After 6 days in Hua Hin we made the four hour trek, by taxi, back to Bangkok to catch a flight to Phuket. We basically went north to then turnaround and go south – I know maybe I’m not the sharpest knife in the drawer. But hey, Phuket is an island so it’s complicated using other modes of transportation to get there.
Our destination was Karon Beach, and we would be spending Christmas weekend there with some old friends. Phuket is very lush, clean and with fantastic beaches and is certainly a ‘vacation destination of choice’ – especially for Thai and Russian tourists. We made a stop at a local bar for Espresso Martinis – my new favourite! The food was great as well.
The beach is very beautiful and stretches for miles.
It was very busy even at 10:00AM.
I am glad to have made the trip but my impression is that Phuket is very, very busy and touristy. A gazillion scooters and cars drive at lightning speed all over the roads and sidewalks as if there was some sort of mandatory exodus in order. I saw myself waiting almost 5 minutes just to cross the street to my hotel because no-one will stop and you have to make a mad dash for it.
All is calm back in Hua Hin, our home base. It was time to start exploring our new home for a couple of months. Walking, taxis and mini buses are my main sources of transportation. If you are out for a walk and get tired or begin to overheat from the sun (it’s over 30° Celsius by 10:00AM) it is a welcome site to see the mini bus come along. The fare is 15 baht per ride or 0.60 cents CDN. I like to hang onto the step at the very back!
My condo is in the quieter part of town but if you head 4 or 5 kms out, it has a few more sights and sounds to take in. The overpass by the mall gives a good view of the streetscape.
A former co-worker from the power company is visiting Thailand now, as well, so we met up for supper and did a little walkabout along Soi Bintabant (soi means side street or alley). Let’s just say that there is more on the menu then food and drinks up that street … wink …wink …
Another evening we dropped by the Tamarind Market that opens at 5PM on the weekends offering food stalls, drinks and live entertainment.
I opted for some tacos and coconut juice for about 6 bucks before settling in to enjoy the live entertainment (and beer!).
Otherwise we like to head to our beach where our ‘chair and umbrella guy’, Lek, gets us setup for the day. We have our snacks, books, crosswords and eventually I flag down Lek to deliver beer for the thirsty beach goer. Tough days in Hua Hin!
There is an estuary at lower end of the beach where ships come and go.
Feel free to leave a comment below. If you wish to contact me, my email is blaisemcneil@gmail.com. Thanks for visiting my site and I hope you’ll return soon for my next adventure…. Blaise
HEY!!!
Is that Keanu Reeves hanging off the back of that bus all “Speed” like?
Or perhaps Leslie Nielsen’s Frank Drebin?
If you run out of AC I can box up some cold wind and ship it over.
-Jamie
Holy smokes you are getting to experience so much. Thanks for sharing
Wow, you are getting lots done in little time. The beaches look amazing !