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Editor's note: This excerpt first appeared in photographer and author Harold Davis' recent Focal Press book, Photographing Flowers: Exploring Macro Photography with Harold Davis.
The closer you...
Phuket is
an island 800km south of Bangkok that is 20km x 40km in size . It contains
everything from a 50K population city, to several 5K population beach communities
and secluded resorts embedded deep in the forest.
The island is connected to the mainland with a land bridge, and is therefore
accessible by land. An easy way to get there from Bangkok is to fly 1.5 hrs ($100
one way). A cheaper alternative is to take the train for 12 hours and then the
bus for 5 hours for a total cost of approximately $30. Buses in the "VIP"
category are the nicest ones.
Phuket is great for those looking for beautiful beaches and everything that
comes along with them (i.e. diving, boating, canoeing, swimming, heat, sun, sand
in your pants, honky-tonk beach communities, etc). One can mitigate the
honky-tonk by focusing on the less developed areas of the Island.
Where We Stayed
Shanti Lodge Phuket - This is a very new small 15 room
resort 30 minutes by car from Phuket Town, the capital city of Phuket. Rooms sell
for $3 to $10/day, where the higher end units include a private bedroom, bathroom
and shower (no AC and no hot water as of 1/2002). This is owned by the same
people that own the Shanti Lodge Bangkok. The food here is unbelievably good. The
typical dinner here is $2.50. This lodge is located in the woods, which means it
is quiet and peaceful. It also means one needs a transportation strategy, such as
renting a jeep, as described below. A. Muang, Phuket 83130, Tel 66-076-280233.
Transportation
Since our hotel was in the woods and the Island is quite large, we rented a
jeep for $5/day, which is a terrific rate. It typically takes 1 to 2 days of
driving before one becomes familiar with staying on the left side of the road
(for right-side drivers) while motor bikes and cars whiz about somewhat randomly.
Driving in Southeast Asia is not for the faint of heart. Yet having your own
vehicle provides some very nice freedom in this sparsely populated area.
What We Did
The beaches in Phuket are beautiful:
Phi Phi Island is a fun place to visit via a 1 day boat excursion for
$10/person:
The $300/room Le Meridien Resort Hotel near Hat Rawai (Southern tip of Phuket
island) is a terrific spot to get a drink and take a walk:
Personal Reflections
Amanda: I have never ever ever understood why so many
Americans waste their money in the Caribbean when the beautiful, friendly Thai
islands exist on the earth. The airfare is slightly more to get to Thailand, but
the accommodations are far less expensive, as is the DELICIOUS food, and the
beaches are exquisite. Plus you can get an hour long professional massage or
facial for about US$6.50. Hello!!
Glenn: I'm not a beach person -- I don't like the heat,
punishing sun, and sand in my pants. If you're a beach person, you will probably
love this place.
The other way to get down to Phuket is to rent a car from Bangkok airport and drive down. I discovered this having arrived the day before new year's eve to find there were no flights before the new year. Bargain hard, but you shouldn't really pay more than $20/day for a perfectly reasonable, smallish new car. The drive is a long one (at least 12 hours), and getting out of Bangkok takes a bit of trial and error, but it's an experience! Numerous photo opportunities on the way, of course, and you will travel through a number of places where tourists are not often found. Look out for mopeds on the dual carriageways - they seem to be allowed to drive on either side of the road, which can be rather nerve-racking at night time. Here's something we saw on the road back up to Bangkok:
Phuket is nice place, but I would recommend Krabi (100Km south of Phuket)
Its more quiet, less developed.
Most of the beach (facing Andaman sea), you better avoid May through Oct, during the period monsoon comes and the water is not crystal clear...
I (Korean) am living in Thailand, and do photos (amateur).
Visit my home "Living in Thailand"
In 1998 there was no vehicle insurance in Thailand. If you are involved in an accident, you must stand there possibly for hours and haggle it out as to who pays for what. In general, the person driving the most expensive vehicle ends up paying for the accident and or injuries. The resort van my party was traveling in was involved in an accident(which was not the driver's fault)and the resort had to pay. We sat there for an hour and a half waiting for the incident to be settled. Two young girls on a motorbike pulled out and struck our van on the side, as if they had not even looked before pulling into the street. They were taken to the hospital. Injuries were not bad, but the resort paid. Beware!
