April 18-24: Krabi, Phi Phi, Phuket

We weren’t exactly sad to leave Bangkok, but we were sad to be parting ways with Katie & Burke Ferrari after eight days of water fights, tuk-tuk rides, sweltering heat, cold cocktails, putrid smells, and cheap, delicious food – all accompanied by laughter! Special thanks to Steve Smith, our SF-cum-Bangkokian friend, and his beautiful and funny girlfriend, Jenny, who showed us a great time. Khorb Khun Mark Na Ka!

We’ve now been with the Ferraris for three 50th birthdays: Jeff’s in Manhattan in 2004; Katie’s in Ortigia in October 2017 and now Burke’s in Bangkok. The question isn’t whether we’ll celebrate mine together, but where?!?!

Just sayin’…
24 Cheap destinations with great weather in February

I can’t imagine three better places to recover  withdrawal (emotional and otherwise) than Krabi, Phi Phi (pronounced pee-pee) and Phuket. Just saying the names of these places (or creatively using all three in a sentence) was good fun for Jeff and Mick.

Our Thai Lion Air departure from Bangkok was about 40 minutes late, which may or may not be why we didn’t find our host-arranged Airbnb driver with a “Jordan” sign when we emerged from the airport. The swarm of solicitous taxi drivers, however, made finding another ride (thank goodness with A/C) was easy. Half an hour later, we arrived at the Green View Resort, a tucked away, slightly off the beaten path (those can be two different things) place that seemed to be between a slightly worn out, but luxurious past, and a new, updated style.

As in Bangkok, it was sweltering, so the majority of our time was spent in the pool, which was right outside our room, or in the air-conditioned room. Each night, after sundown, the broken clouds lit up with amazing lightning shows that seemed almost orchestrated and each night we enjoyed amazing, cheap, food! The pool’s proximity was particularly appreciated the night the resort lost power and the room became pretty hot pretty fast.

One day we took a long-tail boat (an adventure itself) to Railay Beach in the afternoon where we gawked at the beauty, swam in the bathtub-warm ocean, and checked out the small, local scene.

 

We got back from our excursion shortly before sunset, so decided to watch it from a comfy couch-chair with our beverages of choice.

PHI PHI ISLAND

After two nights in Krabi, we joined seven other passengers on a van to the port in Krabi with a driver completely oblivious to lane lines and the two-car-lengths rule. At one red light, rather than slowing to a stop behind the eight or so other cars waiting, he simply veered onto the left shoulder, proceeded to the front of the pack, and was first off the mark when the light turned green.

Also, sometimes when he shifted into 3^rd or 5^th gears, he dramatically raised his ring-adorned hand off the stick, and splayed his fingers with a voilà-type flourish.

With simultaneous raised eyebrows, Jeff and I managed to share some silent laughter!

We had about 45 minutes before our ferry for Phi Phi departed, during which time enjoyed the Sneaky Monkey Show. Twice we watched some very cute, acrobatic monkeys, sneak up on an unwitting passenger, and steal a bag of food.

The hour-and-a-half ferry ride was easy and, due to the air-conditioning, very pleasant.

Phi Phi Island- stunning! Beautiful beaches surrounded by these high land masses jutting from the sea, covered with tropical lushness.

We stayed about at the Andaman Beach Resort, about 15 minutes from the Tonsai Beach. Our unit was right on the walking path and just steps from both the pool and access to the beach and while “resort” seems a stretch, it had everything we needed.

After all three of us sustained coral-related injuries (minor, but painful in the saltwater!), we learned to exercise caution when walking out into the water, but once there, ahhh…. Apparently it’s about 86 degrees, which still doesn’t seem to jibe with my idea of ocean water.

Jeff, being more heat-tolerant, explored more of the island than Mick and I did, but all three of us did manage to walk as far as we could to the north of Tonsai Beach and over to Loh Dalum Beach.

Jeff and I wandered the many alleys both nights, saying, “Hi Kitty” to the hundreds of friendly cats out and about, and finding two great places to eat X and X.

After seeing so many cats with short, kinked, bobbed, or non-existent tails, I Googled:

“Why do cats in SE Asia have funny tails?”
From what I can tell, the short-tail gene carried by Japanese Bobtail cats and the short-kinked-tail gene carried by Siamese cats (bred out in Western countries for aesthetic reasons) has gradually spread all over Asia to the extent that it has become the norm in many countries. Although the short-tail gene is recessive, in-breeding between stray cats has encouraged its prominence.

Kinked= Siamese trait
Loop-the-loop= ringtail cat trait 
Short= bobtail cat trait

On our last night, Jeff and I found a great place to grab cheap pub food and somehow managed to save room for ice cream on the walk back to our room.

PHUKET

Our 2nd and last island hop was to Phuket, again aboard an air-conditioned ferry. As our flight from Phuket to Cambodia was fairly early, we opted for an Airbnb closer to the airport rather than in the more popular Patong Beach area (never saw it actually). The drive was much longer than we expected and the first part was anything but beautiful. We didn’t know what to expect when we turned off the main road and onto the smaller road to the Baan Mai Khao condos, but we were NOT disappointed.

We like pools. We like swimming. I, in particular, like pools that don’t require easing in (though I try to be a just-dive-in type person). In this place, the pools are both feature and function, landscape and heat-escape. A person could almost swim, instead of walk, the entire length of the complex.

Mai Khao Beach is the longest beach on Phuket island, stretching about 7 miles. It is part of the Sirinat National Park, which serves to protect leatherback turtles, who return to the beach from November to February each year to lay eggs.

 

Leatherback Turtle Facts

• Largest of all turtles
• Fourth largest reptile (after 3 species of crocodile)
• 3rd fastest reptile in the world (after bearded dragon & green iguana)
• They weight between 500 and 2,000 pounds
• Can eat their weight in jellyfish in one day
• They measure 4 to 8 feet in length
• They have leathery skin instead of a shell
• Evolved over 100 million years ago

After a fat-tire-bike ride around Pru Je Sarh Lake, we indulged in an amazing Thai massage ($15 for all three of us for a half-hour) just off the beach.

Our last night in Phuket, and in Thailand. It’s easy to see why so many people like to travel here – lovely people, beautiful places, and the price is right!