On Phuket & Phi Phi

Adorned: A Thai Boat - Feb 2010

You know sex really is a hot commodity somewhere and you hit the target demographic for it (solo western male traveler in my case) when, 15 seconds out of the airport parking lot, the guy driving your shuttle asks if you'd like to listen to music and then proceeds to hit the switch that flips down a 17 inch HDTV screen from the ceiling of the van on which Thai go-go girls are dancing and doing their thing . . . theoretically for your *ahem* listening pleasure.

Accompanied by eyes looking back in the rearview mirror comes the half-statement/half-question, "Sexy, yes?"

Indeed.

Such was my welcome to Phuket.

While the island, like other parts of Thailand, does have its 'spicier' side, it is also blessed with a blissful location in the crystal clear waters of the Andaman Sea. Despite the best intentions of my driver, it was the sugary white sand of Karon Beach and the turquoise seas that lured me and kept me enthralled for 3 nights and 4 days - and well within the bounds of visions and expectations.

Arriving unintentionally in the middle of the peak tourist season, I blended right in with the packs of Russians, Italians, and Scandinavians who continually make Phuket one of the top tourist destinations in all of S.E. Asia. Although I was somewhat conflicted about being part of that scene, the tourism infrastructure in place meant that it was possible for me as a solo traveler to do things like a speedboat trip to the Phi Phi islands off-shore that, due to price and time constraints, would have otherwise been impossible.

Having studied abroad and lived with a family in Bali, I also knew enough to look beyond the show put on for the foreigners in hotspots like this and got to know Steve and Lek, the owners of the guesthouse I stayed at, a little bit. An affable and hospitable couple (he's a Brit, she is Thai) on my last night there, after I was asking about finding some good and authentic Thai food, Lek had me hop on the back of her motorbike and dropped me off at a hole-in-the-wall type place that had a deliciously smooth green thai curry.

More than the flash and the flesh hinted at during my introduction to the island, it was these latter acts of hospitality and warmth - short conversations, an impromptu motorbike ride, and great local food - that have me looking for another long weekend and an inexpensive flight for a return trip sometime in the months to come.

Well, that and the place is drop dead gorgeous - as I hope my photos can begin to convey. [To see them, go to the photo album on the right or click here.]

Plus, I'd kind of like to try my hand at taking a sea kayaking daytrip around 'James Bond Island' and Phang Nga Bay too.

Anybody want to come along?