Thursday, April 28, 2016

On the water around Phuket and Krabi

Krabi and Phuket are beautiful to say the least.  Now before I start praising them, I have to admit that they are absolutely not my type of place to visit.  They are loud, full of tourists, and don't have that feel of Thailand that I have become accustomed to while living in Salaya.

Am I glad that I was able to make the journey once?  Yes, of course I am.  Would I go again?  Not willingly.  Now, the area is beyond beautiful, as you will soon see from the photos, but with the influx of tourism, it honestly just feels like any other tourist area.  

Sadly, that is just the way things go for destinations like this one.  

If you are a "Bro" who loves to drink and party, you will love Phuket and Krabi.  If you are more of a person who wants to see authentic Thailand, there is nothing for you down in this area.  

Please feel free to correct me if you know of somewhere in Phuket and Krabi that would be more authentic, but as far as I am concerned, I saw almost nothing.

Now, like I said, it is amazingly beautiful:
















I was also able to continue with my lucky streak on finding random penis shrines.  Of course, the tourists were rudely climbing all over them.  Another reason why I really cannot stand the 20-something college tourists on break.




At the end of the experience though, we were able to enjoy some nice boat rides, go for a swim or two, and see a few different locations.  

Advice for any travelers who make there way down to Phuket and Krabi:

1. Sunscreen.  You may think you can get away with it, but the sun is more intense than you can comprehend.  
2. Bring towels.  They know they have the market cornered on towels.  Supply and demand.
3. Learn some Thai.  Everyone speaks English because these are just tourist destinations, but it will help you figure out if you are getting scammed.  
4. Use common sense - we had a boat captain try to scam us out of money by "paying in advance".  No one pays in advance for things.  Just be aware.
5. Don't be a douche bag.  This is the toughest one.  You might be on vacation, paying lots of money to visit this place, but it does not entitle you to anything.  Don't climb on shrines, don't run around drunk in public, and don't disrespect local customs.  
6. Buy a few waterproof bags and containers.  I got one for my cell phone.  A few hotels are only able to be reached by boat.  Needless to say this could mean wading through the surf with your bag, as they don't have piers.  You will get soaked just riding in one of the open top boats seen in the photo above.  Accept it or prepare for it.  Either way.



These places are beautiful, but just be aware they are mainly designed as tourist traps.  

No comments:

Post a Comment