Friday, June 09, 2006

Back from Phuket

I'm back from a short trip to Phuket. It was a well deserved trip. I hadn't realised how much it rejuvenated me. I've actually spent the last few days sifting through the mails when I was away and catching up on the readings in the forums. There are a few comments I would like to make regarding some programs, as well as observations in general with regards to the entire autosurf industry.

However before I do all that boring and tedious stuff, I would like to just make a few recommendations if anyone is interested in taking a trip down to Phuket.

My Phuket Trip
If you're going to Phuket, chances are you'd probably want to do some of the island hopping day tours. You'd also probably read up on Phuket from Lonely Planet or some travel related website. I know I usually do that before any trip, just to find out what are the 'can't miss' things to do. Unfortunately in this case, I found out that such guides and websites were totally useless. The prices quoted and the quality provided were possibly jacked way too high. Possibly because most of these were written by Caucasians, and the chances of Caucasians being ripped off is exponentially higher.

If you're going island hopping, I would suggest booking with the Siam SeaCanoe company. They hold a wide range of tours, offering different destinations. The service is pretty good. I didn't get a chance to visit the much talked about Phi Phi island since one of the guys I was travelling with had been there before. Instead we opted for some cave canoeing and a visit to James Bond Island. I'm sure we probably lucked out with the crew we got. The crew was young, dynamic and entertaining. From everything I've read and heard, no one really comments on how great their crew for the island hopping trip was. All I've read was how beautiful the islands were.

The crew we had was fantastic. The service was impeccable and we were kept entertained all the while. They performed dances and on the journey back to the jetty, the entire boat was literally rocking with both the guests and the crew dancing/singing on board. I'm sure it was quite a spectacle for the guests on the other ferries that were coming into the docks together with us. All I know was that I was basking in the sweet gazes of envy in their eyes. When we finally docked, I know many of the guests and myself included, went to every one of the crew and shook their hands, thanking them for a wonderful time. It was really quite emotional, like parting with a group of old friends.

Unfortunately, getting the same crew is pretty much a touch and go thing. The name of the guy in charge of the crew is called Tommy aka Son of James Bond. Chances of getting this crazy bunch is possibly unlikely, but if you do happen to chance upon this crew, let them know that the group of guys from Singapore say hello.

As for booking the tours, I would suggest actually walking along the streets of Patong. There are plenty of dingy travel agents plying their wares. Don't be afraid to book your tours there. The prices are cheap and you can bargain. My tour costs 1200baht. If I had booked it online before even setting foot to Phuket, it would have cost up to 4000baht. Even the hotel endorsed tour agent quoted 2500baht for the exact same tour package.

The other thing I think you'd probably need to know is how cheap the seafood there is. Again if you visit the websites, most would recommend Patong Seafood Restaurant. The quality is pretty good, however the prices are well......pretty extreme for local standards. If you have time to do a bit of exploring, there is a stretch of open aired seafood restaurants along the road where FantaSea (famous theatre for tranvestite shows) is. The prices here can be up to a third of that in Patong Seafood Restaurant or any of the other established places, depending on what you order and how you bargain. Having sampled the food at both places, I personally couldn't tell the difference in quality, neither could anyone in our group. The food was equally fresh and a world cheaper.

That's bout all I feel one should know from my experience. Everything else is probably echoed in other websites, guides and forums. If you're planning to make a trip down to Phuket, have plenty of fun in the sun. I know I had a whale of a time. Just wished I had spent more days there to explore. Probably just as well that I didn't. Gives me the perfect excuse to visit the place again.

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