I bought a one-way airline ticket to Phuket, Thailand for $26.02 that left from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Thailand has loose visa restrictions. I can get into the country and stay for 30 days by merely having my passport stamped. Phuket is described by Wikipedia as “a rainforested, mountainous island in the Andaman Sea, has some of Thailand’s most popular beaches, mostly situated along the clear waters of the western shore. The island is home to many high-end seaside resorts, spas and restaurants. Phuket City, the capital, has old shophouses and busy markets. Patong, the main resort town, has many nightclubs, bars and discos.” Lonely Planet describes it as “Thailand’s original flavour of tailor-made fun in the sun.” Fodor’s says “Phuket has consistently been voted as one of the world’s favorite tourist destinations, both for budget travelers and those seeking sumptuous luxury.” TripAdvisor advises “Thailand’s largest island is an international magnet for beach lovers and serious divers, who enthusiastically submerge themselves in the Andaman Sea. Blue lagoons and salmon sunsets make for a dream-like atmosphere, and indeed, a vacation here can feel a bit surreal.”
I go to Thailand for the cheap scooter rentals, the incredible fruit and vegetable markets and the $5 massages.
When I checked the hostel prices for the day I would arrive I saw 25 hostels out of the 70 available hostels for Phuket that were priced under $10. Most of them are in Phuket Town but a few of them are located in Patong which Lonely Planet labels “Phuket’s sin city”, a phrase that’s hard to ignore though one that doesn’t nearly perk my attention they way it would have 40 years ago. Paton is more of a consideration for me because it’s supposed to have Phuket’s best beach. It’s something I don’t intend to miss but I’m more inclined to stay in Phuket Town due the the history. I’m not much of a beach guy, although I’ve seen more than a few from Miami to NIce to Bali.
I’m also going to the Phuket area to take in Krabi, another famous beach area in Thailand. Krabi doesn’t get the same amount of press as Phuket, but it is a well known area as far as travelers in Southeast Asia are concerned. I intend to visit Krabi Town from Phuket and to do it as a day trip via a bus so I can see a bit of the countryside.
Another reason to visit the Phuket/Krabi area is the hope that I’ll be able to visit the son of a friend of mine who I’ve known for almost 50 years. The son happens to be teaching English in the area. One thing I’ve always liked to do is to reconnect with people as I travel. I have friends whose primary reason to go to certain places as they travel is to visit people they’ve met before. While I can appreciate friendships, and I will go out of my way to visit people I know, I don’t tend to plan my itineraries around friendships as some people I know do. I tend to like to go to places I haven’t been before and I tend to build my itineraries around locations which have significant tourist attractions. But I do hope I get to see my friend’s son and I would certainly like to hear his experiences of teaching English in Thailand.
From Phuket/Krabi my intention is to take the train to Bangkok. Bangkok is a major transportation hub in Southeast Asia. Cheap flight to dozens of locations are common. Right now I’m looking at a $30 flight from Bangkok to Hanoi, Vietnam. My primary reasons to go to Vietnam would be to take the train from Ha Noi to Sai Gon. There, I can catch another cheap flight to Taipei, Taiwan. Taiwan is one of those interesting political paradoxes. It’s a part of China but it isn’t. I’ve been to China but I’ve never been to Taiwan. I haven’t purchased the tickets to Vietnam as I write this but it looks ever more likely that I will. The visa issue is nowhere near as complicated as it was the last time I was there. Nor is it anywhere near as expensive. Approximately two weeks ago they initiated an visa-on-arrival system that gets me into the country for $25, a far cry from what I paid previously. Plus, since I’ve been there before I know my way around somewhat. I found Vietnam to be a great experience. My biggest takeaway was a t-shirt that said Same Same on the front and But Different on the back typifying one of my favorite philosophical paradoxes – we’re all the same but different. Another takeaway was the realization of what happens when you smile at a Vietnamese person – they smile back. Try that in New York City, London or Paris. I like Vietnam. I’d love to ride that train from Ha Noi to Sai Gon.