Two Unexpected Weeks in Phuket: Rest, Recovery, and Relentless Waves
A Quick Stop That Turned Into a Two-Week Pause
Before arriving in Thailand, our “plan” had been to start in Phuket and spend about 2 days getting a feel for the island before moving on to explore more of Thailand. We began out Thailand adventure with both us being sick, though, so we were relieved to discover that our choice of beach resort was an excellent location to recover. Lots of fresh fruit and fruit drinks upon request, outdoor living, balcony. Not the original plan, but it worked out well for us. Phuket turned out to be an unexpectedly perfect place to rest and reset.
Beachfront Paradise…Just for Looking At
The beach view from our resort was absolutely breathtaking. Unlike the calm, inviting waters we’d recently enjoyed in Costa Rica, though, this ocean was on a whole different wavelength. The waves were wild and powerful. This wasn’t water for casual swimming or lazy floating. This was “get thrown on your butt” water. When we were feeling well enough to explore a little and finally tried out the ocean, we quickly came to understand why the hotel guests spent all their time at the (lovely) pool. This ocean was for looking at.
An Elephant at Sunset
This big guy took a daily beach walk with his owner around sunset every day. We (Ariella in particular) got quite a kick out of him, and got to feed him (watch below)!
Delightful Shows and Delicious Dishes
We love Thai food, and the food was what originally piqued our interest in visiting Thailand in the first place. YUM! And we caught a fire show one evening, which was absolutely delightful!
Getting Cultured
Once we were up for some light adventuring, we ventured into Phuket City. It was charming and easy to enjoy. We enjoyed the quirky streets and colorful buildings, the sorbet, and our couples massage. We also visited Wat Chaithararam (AKA Wat Chalong), one of Phuket’s most important Buddhist temples, and got as close as we could to an enormous Buddha (off limits because of landslides).
Bangla Road: Not Our Scene
Our exploration down Bangla Road in Patong was... something else. Think of it as Thailand’s version of Times Square. Loud, bright, crowded, people yelling and shoving flyers in your faces. Not our vibe.
No Plan Is the Best Plan
While we spent more time in Phuket than we'd originally planned, part of our "plan" for this whole global adventure is to not really have a plan - so, our experience worked out perfectly. Stay tuned for the continuation of our Thailand adventure…in Koh Lanta!
With love and sunshine,
Ariella and David
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