering around the town.

Phuket Old Town

We arrived on Saturday night and found a beautiful hotel just minutes from the market. On Sunday, we enjoyed a lovely breakfast and treated ourselves to a spa treatment. This is a must-do in Thailand because the prices are so low and you do a fair bit of walking.

Afterwards, we went to the night market which meandered through old town. It was one of the most famous markets in southern Thailand and is featured frequently on social media for months.

The market is on Thalang Road and is so crowded that it was even hard to even see the food as we were carried along on a river of tourists. Even when you were able to stop and buy something, it was difficult to enjoy it while walking, and there were very few places to sit and savor your purchases. I tried four or five food items from different stalls and was not that impressed. I loved the atmosphere and the music but the food was unimpressive.

The next day, we moved to a beach hotel in Phuket and spent a wonderful couple of days at a resort by the ocean. The breakfast was included in the price and was excellent as was the room service. The resort was private and very isolated, so all of our meals were taken at the hotel. The view was spectacular and it was a great place to decompress for a couple of days. Prices were reasonable at about $99 per night.

We then caught a ferry from Phuket harbor to the Phi Phi Islands. Ferries run frequently and are reasonably priced, and the journey took around 90 minutes. Although we were fine, we noticed some fellow passengers looking decidedly queasy after the choppy ride.

Phi Phi Islands

The ferry docked at Koh Phi Phi Don, the largest of the Phi Phi Islands and the main tourist hub. Our hotel was right by the pier, and we’d chosen it because the wheel on my friend’s suitcase had broken and we didn’t want to drag it any farther than necessary. Koh Phi Phi Don is a tiny island, and you are able to walk its width at the narrowest point in about five minutes. It is touristy with the usual array of restaurants, souvenir shops and bars. There is no real shopping to be done here but the food prices are also very reasonable.

We decided to hire our own long-tail boat because we didn’t want to leave at 7 a.m., when most of the tours started and they lasted all day.

Hiring your own long-tail boat is a bit of a luxury, but if you can afford it, it makes a world of difference to your trip. First, the tour boats were packed with people, and some passengers didn’t have a particularly good view. We also had the freedom to skip certain crowded islands and circle back to the ones we liked best. Also, we didn’t want to spend the entire day in the unrelenting Thai sun. It was definitely worth the extra expense.

Krabi

Next, we took the ferry to Krabi. It wasn’t as crowded as Phuket, but it was still packed with tourists from all over the world. The area where we stayed was lined with restaurants, bars, cafés and countless souvenir shops.

The beach was gorgeous with a magical view of the islands, but almost deserted during the day, largely because of the heat and the lack of shade. At sunset, people gather on the steps and benches to enjoy the view and watch a fire show before dinner. Again, due to the heat, Krabi gets busier after sunset and way into the night.

There is a much smaller night market in Krabi which has a stage and places where you can enjoy the food. I much preferred this market to the one in Phuket, and it was more oriented towards families.

I visited Krabi in September and was told that it became much busier later in the season. Indeed, the restaurants and bars were never particularly full during the day, and people were always trying to lure us inside.

My time in Thailand was amazing. The landscape was magical and I felt like I had been transported to another time. The Tok Toks and Taxis made it very easy to get around even if you were staying off the main street. The food was fresh and very reasonably priced, and the hotels were clean and spacious. There are a lot of tourists, but you can find quieter spots away from the beach.

Let’s Have a Conversation:

What’s next on your bucket list for travelling? How much research do you do before you visit a particular destination?