View from my balcony

How the other half lives. Luxury hotel at PhuKet's south west tip. I have much to say.:) yesterday wonderful day out to islands where they filmed The Beach.

Sun 16/12/2007 10:58 16122007325

My hotel

So built into the wooded hill you could almost miss it. This pleases me enormously compared to the brutality of Patong.

Sun 16/12/2007 13:11 16122007326

Phuket day 3, or how the other half sleeps

Just popping through using free hotel Net, en route from beach to shower - then might watch end of pirate-copy 70 baht (1 pound ) DVD of Eastern Promises with much awaited naked Viggo in bath house scene (I fell asleep before could watch the end last night - at 9.45pm! - gives you an idea how tired I must have been!!!)

Then considering being brave backpacker-type again and taking taxi to Phuket Town which is Not Tourist Not Beach place hence may have prices almost as cheap as Koh Samui plus interesting Stuff:) it being allegedly Sino-Portuguese, not v Thai.. Alternately could just go to nearest and least horrible tourist outcropping Kata Noi and eat at famous place called Momma Tris' Boathouse which nice Germans recommended (see below). Vee shall see.

Lunch on local beach today was nice surprise - expected prices to be as inflated as all tourist Phuket but in fact was as cheap as Koh Samui. It's not that I mind the money per se (still cheap as chips) but once you've seen how cheap real Thailand is it's hard not to feel exploited when prices in Phuket are 10 times that (admittedly I'm sure they suffer 10 times muchly from our horrible tourists - more on that later on LJ perhaps.) Green curry with prawns today, mm. I will turn into a prawn soon - it's clearly the local staple diet. And I haven't even had deep fried prawns yet.. Saw them today, enormous!! Though I did have sudden bad memory of article in Economist about Thai prawn industry and growth hormones. Hmm. maybe should try chicken again..

Also got another massage on beach, oil (what we regard as normal massage) not Thai (not as good as Thai style, but hell any massage is good!) for 300 baht same as bangkok (c 4 pounds) - pleased at ability to barter down from 400 to normal price!!.

I am v v v glad booked lovely hotel on nice quiet shop-free mostly Engish-tourist-free beach. Will explain more on this later too perhaps. Do not want to depress myself again - first night took taxi to Patong. epi centre of package holiday Eurobrit Thailand. Vision of hell. Do Not Go There. What we have done to this poor country.. I also think I have finally found a cause to devote myself to. flying_sauce what do you think?

Yesterday v long but fun outing to James Bond-film-set islands, Ko Phi Phi etc - snorkelling, swimming, speedboat to 3 different islands, stop on tiny island to feed bananas to adorable baby monkeys (sure very bad for them, they will get as fat as Java, but oh hell.) Oh and I almost saved someone's life. No, really. Full write up sometime... Palled up with v nice German couple, both journalists - much swapping of travel stories.

Shower calls. Saw wa di kha..