Adventures in Phuket!

Where to begin? Bailey and I have had a memorable week since we visited the elephant sanctuary. We’ve visited Phuket Olde Town, the Chalong Bay Rum Distillery, taken a boat tour of Phi Phi islands where we snorkeled and swam in the bluest lagoon, had massages, and met some of the kindest people along the way.

1. Phuket Town

Our first trip after the elephants was to Phuket Town, the largest town on the island of Phuket. We spent the day in and out of museums and cafes, exploring the town through its history and cuisine.

After we learned that Phuket’s tourist population had decreased from 14,000,000 in 2018 to 400,000 in 2021, it became clear how empty the streets were in comparison to where they would have been before COVID-19. We could see how much the town, as well as the surrounding areas, have been struggling, and many of the restaurants and shops we passed were closed.

Despite this, we were still able to enjoy our day exploring the town and its history.

2. Chalong Bay Distillery

Saturday, we visited the rum and gin distillery in Chalong Bay. We took a tour of their facilities, saw the sugarcane they grow and harvest to make their rum, sampled their product in a tasting my palate was not developed enough to properly enjoy, and learned how to make three delicious rum cocktails.

The weather was beautiful, and our companions, from all over the world, were a delight to spend the day with.

3. Phi Phi Islands Boat Tour

Sunday, Bailey and I set out for the marina. After an hour on an exciting but choppy boat ride, we stopped at our first island where the Leonardo DiCaprio movie, The Beach, was shot. (I’d never heard of it, but maybe you have). We took a picture with a beautiful cliffside in the background, and while the boat rolled in the waves, I got sick into a trash bag. Luckily I wasn’t the only passenger of the twenty-odd people onboard to do so. Otherwise, that would have been embarrassing.

After that, feeling much better and excited for the day that lay ahead, we stopped at a blue lagoon to swim. I have never swam in such clear, turquoise water. Not only was it one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever been, we were the only boating group there, so we were able to enjoy a typically booming tourist location all to ourselves.

Snorkeling came next! There were two locations where we snorkeled, but the first was my favorite. We literally swam with the fishes and explored coral reefs while convincing our brains we could in fact, breathe with our faces in the water. It was incredible!

After lunch on Bamboo Island, we spent some time at Khai Island (or egg island, named for it’s small, egglike shape). Though small, this island used to be a popular destination for tourists with options for food and drinks filling half of the available real estate. Now, because tourism has decreased so much, the place has been abandoned. The buildings have started sinking into the sea and only the cats remain.

That’s right. Cats. At least fifteen (probably more) stray cats manage to live on this tiny island (we think someone brings them fresh water and leaves buckets out for the rain), and accustomed to tourists, they are extremely needy and affectionate. I think almost everyone wanted to take them back with us, but, unfortunately, we had to leave them behind.

4. Spa Day

Monday was our spa day. Afterwards, we joked about how one person could experience bliss and the other torture while being pampered in the same room.

Because there was a promotion available that made three hours at the spa crazy affordable, we both signed up for an afternoon of relaxation. The first hour, we received a body scrub, the next ninety-minutes, a full body massage, and the last half hour, an in-depth facial. I loved every minute: it was gentle and relaxing and I felt like a vegetable monster when my face was covered in layers of ice-cold cucumbers. It was great. Bailey, however, sunburnt from our boat trip a day earlier, was scrubbed and elbowed and frozen by a much less gentle masseuse than mine.

“Did you tell her medium or strong?” I asked him when he’d told me how aggressively battered he felt afterward.

He said, “I didn’t tell her anything.”

“Well, didn’t she ask?”

“Wait, did yours ask you?”

Mine had, in fact, asked how intensely I’d like to be massaged as well as what trouble spots I’d like her to focus on. Apparently, Bailey had no such conversations with his masseuse and woke up this morning feeling like he’d been in a car accident. I felt awful for him, because I’d had such a nice time, and I’d wanted him to have one, too. Unfortunately, forced relaxation isn’t always what it’s cracked up to be, and I don’t think he enjoyed feeling like he was being buried alive in frigid cucumbers, either.