Defining Happy

Kick Rocks Phuket!

These “Good-bye/Hello Such and Such” posts will come after each destination for sure.  Again, I’ll give my review based on my highly educated opinion and whatever else I feel like throwing into the equation.  So here are my thoughts on Phuket.

Oh dear where the heck do I begin?  I never thought I would be trying to escape from Thailand like a runaway war criminal but I had really had enough.  My experience during my first visit to Koh Samui in 2008 was life changing.  I won’t go in to detail here but the entire trip really changed my whole outlook on life and is one of the reasons why I simplified my life.  Fast forward to May 2012 in Phuket where I was lightweight accused of shoplifting, stared, pointed and laughed at like I was a circus act and beaten like Sophia in The Color Purple (Ok..that last one was a bit of a stretch but whatever).  The two experiences were like night and day.

My last few hours in Phuket were spent waiting in the airport for my impromptu flight.  I sat completely baffled and quite amused at the sight of several european and asian women who walked past with snoop dogg-esque cornrows and wooden beads.  I’m not actually sure how that fits in to the Thai culture but I’ll just assume that this is another tourist trap that is obviously working  quite well for them.  

Ok…moving along to the real reivew.  For those who enjoy a large amount of shopping and partying, Phuket has loads to offer.  Although the markets in all of Thailand can be pretty predictable there were a few things I saw at the Phuket weekend market that I would have snagged had I not been carrying a toddler sized backpack around for 1 year.  Malls like Central Festival and stores like Home Pro and Big C all have tons of goodies that will leave you having to pay an extra baggage fee for your flight home.  Several bars, lady boy hangouts, loads of restaurants, and a whole lotta sinning can be found in the Patong area.  This area is ridiculously touristy which is not my thing at all so a pass through in the car was enough for me.

For the beach babies you have several to choose from and the views from most of the beaches are breathtaking. As with any city where tourism is a big business there are a massive amount of tourist agencies that offer anything from elephant rides to island hopping tours so you adventurous types are covered as well.

And you all know from reading about my adventures for the last couple of weeks that you can also come to Phuket to train in Muay Thai, MMA, or western boxing.  There are a ton of gyms on the island but take my advice and make sure you email or call in advance to make sure they aren’t the type of gym that like to kick random tourists asses.

Overall, Phuket has a little bit of something for everyone.  For me personally I think I was looking for a repeat of the first moving experience I had in Thailand and unfortunately this was a huge disappointment this time around.  With stories of the Mafia running the taxi and police force and everyone swindling tourists left and right I was definitely ready to head somewhere that was a little more welcoming.

Enter Malaysia…I LOVE THIS PLACE! Stay tuned to read more about my adventures here!