#thailand

 

Sawasdee

(Sah-Wah-Dee)

That is Thai for Hello, from Phuket (Poo-Ket), Thailand.  Or more formally the Kingdom of Thailand. Yes, they have royalty, and currently, the royalty is a King. They have a prime minister and cabinet like the UK. Thailand was formerly known as Siam which gave us the term Siamese. This is a beautiful lush green island full of forest and farming with beautiful clear water surrounding it.

Here are some facts about Thailand. The currency here is the Thai Baht. At the time of our trip, the rate was 1 THB = 0.0281. This meant $1 US was 35.5 THB. Most things were cheap for us. One price that stood out was gasoline. 34 THB for one liter of gas. They were shocked when I told them how much I paid to fill my car last. They speak Thai here, with variations, and some Malay. The country is 97% Buddhism. This has a great deal to do with how friendly and respectful everyone is here.

So how did we get here? Traveling to Thailand is extremely easy. We have found that 90% of countries no longer have COVID-19 restrictions; if they do, they are minimal. A US citizen needs a passport, a return flight itinerary, and a hotel confirmation. You must show you have a COVID-19 vaccination, or you have a negative test result. This is still the case in most places, however, there are no mask mandates. There is no VISA required here for a US citizen. As with any trip you may purchase insurance. This can be travel insurance covering your trip interruption as well as medical. We had neither.

We chose to stay in Phuket on this trip. It is a small island just off the west coast of Thailand. We wanted a relaxing beach vibe vacation since the move, and everything associated was stressful. We will explore mainland Thailand on another trip. The flight for us was non-stop from Singapore. Upon arrival, I noticed the airport was genuinely nice and modern. Exiting the arrival area and customs were both easy to negotiate. We had planned for a car from the hotel to pick us up. This is a good travel tip for any country if it is available. We located the person with our sign and we were loaded up within minutes.

We arrived at 930 PM, so it was dark, and we could not see much. We did see very bright beautiful signs advertising shows and attractions. We could see a big night market as well. The drive was just under 20 minutes, and it was to the north side of the island. I learned later it is less crowded up north. We stayed at the JW Marriott Phuket for this trip. Upon arrival, a concierge greeted us, and our bags were managed by the staff. We received a welcome drink and sat on a comfortable couch to go over the resort and check-in details.

 

We completed check-in and were then shown to our room. The room was wonderful. It had good air conditioning and was spacious. This room was a swim-up access room so when you exit to the back patio, you walk down into a semi-private pool. I made a walk-through video of the room on our YouTube channel. As we walked around the views were incredible. Beautiful Thai architecture surrounds you. The vegetation gives you a feeling of living in a jungle. The lighting could not have been placed more perfectly. Everything was accented perfectly, and it felt like paradise.

We had not eaten in a while, so we made our way to a restaurant. Of course, we had to choose the first meal to be Thai. They have many restaurants on-site, and some have a few Thai dishes, but this one is Thai-specific. The staff warmly greeted us. Regarding welcomes, everyone is so friendly. From the airport to everywhere I went, even a gas station, people always greeted me with a hello and a Wai (Thai bow).

We browsed the menu and as in many places, the menu is not what you see as Thai food in the United States. Some items are there but the menu is so much more. We chose several things we had not heard of or eaten. Every dish was delicious one thing was “Thod Man Goong”. This is an appetizer dish that is crispy fried prawn cakes served with plum sauce. These cakes were delicious, and we could have eaten many more. There were several small dishes containing sauces of different spice levels. We highly recommend this restaurant.

Day two was strictly a day to relax. No trips or tours were planned, just the beach and pool. We spent some time at both. The beach was beautiful. The water was a beautiful blue and 84 degrees. The beach was clean, and the sand was nice. We spent some time in the water which is the Andaman Sea that connects to the Indian Ocean. The waves were not high or strong, but you had to be mindful of your stance. After the ocean swim, we found our way to the pool deck and found a spot. We had some drinks and spent the rest of the day outside.

A scuba dive was a goal for this trip and a spa day for Brandi. I had booked a boat dive with the shop at the resort. This would turn out to be a wonderful experience. I met the guide in the lobby. He said the boat was not going out. He then told me we could go shore diving at a good spot. We met up and he loaded his car with the gear and drove us to Kata Beach. This was a lengthy drive to the south part of the island. We drove through the towns and got to know each other. This is a part of travel I love. I learned he was born in Thailand, went to University in Germany, and then was an exchange student in Houston. He was one of only three Thai PADI course directors and he is very passionate about diving.

We geared up and swam out to a reef you would not know is there. It was a great dive. The visibility was about two hundred feet. Not the clearest I have seen but it was nice. The reef was alive and there were many types of fish. This was the first time I saw cuttlefish. It is always nice to dive as it is very calm underwater. You look around and only hear your air going in and out. I have noticed when you are underwater, the fish somehow do not mind your presence. They do not dart away as they do when you are above water. After the dive, we packed up and he drove to a restaurant on a hill with a beautiful view where he bought me lunch. We talked on the way back and I would say I made a friend. I ended up getting a private dive with a great diver and not the usual mass group dive.

Part of the beauty of Thailand is the many small islands that dot the area. We wanted to experience this, so we booked a boat trip that had four stops. This trip left from the Phuket Marina, and they shuttled to and from the hotel. The trip was nice as there were only twenty people. Our guide nicknamed “Goodies” was great. He had knowledge of the areas and a great personality. He kept everyone laughing and smiling. This trip involved swimming, snorkeling, and splendid views.

The stops on this trip were the group of islands named Phi Phi (Pee-Pee). These islands are iconic and seen in movies and many pictures of Thailand travel. The boat ride was just under an hour to the first stop, bamboo island. The trip passes other beautiful islands. This island has a pleasant beach and snorkel area. There is a decent reef here and fish to see. The second stop was at Phi Phi Don for a snorkel area from the moored boat. I have learned the theme that there are coral reefs throughout Thailand and that makes the ocean lover in me happy. There are many fish and coral species here. If you are lucky you can see seahorses, many types of rays, and in some areas whale sharks.

After snorkeling the boat goes around the island to see some beautiful caves. An interesting fact about Viking cave. The cave is home to Swift birds. They nest inside the cave and their nest is used for bird’s nest soup. The nest is edible and harvested. The demand is enough that a Chinese company somehow bought the cave, and they have someone there twenty-four hours a day to protect it as well as harvest the nests. From the outside, the caves were incredible and large. I imagine the inside is great as well.

The next stop was Brandi’s favorite. Monkey Island is just that, an island with monkeys on it. There is nothing else on the island and the boats will pull up depending on the tide. We were able to get out for a look. Long-Tailed Macaques are roaming free on the island. They are now used to tour boats showing up and expect to be fed. I would say most of the tours tell you not to feed them. Ours even went further and said they are wild animals, not pets, and they will bite you and scratch you so stay back. I had read before this trip that bites and scratches are common on this island and at one in Singapore that has monkeys. It was nice to watch them climb and stalk people for food. There were many baby monkeys as well which made me keep further from them. A friend-shaped package does not always mean a friend.

We went on to a lunch stop and then to a cove. Phi Phi Lay lagoon. The pictures and video will not do it justice. Magnificent view and just an incredible feeling to arrive inside the massive walls of this lagoon. It is somehow a perfect deep bowl in the center with the entrance being very shallow. The combination of blue waters with the green tree-covered rocky faces rising around you is awesome. We stopped for a swim and photos and then left for the final stop of the trip. The famous Maya Beach.

Maya bay is home to the most famous of beaches, Maya beach, due to the movie The Beach. There were so many people visiting this beach that the government banned anyone from going for many years. They are trying to allow the reef to recover in the bay as so many people swam in and walked on it. On a side note, one of the biggest killers of reefs is sunscreen. To get to this beach, you now have to be let off your boat on the opposite side of the island. You then walk on a trail to the beach.

 

This is the most beautiful beach we have been on. The sand is like a white powder and the softest sand I have ever felt. The water is clear and inviting. You cannot swim here, but they allow you to put your feet in and take photos. If you go to your knees or sit or squat in the water, they have people that will remind you to get out. This was a definite Instagram vs Reality moment, and my pictures will show why. So many people are on tours here. They have closed off other islands to people in the area and I feel like others may follow. It is so beautiful at any of these islands and the coast of Thailand and Phuket. I noticed it is extremely popular with tourists from many countries, and that can be good and bad in the case of the reefs and beaches. I also noted the trash that was on some beaches and underwater in one spot.

Phuket was an amazing trip. We highly recommend this destination if you love the ocean and beach vibes. I think most things here are kid friendly as well and we saw several families. You can spend your time at a resort or venture out in town. Depending on what you like to do, you may choose a day trip on the water like us. I will say some of the stops were crowded. The food was incredible, the people were among the nicest I have met, and the views were spectacular. From the US it is a long flight, but a little planning can get you an amazing vacation, and maybe this is only one stop you make. We have found staying 10 days, if possible, and visiting three or four areas is a better idea if you must take such a long flight.

Next up is Batam, Indonesia. We have more to follow and look forward to sharing our experiences with you. Follow us here or on our social media.[/fusion_text][/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container]