Phuket: The Sin City of Thailand

Oh, Phuket. I had been warned from friends about this island's antics, but nothing could've prepared us for the bright lights and lady boys of Bangla Road.

Our intro to Thailand was a whirlwind. We got a quick crash course in baht by a kind thai lady, were ushered into a dodgy shuttle, and 45 minutes later, we were dropped right in the thick of it all.

The hostel we stayed at was in a great location – 5 minute stroll to the beach and literally in the center of the nightlife, which can only be described as Mardi Gras on Asian crack, every night of the week.

After living near Kings Cross, Sydney's 'underbelly,' for months, I thought I'd seen it all, but Phuket is on another level. Seeing the old Western men tuk tuking away with young prostitutes made me sad, and being approached constantly to see a 'ping pong show' just grossed me out.

But, once the sun rose and the streets reopened, it felt like a different city. We spent our few days in Phuket mainly at the beach, cooling off in the calm water and watching dangerous parasailing.

We also went on our first Thai tuk tuk ride to Paradise Beach. Tuk tuks are basically larger, faster, less safe golf carts. I still don't know how ours made it up and down the huge hills from one beach to the other, but it was a fun adventure.

The beaches were beautiful and lived up to our expectations; however, I can't say the same about the food. I've looked forward to eating authentic Thai food since we planned this trip, but the pad thais, curries and stick foods we tried left us all with food disappointment and severe food poisoning in my case. 😦

Since we didn't travel around the island too much, I realize the seedy overload and sickness skewed our impression of Phuket, but I can't say I'm anxious to revisit this island. I was, however, thrilled to ferry to our next island, Koh Phi Phi, and the adjacent island where 'The Beach' is.

 

Posted with Blogsy