Phuket = Boo-ket?? and Ko Phi Phi Magic

To be honest I was less than impressed with Phuket. I think it was a combination of bad weather, a cold/sinus infection, and sunburn than the island itself but yeah... let down. Also, going from Bangkok where everything was so cheap to going somewhere that taxis charge you $10 to go 2 miles just because they can really sucks. The worst part is that my two most expensive cab rides were to these places overlooking Phuket that are supposed to have the most amazing sunsets, but since it rained late afternoon/early evening every day it was too cloudy to see anything. Here are the views from the After Beach Bar in Kata and down on the beach in Rawai:

The good news is that I stayed in a really cute place, run by a very sweet Italian couple. Besides a great bed there was also a real shower with great pressure, a treat and big step up from my last place.

I ended up extended my time there cause I was tired of changing hotels every few days so I just stayed there and took day trips. Also, I didn't really go out at night. I wasn't in Patong, which is the touristy party place on the island, and even if I had I don't know if I would have gone. Sometimes traveling alone can be very exhausting. You have to make an effort to meet people, start conversations with people, and be willing to talk about yourself a lot to many different people. I guess cause I've been so sick and was feeling crappy I didn't really feel like putting out that much effort.

Enough complaining, there are a few things I did that were fabulous. The best was a day trip to Ko Phi Phi, which is actually 2 islands, plus we stopped at another one on the way. Since I was too sick to snorkel I just laid out and enjoyed the beaches, so I will let the pictures speak for themselves. I would be a very happy girl if I could see these amazing shades of blue water every day.

Another great place I discovered on Phuket is Old Town. I'm guessing most tourists don't make it there but I really liked it. The old buildings and architecture were so cute, I just walked around kind of aimlessly for a couple of hours. There are also tons of art galleries there so I checked those out as well.

Last but certainly not least, I did move hotels for my last night to be closer to the airport cause I had to leave for the airport at 4:30am, and I'm so glad I did. I was in an area called Hat Nai Yang, which is at the Northern end of the island. The beaches there are long and beautiful and much less crowded than in Kata where I had been. In fact, on my last day in Thailand I found my first secluded beach! Besides the fact that this beach was gorgeous and empty, it was also at the mouth of a national park.

I ended the day at a tiny beach bar with my favorite new Thai food, Som Tam, which is a spicy papaya salad, along with a mojito or two :)

Cheers Thailand, it's been an amazing time!