The next leg of my photo journey was focused on travelling in and around Phuket island, until the camera battery died on me. This included island hopping over three islands. Despite the promising brochure it felt like a pure tourist trap at the end of the day - the Khao Phing Kan island aka James Bond island (where The Man with The Golden Gun was shot) was packed with eager Chinese tourists, the halal food at the Muslim fishing village was bland, and there were endless queuing up to do at every island. Nevertheless the view was outstanding, I can't deny that.
One of the colourful boats to James Bond island
A short stop at a floating muslim village in the very northern part of the Andaman Sea (Ao Phang-Nga National Park.).
The bottled water and the not-so-impressive food provided as part of the tour package
This French guy and I shared the same kayak
Overcast Yat
Flowers on a boat
Muslim ladies peddling souvenirs at the James bond island
Ko Tapu and the brand with three stripes
Ko Tapu alone
Monks do visit the JB island as well
Girl in water melon outfit. How very Peter Jensen (see it here)
Our last stop - temple with monkeys inhabiting the area
Gilded tapestry :)
Monkeying around at the temple
More photos from Yat's camera:
The busy entertainment street Bangla Road
One of the days when we indulged in fried food galore - the chicken at this Muslim restaurant is so crispy we ordered them multiple times!
Spicy food heaven. I especially love the sourness of Thai food which can potentially beat my Mum's cooking...
Kitschy souvenir paintings are rife on the streets in near Patong area
We even celebrated Helmi's birthday during this trip. An attempt to surprise him went awry as we indeed failed in coordination and execution LOL!
Birthday boy's wish lantern set afloat in the pitch dark of the night sky at Patong Beach
Getting tired from staying in the overcrowded Patong, we decided to explore Kata Beach, which was less packed and more beautiful, needless to say. The villas lining the beach is a more upscale version then the ones in Patong. Of course if I had the chance to return I'd be ready to spend more moolah on comfort and quiet in Kata.
Dries Van Noted soaked in Phuket seawater
I did not have much photos at our apartment (it was a VERY affordable 4-star space), but luckily Yat was handy with his Sony camera. Here, I'm enjoying sunset at our infinity pool. Not exaggerating to say this is the best view I had from a lodging my entire life!
Gleaming lights from Bangla Road is visible from the pool
At Phuket Premium Outlet (not much to shout about, I'd say JPO scores much netter in terms of sales and brand availability...)
It was an exciting trip but I honestly missed out on the more secluded beautiful spots like Phi Phi island, where one can spend time swimming there. All in all Phuket is an island with robust attractions - from entertainment (red light district is quite impressive, although a far cry from Bangkok's established joints); shopping (both premium and affordable items are available); the food (although fruit shakes in Bangkok is much superior);the beach (Kata is one of the best public beaches I've been to) and the island hopping is not so bad either. It's better to plan ahead if you decide to island hop in order to avoid the massive influx of tourists....
Words and images by Hafidzudin Zainal
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