Phuket

We were very fortunate to have Thai holidays on Friday and Tuesday this past weekend and could take off for a few days to Phuket. John's friend Brian, who is currently living part time in Dubai, joined us last minute on the trip. Phuket is an island about 300 miles south of Bangkok in the Andaman Sea. It may be well known for the terrible 2004 Tsunami that hit there, but it is also well know for the beautiful islands that surround it.

Our first adventure was on Sunday when we went with a tour to visit the Phi Phi Islands. Getting to the islands was about an hour speedboat ride from Phuket (with 4-6 foot waves) to get out to the islands near Phi Phi. We did some sightseeing, snorkeling and then stopped at Coral Island for a picnic lunch on the beach. The weather wasn't great but we still enjoyed seeing the sights.

Where the movie "The Beach" was filmed

On Monday we did a half day tour. We had strong winds and rain on our way out to the islands but, it all cleared up once we arrived at the our first stop. This tour included; a visit to a Muslim fishing village, walking around James Bond Island ("The Man With the Golden Gun" was filmed here), and canoeing through the caves. All in all, we saw some breathtaking scenery and would highly recommend this trip to anyone visiting southeast Asia.

Covering up in rain parkas for the wet ride.

The dock to the Muslim Fishing Village

Canoeing through the caves.

James Bond Island